Image shows some of the vandalism that has taken place at a monument in a Brampton park.
A Brampton monument remains a target of vandals.
The Tamil Genocide Monument in Chinguacousy Park was damaged and spray-painted with graffiti early Friday (March 20), the third known incident that has occurred at the site since its unveiling less than a year ago.
“The monument was once again deliberately damaged. The main podium and three panels of the monument have been tagged with graffiti, and two panels have sustained minor damage. This was identified by the City of Brampton’s Security Services staff…and the Peel Regional Police has been notified,” reads a statement released by The National Council of Canadian Tamils (NCCT) a day after the incident.
The NCCT, which now has ownership of the monument, has called on the police and the city to thoroughly investigate the vandalism based on the photos and videos captured by surveillance cameras, along with other evidence, to ensure that those responsible are held accountable.
In both May and June of last year, the monument was vandalized.
It is not clear who is behind the vandalism, but the Tamil Genocide Monument has faced controversy from the onset because of the long-simmering ethnic conflicts that have split the Sri Lankan community.
At issue is the interpretation of what has transpired between the ethnic Tamil population and the government of the South Asian country that is backed by the majority Sinhala population.
The United Nations says up to 100,000 Tamils have been killed by rivals since the 1950s, forcing up to one million people to flee their homeland. The government of Sri Lanka has denied that this has happened and has officially objected to the monument.
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown has been steadfast in his support of the Tamils, going so far as to say that those who deny that ethnic cleansing took place in Sri Lanka will be ignored.
“Such continuous and deliberate acts to target the Tamil Genocide Monument clearly suggest that the Tamil Genocide deniers are actively working to silence the victims of the Tamil Genocide,” the NCCT statement continues. “Those individuals and organizations that maintain close affiliations with the Sri Lankan state should recognize that the state and its rogue elements in Canada continue, even today, to undermine the aspirations of the Tamil people.”
The organization said that despite the attacks, the monument remains intact and will continue to be a place where the Tamil community can come together.
Tamil Genocide Monument in Chinguacousy Park
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