Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister summons Canadian High Commissioner to express objections

Foreign Ministry Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has summoned the High Commissioner of Canada in Colombo, Eric Walsh to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday (May 19) to express Sri Lanka’s objection over a statement made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau earlier this week.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Sri Lanka Foreign Minister Ali Sabry has condemned and rejected outright the genocide claims made by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on May 18, 2023 pertaining to Sri Lanka’s three-decade-long civil war.

Minister Sabry stated that this ‘politically motivated’ statement was divisive and was issued for domestic political consumption in Canada.

Sri Lanka vehemently rejects this unsubstantiated allegation of ‘genocide’ relating to the country’s almost 3 decades of terrorist conflict perpetuated by the LTTE, Sabry to the Canadian envoy.

He observed that the ‘inaccurate and provocative’ allegations in the statement will lead to polarizing Sri Lankans at this particular juncture when the Government is working towards economic stability, peace and reconciliation for all.

He emphasized that the arbitrary and erroneous use of ‘genocide’ on Sri Lanka is driven by a small section of the politically motivated anti-Sri Lanka elements in the Diaspora with a separatist agenda.

The Sri Lankan government, as a long-standing bilateral partner, has urged the co-operation of the Canadian Government and encouraged a mutually supportive relationship between the two countries, whilst constructively engaging the community of Sri Lankan heritage in Canada to work towards realizing our common objectives of inclusive development and sustainable peace.