Dear Editor,

I want to express my sincere appreciation for Matthew Claxton’s column [Tamils being met with racism, Aug. 27 Painful Truth, Langley Advance].

Tamils are fleeing in large numbers from Sri Lanka to escape the violations of the international humanitarian and human rights laws including widespread abductions, disappearances, harassment, and killings of Tamils still taking place with impunity.

Even after the war ended almost two years ago, tens of thousands of Tamils are still living in inadequate and poorly fed government run internment camps.

During the last year dirty war which was conducted by keeping the world out, UN out, media and aid workers out, 40,000 Tamils were killed and 50,000 more maimed, according to a former UN official.

But the Sri Lankan president adamantly opposes the UN war crimes advisory panel, which wanted to find the truth about crimes and serve some justice to the victims, as justice delayed is itself considered justice denied.

The Sri Lankan president claimed that “his troops carried a gun in one hand and a copy of the human rights charter in the other, and their guns did not fire at a single civilian,” in his victory speech in Colombo on June 18.

If so, why he is preventing the U.N. from doing its job? Only he knows.

These desperate Tamil boat people are asking Canadians to show them compassion, kindness, and understanding, which they also thought to be a rich part of our country’s legacy.

Commenting on a recent animal cruelty charge and judgments, some said our judges should be reminded of the slogan “defend the defenceless.”

I find it hard to believe that most of our fellow Canadians are considering Tamils less than even animals. Tamils in Sri Lanka are “defenceless,” and public rages against the Tamil refugees who are going through the due process are not only mean-spirited, but also unlike Canadians.

Thank you once again for rationally putting your views on the issue at hand, unlike many others.

Esan Satkunarajah, Toronto, Ontario