Support the Tamil Migrants! Say No to Racism!

Victoria Anti-Racism Network (VARN)

August 17, 2010

Tamil migrants who arrived in British Columbia aboard a human-smuggling ship last week say they were fleeing mass murders, disappearances and extortion in their native Sri Lanka.
...
The migrants -- all believed to be ethnic Tamils -- arrived near
Victoria Friday morning aboard a modified cargo ship that left the Gulf of Thailand in May.

The approximately 400 men, 60 women and 30 children remain in detention while immigration authorities work to verify their identities and determine whether they pose any security threats to Canada.

Detention hearings are scheduled to begin this week before the
Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) in Vancouver.

"Let's not paint everybody as a human-smuggler or a terrorist. Lets see them as people first in need of support. They need our support to speak on their behalf to advocate for the right to be treated with dignity and respect.

Everyone is welcome to bring their own banners showing their support.