The Honourable Jason Kenney issued the following statement on occasion of the 6^th anniversary of the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War:

“Six years have passed since the end the Sri Lankan Civil War. On May 18, we reflect on the tragedies that occurred as the 25-year conflict came to a close, particularly as they affected Sri Lanka’s Tamil minority.

“I join with the members of Canada’s Tamil community in remembering the tens of thousands of people who were killed and displaced. Indeed, we remember that many Canadian Tamils had themselves found refuge in Canada directly as a result of the bloody conflict in their homeland.

“Canada remains committed to remembering the victims of the Sri Lankan civil war. Our government has consistently urged Sri Lankan authorities to demonstrate accountability by thoroughly investigating allegations that up to 40,000 Tamil civilians were killed by Sri Lankan troops in its final phase. Canada will continue to stand for the truth, as we did when Prime Minister Stephen Harper made the principled decision not to attend the 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Summit hosted by the Rajapaksa regime due to their refusal to adequately address our important concerns.

“Earlier this year the people of Sri Lanka, including Tamils, exercised their democratic right to vote, choosing to reject the Rajapaksa regime and electing a new government under President Sirisena. I am hopeful that this new government will continue to pursue a constructive approach to addressing the crimes of the past, while actively pursuing reconciliation with the Tamil community.

“As we remember the victims of the civil war, we commit to working with the new government in Sri Lanka and the international community to promote truth, justice and reconciliation, and to preventing such atrocities from ever being repeated.”