Metro Vancouver’s Tamil community questions RCMP treatment

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      The cancellation of a charity event on January 10 has members of Metro Vancouver’s Tamil community questioning how the RCMP treats certain ethnic groups in the Lower Mainland.

      “A lot of Tamils in Vancouver have been approached by the RCMP and questioned,” Sue Nathan, Vancouver coordinator for the Canadian Tamil Congress, told the Straight. “It is almost to a point where everything that you do is scrutinized.”

      She explained that since the Harper government classified the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organization in 2006, Tamil Canadians have come under scrutiny from the RCMP.

      A fundraiser organized by youth in Vancouver’s Tamil community was scheduled to take place on January 10 at John Oliver Secondary School in Vancouver, according to William Glaston, a local activist. Money raised at the event was going to be donated to Tamil (Sri Lanka) Refugee Aid Society of Ottawa, a registered Canadian charity.

      The fundraiser was being advertised in community shops and religious centres when the RCMP got involved, he said.

      “It was all set up, a lot of money was put into it, and then all of the sudden, the RCMP intervened and stopped the program from happening.”

      William said it was his understanding that the RCMP were concerned about a Tamil act called Vanam Padi Music Group that was scheduled to fly in from Toronto to perform at the event.

      “As a Tamil Canadian, you can’t do anything because everybody thinks you’re doing it for the aid of weapons and that you are aiding the rebel groups,” he added.

      RCMP spokesperson Annie Linteau could not supply the Straight with information specific to the January 10 event by deadline.

      She noted that RCMP “outreach groups” routinely engage various communities and work to “educate” them on what kinds of fundraising activities are not allowed.

      According to Linteau, the RCMP has also contacted members of Metro Vancouver’s Sikh and Palestinian communities to discuss fundraising practices.

      Nathan said that relations between the RCMP and Tamil groups in the Vancouver area have gotten so bad that a Tamil advisory committee was established to help deal with potential issues. NDP MP Peter Julian (Burnaby-New Westminster) has also been contacted to mediate disputes.

      Speaking from Ottawa, Julian told the Straight that the biggest complaint he is hearing from Tamils is that RCMP officers continue to contact people at work.

      “These are hardworking, honest people, and the RCMP has wanted to keep contact with them to make sure there are no problems with fundraising in the community,” Julian said. “As a result of that, I think sometimes the RCMP has gone a little far in communicating with these members, particularly in the workplace.”

      Julian maintained that he feels relations are improving, but that there is still work to be done.

      Nathan emphasized that all people are trying to do is raise money for those in need.

      “My last statement to the RCMP officers during our meeting was ”˜we will not break the law,’” she said. “We will never break the law because at the end of the day, the only country that has provided us Tamils with a safe haven is Canada, and we respect that and we will abide by its law.”

      According to Nathan, there are an estimated 8,000 Tamils living in Metro Vancouver and as may as 500,000 in Canada.

      The Tamil Tigers, a separatist movement, have fought an on-and-off civil war with the government of Sri Lanka since 1983. An estimated 70,000 people have died in the conflict.


      You can follow Travis Lupick on Twitter at twitter.com/tlupick.

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