Nish Vel never thought Tamil students living in Canada would be the target of police raids.
“Canada is known for being up on human rights ... this raid is completely contradictory to what I know about Canada,” said Vel, 17, who was one of a few hundred Tamils gathered at Mel Lastman Square on Yonge St. for a rally last Wednesday night.
The gathering was organized to protest a police raid April 22 at the Tamil Academy of Culture and Technology, the Toronto Star reported.
“I didn’t think this would happen here,” Vel said, adding such events happen “on a daily basis” in Sri Lanka.
Vel said his family escaped persecution in his homeland by coming to Canada in 1994, so “I’m really disappointed and saddened” this happened here, he said.
The rally was put on by the Canadian Tamil Students Association (CTSA). It was also in protest of what the CTSA is calling “discriminatory policies” by the Canadian government, which in April condemned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist group.
The CTSA wants the Canadian government to hold consultations with local Tamils before making policy decisions, to get involved in the Sri Lankan peace process and reconsider its decision to put the LTTE on the terror list.
Students waved black flags and chanted along with a rap group who sang about freedom of expression.
“We’re being targeted and discriminated against,” said Senthooran Uruthiralingam, a student at the rally.
He said all Tamil groups are being portrayed as terrorists.
“We’re not,” he said.
“Canada is known for being up on human rights ... this raid is completely contradictory to what I know about Canada,” said Vel, 17, who was one of a few hundred Tamils gathered at Mel Lastman Square on Yonge St. for a rally last Wednesday night.
The gathering was organized to protest a police raid April 22 at the Tamil Academy of Culture and Technology, the Toronto Star reported.
“I didn’t think this would happen here,” Vel said, adding such events happen “on a daily basis” in Sri Lanka.
Vel said his family escaped persecution in his homeland by coming to Canada in 1994, so “I’m really disappointed and saddened” this happened here, he said.
The rally was put on by the Canadian Tamil Students Association (CTSA). It was also in protest of what the CTSA is calling “discriminatory policies” by the Canadian government, which in April condemned the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a terrorist group.
The CTSA wants the Canadian government to hold consultations with local Tamils before making policy decisions, to get involved in the Sri Lankan peace process and reconsider its decision to put the LTTE on the terror list.
Students waved black flags and chanted along with a rap group who sang about freedom of expression.
“We’re being targeted and discriminated against,” said Senthooran Uruthiralingam, a student at the rally.
He said all Tamil groups are being portrayed as terrorists.
“We’re not,” he said.
