Mr. Speaker, as the Minister of State of Foreign Affairs for the Americas said, Canada is appalled at the loss of civilian life in Sri Lanka. That is why our government continues to call for an immediate ceasefire, the safe and voluntary movement of civilians from the conflict zone and unhindered humanitarian access.
It is unacceptable for the Sri Lankan government to disregard the plight of civilians. Equally, it is unacceptable for the Tamil Tigers to use civilians as hostages. Our officials in Colombo, at the UN and in like-minded countries are engaged at the highest levels to coordinate international action to end this conflict.