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Rising today in the House of Commons to present petition e-4981, calling for legal action against Sri Lanka under the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice. 

We are deeply committed to the principle that the world must be free of genocide, the most heinous crime, and we believe that accountability is an essential component in preventing the crime of genocide and ensuring “Never Again”; 

We are appalled by the atrocity crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide, committed against the Eelam Tamil People in Sri Lanka during the final stages of the armed conflict from 2006 to 2009; 

We note the credible estimates of civilian deaths and the significant number of people unaccounted for during the final stage as reported by the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability and the Secretary-General’s Internal Review Panel on UN Action, both on Sri Lanka; 

We are mindful of the elements of atrocity crimes identified in the UN report and recognise the genocidal act of the crime of genocide; 

We recognise that the scale of the atrocities committed against the Eelam Tamil People, including the use of indiscriminate weapons and targeted attacks on safe-zones and hospitals, coupled with statements from Sri Lankan government leaders indicating specific intent, constitute acts of genocide; 

We recognise Bill 104, Tamil Genocide Remembrance Week, adopted in 2021 in Ontario, and Parliament’s May 18, 2022, motion designating May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day annually; and 

We recognise the importance of imposing sanctions against leaders credibly accused of atrocity crimes, including Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.