Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09TORONTO84
2009-04-23 20:45:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Consulate Toronto
Cable title:  

Toronto Tamil Demo: WTM-organized?

Tags:  PGOV PTER PHUM CE CA 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO7699
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHMT RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHON #0084 1132045
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 232045Z APR 09
FM AMCONSUL TORONTO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 2794
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0017
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0029
RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0038
RUCNFB/FBI WASHINGTON DC
UNCLAS TORONTO 000084 

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAN, SCA/INS, S/CT
HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
DHS PASS TO CBP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM CE CA
SUBJECT: Toronto Tamil Demo: WTM-organized?

REF: (A) 08 Toronto 169 (B) Toronto 52

UNCLAS TORONTO 000084

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR WHA/CAN, SCA/INS, S/CT
HOMELAND SECURITY CENTER WASHDC
DHS PASS TO CBP

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PTER PHUM CE CA
SUBJECT: Toronto Tamil Demo: WTM-organized?

REF: (A) 08 Toronto 169 (B) Toronto 52


1. On April 23, 50-75 demonstrators gathered outside of the U.S.
Consulate to call on the U.S. government to intervene on behalf of
Tamils in Sri Lanka. Although it was a small gathering, it was the
fifth held in front of the Consulate since January.


2. Just as the demonstration began, Sri Lanka's Consul General in
Toronto, who we know well, phoned to inform PolOff that the event
had been organized by the World Tamil Movement (WTM),which was
banned by the Canadian government as a terrorist organization in

2006. While we cannot confirm that the protestors were organized by
the WTM, this is at least the third demonstration in which the red
tiger flag - associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) - has been flown by demonstrators outside the Consulate,
along with Canadian and American flags. The red Tiger flag also has
been prominent in many of the other dozens of protests around the
Toronto area, including recent protests that continued for several
days at Queen's Park.

NAY