www.amehtalaw.com ŏ ŏ Anne Mehta Barrister & Solicitor Tel: 905-789-6007 Cell: 647-207-8337 Fax: 905-326-4222 [email protected] ŏŏ ŏ č 1 Gateway Blvd., Unit 102,Brampton WWW.VOICEFORJUSTICE.CA SERVING SOUTH ASIAN COMMUNITIES BI-MONTHLY NEWSPAPER MAY 2021!(ŏ /00! + .,ISSUE:+.0!ŏ 3 42 %0%#0$%+* 1 āĀŏ %(*!.ŏ1/%*!//ŏ+1.0Čŏ1%0!ŏĂāĀŏ+.+*0+Čŏŏŏ āŏăć ąāćċăĂāċāāĀĀ %*"+Į*23%(/+*ċ(3 ąāćċăĂāċāāĀĈ 333ċ*23%(/+*ċ(3 CANADA REJECTS SRI LANKA’S HIGH COMMISSIONER Canada has rejected retired Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sumangala Dias as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in the country for being accused of war crimes. His name was approved last November STALIN BECOMES TAMIL NADU’S to take up the top post at the Sri Lanka Mission in Ottawa, but Canada delayed giving consent to his CHIEF MINISTER appointment. ...SEE PAGE 4 The much-awaited Tamil Nadu election 2021 came on May 2 - nearly a month after polling. The DMK and its allies dethroned the ruling AIADMK US SAYS ARMENIAN and won the election by securing over 150 seats. Late M. Karunanidhi’s son M.K. Stalin will KILLINGS WERE GENOCIDE become the chief minister of the state. ...SEE PAGE 4 What’s Inside... Last month US MYANMAR HEADING TOWARDS “FULL- Editorial ....................................03 President Joe Biden Canadian News ........................06 recognised the 1915 BLOWN CONFLICT” South Asian News ....................10 Global News .............................14 killings of Armenians The situation in Myanmar is going from bad to Law ..........................................17 by Ottoman forces as worse every day as unrest has gripped the country. Politics......................................19 genocide, a watershed The United Nations warned last month the situation Students ....................................23 Medicine & Health ...................25 moment for descendants could deteriorate into “full-blown conflict.” Science & Technology .............27 of the hundreds of Peaceful pro-democracy street demonstrations and Real Estate ...............................29 thousands of dead as work stoppages have given way to paramilitary Economy & Social Issues ........31 Seniors, Women & Children ....33 he defied decades of operations in opposition to the country’s ruthless Entertainment ...........................35 pressure by Turkey. military, which seized power in a coup d’état on Sports .......................................37 February 1. ...SEE PAGE 4 ...SEE PAGE 8 HAVE YOU BEEN IN A TRAFFIC Satheesan Kumarasamy TICKETS BSc., BA (Honours), MA, Paralegal Advocate MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT Licensed by the Law Society of Ontario ACCIDENT? BENEFITS 416-723-7387 PAGE 2 voiceforjustice.ca | May 2021 HAVE YOU BEEN IN A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT? Do you want to know your legal rights? ACCIDENT BENEFITS Michael A. Yermus Loss of Income Personal Injury Lawyer Housekeeping Benefits Caregiver Benefits Motor Vehicle Accidents Attendant Care Benefits Long Term Disability Claims Medical Benefits Spinal Cord Injuries Satheesan Kumarasamy TRAFFIC TICKETS BSc., BA (Honours), MA, Paralegal Advocate Brain Injuries Speeding Tickets Licensed by the Law Society of Ontario Careless Driving Catastrophic Injuries Stunt Driving Fatal Accidents Distracted Driving Driving Under Suspension ACCIDENT Motorcycle Accidents 50 Over The Speed Limit BENEFITS Slip and Falls Disobey Stop Sign Driving Without Insurance Trip and Falls Failure To Report Collision Dog Bites and Attacks Improper Turn TRAFFIC TICKETS Disobey Sign Failure To Yield Right-Of-Way WE DON'T GET PAID Following Too Closely Failure To Remain UNLESS Using a Hand-Held Device YOU GET PAID! CALL US FOR A NO-FEE CONSULTATION TO GET INFORMATION YOU NEED ABOUT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS 416-723-7387 [email protected] 416-229-4878 (HURT) www.yermuslaw.com www.prudentiallegalservices.com 5255 Yonge Street. Suite 1300 120 Traders Blvd East, Unit 202 Toronto, ON M2N 6P4 Mississauga, ON L4Z 2H7 voiceforjustice.ca | May 2021 PAGE 3 From the Editor-in-Chief Very pleased to meet you through our 42nd edition. We need to highlight three important events that carry important steppingstones in our lives to remember. Although some of these events do not reflect directly in our own lives, they somehow affect our society. Last month US President Joe Biden recognized the 1915 killings of Armenians by Ottoman forces as genocide, a watershed moment for descendants of the FOR JUSTICE hundreds of thousands of dead as he defied decades of pressure by Turkey. Mr. Biden became the first US president to use the word genocide in a statement Together, we can change society! on the anniversary, a day after informing Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan of the decision and seeking to limit the furore from the NATO ally. He said in a statement on April 24, “We remember the lives of all those who died in the Ottoman-era Armenian genocide and recommit ourselves to preventing such Mission an atrocity from ever again occurring.” Genocide of any nature and wherever With the view to providing a voice to expose acts of injustice