By

Shamindra Ferdinando

One time UN Assistant Secretary General Denis J. Halliday is now in Canada to convince major political parties to support US-UK call for an international war crimes investigation targeting Sri Lanka at the forthcoming 25th session of the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council.

Well informed sources told The Island that Halliday would meet influential Canadian lawmakers during the next two weeks on behalf of the National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) widely believed to be the successor to the World Tamil Movement (WTM). The Canadian government listed the WTM as a terrorist organisation in June 2008.

Sources said that Halliday would also meet Canadian officials as well Canada based top representatives of NCCT. External Affairs Ministry sources told The Island that GoSL was concerned about the latest development.

Halliday quit the UN in 1998 following a 34-year career over serious differences regarding the global body’s policy towards Iraq.

Sources based in Canada said that the former UN bigwig was seeking a consensus among Canadian political parties regarding the move at the UNHRC. Although the ruling Conservative party had assured that it would co-sponsor the US-UK resolution, the NCCT was of the opinion that all Canadian parties should throw their weight behind the government on the issue.

Responding to a query by The Island, GoSL sources alleged that the LTTE rump had gone to the extent of employing an ex-UN staffer at the level of Assistant Secretary General level to pursue war crimes project. Sources said that the LTTE as well as the LTTE rump had effectively used both politicians and retired officials to promote their strategies. There couldn’t be a better example than having former UK Labour Minister as the policy advisor of the Global Tamil Forum (GTF) now in a collision course with some powerful Diaspora groupings.

Sources said that the NCCT was using Halliday’s visit to collect funds in the run-up to the Geneva resolution. A fund raising dinner is scheduled for Sunday (February 16) at Sheraton Parkway Hotel 600 Hwy 7, Richmond Hill Ontario. Several Canadian lawmakers are expected to attend the event. Asked whether Opposition lawmaker RATHIKA SITSABAIESAN would attend the event, sources pointed out that the MP of Sri Lankan Tamil origin had been on a collision course with the NCCT over her refusal to represent the group some time ago.

The NCCT is working closely with Norway based Nediyawan faction. Sources said that Norway too, would co-sponsor the resolution though it was not a member of the UNHRC. It was no secret that the NCCT had been fully backing the International Council of Eelam Tamils (NCET) since it distanced itself from the UK based Global Tamil Forum.

COURTESY:THE ISLAND