Today, on the opening day of Tamil Genocide Education Week, the Ottawa Tamil Association (OTA), in joint partnership with Tamil Genocide Memorial (TGM), proudly announces the official launch of the project to build Ottawa’s Tamil Genocide Monument. This historic step coincides with two landmark milestones: the first anniversary of the unveiling of the Brampton Tamil Genocide Monument and the 50th anniversary of the Vaddukoddai Resolution. These dates powerfully affirm our community’s unwavering commitment to truth, remembrance, and justice.
In 2009, thousands of Tamils from Toronto, Montreal, and Cornwall stood shoulder to shoulder with Ottawa Tamils at Parliament Hill for weeks, calling on the world to halt the genocidal war and declare an immediate ceasefire. An emergency debate was held in the House of Commons, and many Canadian politicians worked tirelessly to support the Tamil people. Although Canada could not stop the final atrocities, the Government of Canada later demonstrated principled leadership by boycotting the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Colombo, co-sponsoring the landmark UNHRC resolution for accountability and investigation in 2015, unanimously recognizing May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day in 2022, imposing targeted sanctions on former Sri Lankan presidents, and having the Prime Minister formally declare the day of remembrance in 2023. These meaningful actions have been deeply appreciated by Tamil Canadians, the vast majority of whom are survivors of Sri Lanka’s genocide.
The proposed Ottawa monument, modelled after the Brampton memorial but distilled into a minimalist and powerful form, will feature an “open book” design resting on a solid concrete base. At its heart will be the inscription of Tamil Eelam (Self-Determination), permanently embedding our people’s history and resilience into Canada’s capital. This will stand as a tangible anchor of remembrance; a lasting gift to future generations of Ottawa Tamils.
More than stone and text, the monument will serve as:
- A permanent educational landmark that tells the silenced history of Tamils in Canada (1948–2009) clearly and unapologetically, reframing our community as genocide survivors rather than through outdated labels.
- A sacred place for Tamil Genocide Remembrance, offering a sanctuary for grief, a source of pride for our youth, and a catalyst for lifelong human-rights advocacy.
- A bridge that heals intergenerational trauma, allowing elders to see their suffering validated and young Tamil-Canadians to embrace their dual identity with dignity and strength.
- A bold counter to denial and the politics of forgetting; a lighthouse for justice in the heart of the nation’s capital.
By cementing this history in Ottawa, we ensure that the quest for truth and justice is not a temporary movement, but an enduring legacy. This monument is our promise to future generations: that the strength of our ancestors will remain the foundation upon which their success is built, and that the Tamil story will forever be recognized as a vital chapter of the Canadian fabric.
“This monument is more than stone and text; it is a promise that the truth will outlast the attempt to bury it. It is a lighthouse for justice in the heart of the capital.”
We invite all community members, allies, supporters, and partners to stand with us as we move forward together to get pledges to make this vision a reality.
Ottawa Tamil Association (OTA)
Tamil Genocide Memorial (TGM) – https://tamilgenocide.com
info@ottawatamilassociation.ca | www.ottawatamilassociation.ca
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