Canada has signaled the Sri Lankan government that it will not be able to accept Chandrananda de Silva as Sri Lanka's next High Commissioner to Ottawa because under the provisions of the Immigration Act.

Ottawa has rejected the consulate appointment of a former Secretary to the Defense Ministry in the government of previous Sri Lanka PM Chandrika Kumaratunga (above)

De Silva was a former Secretary to the Defense Ministry in the earlier Peoples Alliance (PA) government led by Chandrika Kumaratunga until end of 2001.

He was to replace career diplomat Geetha de Silva as High Commissioner in Ottawa.

"The decision comes as a major embarrassment to the Colombo Government which has, ironically, long accused the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of being the ones who have abused human rights during their 20-year war for independence in the island's north and east provinces," the paper pointed out.