In a bold diplomatic move, Sri Lanka has summoned the Canadian High Commissioner to formally protest the construction of the Tamil Genocide Monument in Brampton, Canada calling the structure “misleading, offensive, and politically motivated.”
The Sri Lankan government, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, strongly rejected allegations of genocide during the final stages of the country’s civil war, stating that no credible national or international authority has ever confirmed such a claim. According to Colombo, the monument is part of a false narrative pushed by diaspora factions for electoral gain in Canada.
Highlighting a critical detail, the ministry noted that Canada’s own Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade, and Development publicly confirmed in April 2021 that the Canadian government has not made any official finding of genocide in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, Canada designated the LTTE as a terrorist group in 2006, and reaffirmed that designation as recently as June 2024.
The government expressed outrage at what it described as a “so-called” Tamil Genocide Monument, saying it has consistently urged Canadian authorities to prevent the Brampton City Council’s initiative. The construction, they argue, undermines efforts to build peace and unity among Sri Lanka’s diverse communities.
“This monument is not just factually wrong it is an insult to Sri Lankans and Canadians alike,” the Foreign Ministry said in a press release. “It spreads misinformation, deepens divisions, and severely complicates our genuine efforts at national reconciliation.”
In a high-level diplomatic meeting, Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath directly conveyed Sri Lanka’s protest to the Canadian High Commissioner, condemning the monument as a barrier to unity and healing.
Colombo insists that the continued propagation of such claims especially through symbolic public monuments destabilizes inter-ethnic trust and damages Sri Lanka’s path toward peaceful coexistence. The message is loud and clear: Sri Lanka is not staying silent on what it sees as a campaign of distortion on foreign soil.
