Pro-LTTE demonstration in Canada

Ottawa, Apr. 12 (ANI): Thousands of Tamils living in Canada gathered in front of Parliament Hill to protest against Sri Lankan Government's military offensive against banned terrorist organization, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Holding LTTE flags and shouting "Tamil Tigers, freedom fighters," the protesters urged the Canadian Government to reverse its 2006 decision to list the LTTE as a terrorist entity under the Anti-Terrorism Act. They also called for an immediate ceasefire.

The demonstrations are part of a worldwide Tamil protests against deadly military offensive by the Sri Lankan military.

"We don't even know if [our family] are living or not. They just want to destroy the Tamil people, that's what they want," the Globe and Mail quoted Sri Lanka born Kalyany Nagarajah, as saying.

Lankan Government and the LTTE are accusing each other of horrific war crimes; however, no independent journalists are now there to document the fighting.

On Saturday, Human Rights Watch warned of skyrocketing civilian casualties due to the Sri Lankan military firing artillery into a 'no fire' zone.

"War crimes by the Tamil Tigers don't give Sri Lankan commanders free rein to ignore civilian casualties," Brad Adams, the group's Asia director, said in a statement.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, in his phone call to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, denied military firing into the "no fire" zone.

In Ottawa, the Sri Lankan embassy has criticized the fact that protesters are openly waving the Tamil Tiger flags. (ANI)