On October 16, 2024, the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau when testifying at the Public Inquiry into the Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral process and Democratic Institutions, publicly reaffirmed Canada's commitment to protecting Tamil Canadians from Sri Lanka's foreign interference in Canada.

On behalf of the Tamil Canadians, the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) would like to thank the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for his commitment to protecting Tamil Canadians from Sri Lanka's foreign interference in Canada.

The Sri Lankan state continues to be a perpetrator of deliberate, aggressive, covert and overt foreign interference against the Tamil diaspora in Canada and internationally for years.

In Canada, Tamil Canadians, as a diaspora community, are being subjected to decades of Sri Lanka's deliberate, aggressive, covert and overt foreign interference. This has become a significant threat to Tamil Canadians’ wellbeing, safety and security and to their fundamental rights and freedoms in Canada. This is also a threat to the integrity of Canada's political system and democratic process and institutions. The Tamil Canadians have felt the impact of foreign interference in multiple ways. This includes targeting individual Tamil Canadians, Tamil Canadian businesses, Tamil Canadian community organizations and Tamil Canadian religious, cultural, academic, arts, entertainment and sports institutions to name a few. Furthermore, this has significant implications on Tamil Candians including those running for public office, elected to public office, traveling abroad and visiting loved ones in Sri Lanka.

Furthermore Sri Lanka’s foreign interference is also attempting to undermine the Tamil Canadian’s advocacy efforts to achieve international recognition, international accountability, and remedial justice for the Tamil Genocide and a permanent political solution based on the Tamil people’s right to self-determination to address the legitimate political aspirations of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka. In addition, this is also attempting to undermine the Tamil Canadian’s advocacy efforts in combatting Tamil Genocide denial and distortion and Sri Lanka's foreign interference in Canada targeting Tamil Canadians.

Sri Lanka’s ongoing foreign interference in Canada takes place in various ways including through the use of agents of the Government of Sri Lanka and through the use of proxies.

The forms of Sri Lanka's deliberate, aggressive, covert and overt foreign interference in Canada includes surveillance, threat, harassment, intimidation, deception, manipulation, discreditation, coercion, elicitation, cultivation, disinformation campaigns, misinformation campaigns, online influence campaigns, information manipulation and media manipulation, digital transnational repression, disruption of public events, target of government officials and undermine Canada's democratic processes and institutions.

NCCT urges Tamil Canadians to be vigilant and stand united to combat Sri Lanka’s foreign interference in Canada targeting Tamil Canadians. It is important that all Tamil Canadians are aware of any potential threats and increase the collective resilience against Sri Lanka’s foreign interference in Canada together. We also ask that Tamil Canadians take efforts in reporting Sri Lanka’s deliberate, aggressive, covert and overt foreign interference actions in Canada to your local law enforcement authorities.

NCCT also urges Canada to take measures to do more to combat Sri Lanka’s foreign interference in Canada targeting Tamil Canadians and send a clear message to the Sri Lankan state that Canada will not tolerate any form of foreign interference.

Thank you.

National Council of Canadian Tamils

For the first time in Sri Lanka, the government is to establish a mechanism to supervise and advice ministries in the implementation of policies, a source said.

A tense situation was reported at the UNP party headquarters in Sirikotha when a group of UNP supporters arrived to hand over a document on reviving the party.

Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Harsha de Silva said today that an NPP MP has told him that the Parliament canteen will not be closed but the government will see that no one will abuse the facility.

Two fishermen were seriously injured and hospitalised after a parcel floating on the sea exploded while they were checking it off the coast of Mannar.

The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) and the Examinations Department have initiated a joint programme to mitigate potential disasters during the 2024 Advanced Level examinations.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake addressed the inaugural session of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka today. Following are 11 key points from the President’s Government Policy Statement;

Speaker Dr. Ashoka Sapumal Ranwala informed Parliament that nomination of Sajith Premadasa, leader of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), has been accepted as the Opposition Leader of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka.

Jaffna District Independent MP Archuuna Ramanathan refused to move away after he sat on the Opposition Leader's seat inside the chambers despite requests by Parliament staff to move.

National People's Power (NPP) Gampaha MP Dr. Ashoka Sapumal Ranwala was elected as the Speaker of the 10th Parliament of Sri Lanka a short while ago. Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya proposed his name, and the nomination was confirmed by Vijitha Herath.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake adjourned the Sri Lankan Parliament until 9:30 a.m. on December 3. The adjournment followed the President’s delivery of the government’s policy statement during the inaugural session of the 10th Parliament earlier today.