against it happens should be recognized, and the culprits should be exposed. Although individuals or communities, whether they be unfair, discriminatory, illegal this type of message comes after one hundred years does not carry any weight in or unjust, “Voice for Justice” stands firm on the ground that there can be no punishing the perpetrators of the crime; however, these types of messages could freedom without justice. Your support is needed to achieve this. Together, send a warning to those who still carry out violence against innocent civilians, we can change society! and those who are struggling either by peaceful means or in any other means to achieve freedom for a particular group. As we move to the next topic, which is also related to genocidal regime Objectives and those who perpetrated the violence against Tamil civilians is another vital topic. It is a welcoming action by the Canadian Government in rejecting the “Voice for Justice” represents the unheard voices of voiceless people the Sri Lankan’s retired Air Force Commander Air Marshal Sumangala Dias as Sri world over living under extremely difficult political, social and economic Lanka’s High Commissioner in the country for being accused of war crimes. conditions, conditions not of their making, that need to be exposed. His name was approved last November to take up the top post at the Sri Lanka Impoverishment, exploitation and marginalization lead to injustices Mission in Ottawa, but Canada delayed giving consent to his appointment. to the voiceless, devoid of education, good health and decreasing life However, taking his war-time role into consideration, Canadian Government expectancy with their children fast becoming the underclass of the finally declined to accept him as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner in the country. underprivileged. When Dias was selected for the post, a strong protest was created among the Tamil community and human rights groups. Different forums carried out It is extremely difficult to describe the miseries that these peoples have campaigns online urging the Canadian Government not to appoint him. The to endure, and they have little hope of calling attention of their plight. campaign yielded positive results. However, it is sad to learn Dias will now It is in this context that some freelance amateur journalists and take up the role of Ambassador to Italy and will head to Rome. It is pathetic professional academics have banded together to undertake the ambitious Romans have not yet realized the brutality even in the contemporary world. task of making a dent in the print media to educate and inform the world, It is a well-known fact the former Air Force commander was appointed as which has little or no knowledge of the voiceless half around the world. senior air coordinator during the final stages of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka The journal is also intended to provide a forum for these people to freely who was coordinating Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) operations with the ground express their views. operations of the 57,58 and 59 divisions of the Sri Lankan Army, which have been credibly accused of war crimes. Dias was appointed as base commander at As a result of questions as to how we could be of assistance to these SLAF Hingurakoda Base, Sri Lanka in 2005, from which many indiscriminate people, we have decided to dedicate our time and energies to a publication bombing missions against civilian targets originated. While welcoming the that focuses on these people whose rights and justice are being denied. rejection of his appointment by Canada, it is a disappointment about the attitude of Italy. This publication is not intended to pursue a particular ideology or to be a critique of governments, institutions or any group. “Voice for Justice” It is noteworthy to discuss the result of the Tamil Nadu election. M.K. has no affiliation to any group or organization and is not motivated by any Stalin, the son of former late Chief Minister Karunanidhi, has become CM political consideration. The prime objective is to be a catalyst to sensitize the with a landslide victory. His party, DMK, managed to sweep the victory while rest of the world by drawing their attention to the problems and injustices. pushing the ruling party, ADMK into official opposition status. Tamils world We believe those distant and voiceless voices must be heard. over are hoping Stalin’s government will take necessary steps to demand justice and stand by the Tamils against the genocidal regime in Sri Lanka and urge the We invite you to contribute articles and papers and participate in other Indian government and the international community to bring the perpetrators ways, including financial support, in making this newspaper venture a of international crimes to justice so that the Tamils in Sri Lanka can live in their success. We will initially start off with a monthly publication. As we get homeland with freedom and justice. more support from readers and commercial establishments, we will make Lastly, COVID-19 is continuing to spread around the world, with more it bi-weekly and then weekly.