News East-West Desk, 14 Jan 2013 - TORONTO: Citizenship and immigration minister Jason Kenney has greeted the Tamil community of Canada on the occasion of Thai Pongal. As minister for citizenship, immigration and multiculturalism, Kenney said, “I offer my best wishes to all those celebrating Thai Pongal.” Liberal Leader Bob Rae greeted the Tamil community on the festive occasion. On behalf of the NDP, Rathika Sitsabaiesan, Canada’s first MP of Tamil origin, greeted her community.

28 October 2011 - Members of House of Commons (Canada) debated on Sri Lanka on Wednesday October 26 and Thursday 27th of October 2011. Experpts on Sri Lanka from the Parliament hansard record:

By Adrienne Clarkson, The Ottawa Citizen, October 14, 2011 - In her new book Room for All of Us, former governor general Adrienne Clarkson profiles individuals who, like herself, “came out of cataclysm and catastrophe not out of our own making and found ourselves almost thrown into Canada.” She tells often harrowing stories of their journeys to this country and then recounts how they have enriched the Canadian fabric. The following excerpt was adapted from Clarkson’s profile of Ontario MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan.

By Karim Bardeesy, Globe and Mail, 19 August 2011 - In her orange blouse and mesh cowboy hat, Rathika Sitsabaiesan cuts a striking swath through the stalls at the 10th annual Scarborough Rotary Ribfest in northeastern Toronto. It's a sweltering Saturday, and the MP for Scarborough-Rouge River is, like any good pol in the summer, where her constituents are – although for the two-thirds of them who are immigrants, the greasy, tangy Southern rib experience might be a relatively new one.

CBC News, 3 August 2011 - Canada should press the United Nations to set up a tribunal in Sri Lanka to deal with suspected crimes against humanity, the NDP said Wednesday. A United Nations report has already called on the organization to set up a commission to look into human rights violations committed by both the Sri Lankan military and the Tamil Tiger rebel group. "Both sides need to acknowledge and take ownership of their actions and injustices that they have brought on their people," said NDP MP Rathika Sitsabaiesan. The NDP is petitioning the government to urge the UN to set up an independent, international and impartial mechanism to ensure truth, accountability and justice in Sri Lanka, NDP MP Wayne Marston said.

By Kristy Kirkup, Parliamentary Bureau - CNews, 15 June, 2011 - Canada's first elected Tamil MP wants to see an independent inquiry into war crimes allegedly committed in her home country. Rathika Sitsabaiesan - the newly elected NDP MP for the riding of Scarborough Rouge River - says the international community needs to support an investigation into claims of human rights violations during the final weeks of Sri Lanka's civil war.

BBC Sinhala, May 09 2011 - The first ever Tamil MP in Canadian parliament says she will take the initiative to form an All Party Parliamentary Committee (APPC) to look into alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka during the last stages of the war.

CBC News, May 3, 2011 - Among the young New Democrats swept into office in Monday's federal election is 29-year-old Rathika Sitsabaiesan, now Canada's first ever Tamil Member of Parliament. The Malvern community activist won the Ontario riding of Scarborough-Rouge River, taking a seat that had been Liberal since 1988. Now, along with scores of other rookie NDP MPs, she will help form the Official Opposition for the first time in the party's history.

Toronto Star, 03 May 2011 - Scarborough Rouge-River is running orange today with the election of New Democrat Rathika Sitsabaiesan.

With Liberal incumbent Derek Lee stepping down after 23 years, voters chose change, said Sitsabaiesan, the first Tamil to be elected to Parliament.

Sitsabaiesan, 29, a Tamil immigrant who works for U of T’s Students’ Union, championed her strong ties to youth and the riding’s large Tamil community.

“I am the strong voice for change that this community has hoped for,” she said.

• Scarborough-Rouge River runs orange - Toronto Star
• Big changes in Scarborough - Toronto Sun
• Ignatieff joins Toronto Liberals in defeat - CBC News
• Harper captures his majority with NDP forming historic Opposition - The Star