Personal Statement by Liberal Foreign Affairs Critic, the Hon. Bob Rae, on being refused entry into Sri Lanka

On the evening of June 9, 2009, I arrived on a flight from Delhi to Colombo, Sri Lanka. I had successfully applied to the Sri Lankan High Commission for a visa and had discussed my visit with the Sri Lankan Commissioner, the Canadian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, and with officials from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

When I arrived at immigration in the company of two Canadian High Commission officials I was, after some delay, told that I was being refused entry "on the grounds of national intelligence."

I spent over twelve hours at the airport trying to find a reason for this decision. I had the full support of officials there and in Ottawa. The Government of Sri Lanka stuck to its position, and I was put on a plane to London.

The Foreign Office in Sri Lanka has indicated that they have no objection to my visit, but the army and Defence Secretary have made the absurd assertion that I am a "LTTE supporter" and a "security risk." I was told to sign a statement with these words: "The statements attributed to me on the situation in Sri Lanka, have been made without full awareness of the true facts of the ground situation, which I regret," but I was never told which "words" or "statements" they were referring to. I refused to sign such an Orwellian document.

I have been involved in Sri Lanka for over a decade, first as Chairman of the Forum of Federations, and later as a Member of Parliament. I have traveled extensively throughout the country, and have met many times with its political leaders of all parties. During the peace process I obviously met with LTTE officials who were involved in those discussions.

I also met with all political parties with a wide spectrum of opinions. My many trips to Sri Lanka and my work in Canada, as well as the peace process post-2001, were intended to work to a peaceful solution. To that end, I have met with people of all views. I have never in any way felt that the violent tactics of the LTTE were in any way the right course, and I have made that view known on many occasions, including debates in parliament. To describe me as "an LTTE supporter," as an Army spokesman has done today, is a lie, pure and simple.

A review of my record would also show that I have been a champion of moderate Tamil opinion and Tamil dissent. I have been a steady critic of the abuses of human rights that were part of the LTTE's tactics, and have spoken about this unhesitatingly in Canada and abroad. I spoke at memorial services for both Lakshman Kadirgarmar, the former Foreign Minister, and Ketesh Loganathan, who worked at the Sri Lankan peace secretariat, both of whom were personal friends.

I am clearly not welcome there to discuss the humanitarian situation and the future of reconciliation in this country. But the government of Sri Lanka knew my views, and granted me a visa. I flew a very long way only to be told the door is firmly shut.

The Sri Lankan government has made this decision because they have apparently reached some ill-conceived and defamatory conclusions about me. But after thirty years of public service at home and abroad I have to say this decision reflects on them, and not on me. I have fought against violence and extremism all my life. Everyone knows that, and the record of my actions, speeches and reports is there for all to see.

What they now also know is that the government of Sri Lanka is afraid of dialogue, afraid of discussion, afraid of engagement. All I can say is shame on them. If this is how they treat me, imagine how they treat people who can't speak out and who can't make public statements.