sun-sea-tamilsMigrant deaths worth the risk, says man who boarded MV Sun Sea for Canada [ CTV ]

VANCOUVER — A young Sri Lankan man crammed into the cargo hold of a ship with nearly 500 others had only one thing on his mind — getting to the promised land called Canada.Nearly five years after the MV Sun Sea arrived on British Columbia’s coast, the refugee claimant said he understands the plight of an estimated 1,700 migrants who have died in the Mediterranean Sea since April 13.”I am extremely sorry to find that they had to die as a result of escaping from danger,” said the man in his 30s, whose identity is protected by a publication ban.[ full story |

Hope drives migrants to risk death[ Globe and Mail ][ Apr 23 13:05 GMT ]

A young Sri Lankan man crammed into the cargo hold of a ship with nearly 500 others had only one thing on his mind – getting to the promised land called Canada. Nearly five years after the MV Sun Sea arrived on British Columbia’s coast, the refugee claimant said he understands the plight of an estimated 1,700 migrants who have died in the Mediterranean Sea since April 13. “I am extremely sorry to find that they had to die as a result of escaping from danger,” said the man in his 30s, whose identity is protected by a publication ban. [ full story |

Sajith Premadasa’s SL ministry steps up Sinhalicisation in Mullaiththeevu[TamilNet]

Sinhala officials of Colombo’s ‘National Housing Development Authority’, which comes under UNP Minister Sajith Premadasa attempted on Tuesday to grab lands that belong to uprooted Eezham Tamils at Mukaththuvaaram in Kokku’laay of Mullaiththeevu district. A tense situation prevailed as Sinhala settlers confronted the Tamil landowners. However, the move to survey the lands that belong to Eezham Tamils was halted after Northern Provincial Council (NPC) member Thurairajah Ravikaran documented the land deeds to survey department officers who were brought by the so-called National Housing Development Authority to seize the lands to Sinhala colonisers in the country of Eezham Tamils. The SL State is accelerating Sinhala colonization with the aim of permanently wedging the demographic contiguity of the northern and eastern provinces at this strategic location. Full story >>