Opening of So called TAMIL GENOCIDE MONUMENT IN BRAMPTON – May 2025

Dear Friends and well-wishers,
The SLCAB (Sri-Lanka Canada Association of Brampton) with assistance of the community, opposed the construction of this bogus monument from the time Patrick Brown moved the motion in the city hall to build the Tamil genocide monument. We opposed because this monument carries on the hatred of terrorism; insulting Sri Lanka and Sri Lankans.
It was an up-hill battle from the day one, due to the overwhelming power of pro-LTTE Tamil diaspora backed by the Mayor Brown.

Still, we were able to;
· Engage with our community to protest strongly by rallying in front of the city Hall to oppose the monument.
· Make written submissions to the council and made representation and lobbied other councillors
· Make representations to various government tribunals
· File a court case challenging the construction
· Make Sri Lankan Government to lodge a protest to the city council as well as to Canada Global affairs.
· Campaign against Mayor Patrick Brown at the council elections, supporting his main opponent.
We were successful in delaying the construction on several occasions, forcing them to miss several deadlines.
· Despite all our efforts, the monument is constructed and planned to be opened tomorrow, May 10th 2025.
Why we couldn’t succeed:
· Tamil Canadians have a significant influence in Canada due to substantial numbers within the Tamil diaspora. Their strong presence in business, government, and various concentrated communities has also contributed to their overall impact in gaining political influence.
· Tamils have actively participated in the Canadian legislative system, with members elected to municipal, provincial, and federal levels. This political engagement allows them to influence policies and advocate for their community’s interests.
We are proud of what we did and thankful to our community for the unprecedented community support we received over the last 5 years.

Because of the court case we filed and carried all the way to the Supreme Court, the Tamil Genocide Education Week Act is now declared as without any educational value. Also, courts ruled that the Ontario government did not recognize genocide in Sri Lanka. These are significant achievements.

It must be noted that Sri Lankans have rejected the extremist hate-based communal politics and rallied around a mainstream national party in Sri Lanka. Unfortunately, extremist elements in the Tamil diaspora in Canada are still carrying on this outdated vengeance campaign against the Sri Lanka. That will eventually die down with the current generation, and all expatriate Sri Lankans will see them as just Sri Lankans.

We patiently await that day with compassion.

Thank You,
Sena Munasinghe
President SLCAB
On behalf of the executive committee of SLCAB
May 09, 2025

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