posted July 17, 2004 05:05 AM         

Reports emanating from Toronto, Canada, unfolds with a news that R.Sambanthan, Parliamentary leader of the Tamil National Alliance who was on his way from Washington Dulles airport to Toronto, on 09 July, was stopped, stripped and checked at the airport.

It is learnt that US immigration authorities detained him for more than three hours at the airport for body search, checking of the Passport and also for questioning.

According to information, Sampanthan as a member of parliament was travelling on a diplomatic passport issued by the Sri Lankan immigration.

Subsequently, it is learnt that he missed the flight and was booked in another flight and by the time he reached belatefly at the Pierson International airport, Toronto, only a handful of people stayed back to receive him.

“Asian Tribune” contacted the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington to check the unconfirmed report about Sampanthan being stripped and checked at the Washington airport.

A spokesman in the Sri Lankan Embassy said that they were aware that Sampanthan was on a private visit to America and is in the town. He added that Sampanthan never cared to call over at the Embassy during his stay in America.

The spokesmen who wish to remain anonymous told that in case some one is harassed at the airport they should have called us then there from the airport for the Embassy to take appropriate action. Or else the person should have protested it then and there and brought the matter to our notice for follow up action.

He added that unfortunately the Embassy has so far not received any complaint from Sampanthan for them to take up the matter with the State Department.

Earlier Richard Boucher spokesman for the US State Department while commenting in his daily press briefing regarding a similar incident connected with George Fernandez, the former Indian Minister for Defence, who too was earlier stripped and search at the same airport when he visited USA on an official visit. Boucher said “ - you should be apologizing to tens of thousands of people every day, including US senators and lots of other people.”

Further it was reported that earlier when bus loads of Sri Lankan Tamils from Toronto Canada try to enter into America were turned back by the American immigration authorities. Canadian naturalized Sri Lankan Tamils were rejected entry when they were on their way to participate in the 17th annual Thamizhar Thiruvizhaa - Tamil Festival, held from 02 – 05 July, organised by the Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America, in Maryland, at the Carl Murphy Fine Arts Centre. Racist Thugs

posted August 10, 2004 11:27 AM         

Bro, lets desist from such imbecile generalizations, I doubt whether you had encountered “most” of the tamils living in the globe to have a conclusion on them, you ought to be judging about your own Singhalese nation than judging others. There are many Singhalese people who trying to tiptoe in to countries like Italy being complete jokes
and mocking Sri Lankan Singhalese nation badly. I do not say that Singhalese are better than Tamils or the vise versa. It would be an immature generalization.

If you analyze the reports of the USA- International airports, you will encounter scores of Singhalese people who too had been deported after coming to USA for many reasons, yet it doesn’t serve as an rationale to craft sweeping generalizations

Tamils exterior Sri lanka supporting the LTTE is another issue which should be whitewashed with ideologies, if you keep on manufacturing absurd generalizations such as “tamils are bad, etc and etc,” you are serving the Prabakaran and the LTTE getting international tamil people to hate Sri Lanka and Singhalese populace and to fund the LTTE.

You should employ your intellect while dealing with sensitive affairs next occasion bro, take care,

Jug