Hundreds of clashes around the world, thousands of people killed, millions displaced and billions made by arms dealers. All this happening while we spend most of our time on Simpsons and American Idol.

My own family was displaced due to conflict and the pain of being refuges is well known to us. It is a shame and painful to see more millions still being affected by the sri Lankan conflict even after 25 years.

There is nothing more painful than being refugees in your own land, living in the open with nothing but hope that one day the conflict will be over and you will live to tell the story.

Sri Lanka is on a major offensive in its brutal desire to end the conflict through its military force this year and has launched its biggest ever attack on the LTTE to capture LTTE controlled area in the North and East. Amnesty and UNHCR have been concerned about the war and the human rights violations against minority Tamils. Millions have been displaced, telephone and now postal link cut to the Tamil areas detaching them from the rest of the world.

Here is a photos slideshow that depicts the life of refuges affected by the Sri Lankan forces, living in open fields.

Canada needs to step in now. We need to engage both the warring groups and get them to the negotiating table to resolve the issue through talks and not mortars. Monsoon season will be starting soon in Sri Lanka that will slow down the armed forces offensive. The government relies more on its mortars and big guns which will be difficult to move in the slushy monsoon rains, but the Tigers rely more on stealth and guerrilla attacks and the monsoon period is a good time for them.

Millions of people living in the open will become prone to various tropical diseases, many of them like malaria can be deadly without proper medical facilities. Thousands of these poor civilians living in the open can die, if no action is taken.

Sri Lanka has banned journalists and agencies from the conflict zone. They have also cut off cell phone and postal service making it difficult for the outer world to know what is happening there. Canada should intervene and force the Sri Lankan government to declare ceasefire and facilitate the movement of these refugees.

The Harper government should also engage the Tamil Diaspora in Canada to seek advice on bringing the LTTE to the negotiation table. The desire to bring peace and have a permanent resolution in the island nation is high among the diaspora and the citizens of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka and LTTE have to learn from IRA and bring an peaceful end to the conflict through negotiations that countries like Canada has to help facilitate.

Does Harper have the resolve to do it?

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