BACKGROUND.......................................................................................................

Suresh Sriskandarajah grew up as a refugee in a poverty-stricken Montréal neighbourhood. Suresh was determined to pull his family out of poverty, safeguard his younger brothers from the hardships he endured, and prove to himself that his impoverished childhood would not extend into his adult life. Since his early years, Suresh has always been an exemplary citizen who has held strong moral values. Suresh currently resides in Waterloo, Ontario with his family.

• Model Student – Electrical Engineering and Liberal Studies (BASc, BA, University of Waterloo), Policy and Law (Laurier MBA)
• Entrepreneur – Started Internet-related technology ventures. Held co-op positions in many high- tech firms including Microsoft, RIM, Alcatel-Lucent, IBM, Amazon.com and NVIDIA
• Avid believer in giving back to the community – mentored youth and involved with numerous Canadian charities that promote social consciousness, environment and equality for all people
• Sri Lankan Connection – UW official co-op term in Sri Lanka in 2004: setup sponsorship website for orphanages, taught at a technical institute, and helped launch a solar panel factory. Personally witnessed tsunami’s devastation and coordinated relief efforts to provide support.
• Active Citizen - Took part in Forum for Young Canadians to learn about the functions and operations of Canadian government.

ACADEMIC DISTINCTIONS.................................................................................

The sheer determination to succeed can be illustrated through the numerous awards that Suresh has accumulated. He has earned three prestigious degrees including an MBA (Management) from Wilfrid Laurier University, a BASc (Electrical Engineering), and a BA (Liberal Studies) from the University of Waterloo. In addition to his degrees, Suresh has been awarded many merit certificates, recognitions, academic awards, international scholarships and professional memberships to engineering institutes. Two specific highlights: Suresh was the recipient of one of the most prestigious awards presented by the WLU president, the CIBC Leaders in Entrepreneurship Award. He also received the John McBain International Award for humanitarian work. In recognition of his outstanding performance and hard- work, leading companies like IBM, Microsoft, RIM, Alcatel-Lucent, and Amazon offered him co-op work placements. Suresh’s achievements simply do not end here; he has continued to be a model citizen.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT..............................................................................

An avid believer in giving back to the community, Suresh has been involved with numerous non- governmental organizations that promote social consciousness, human rights, and equality for all people. To name a few, Suresh has participated in the Forum for Young Canadians where young Canadians learn about the operations, functions, and the importance of the Canadian federal government. Witnessing his mother undergo various forms of social discrimination, he became a strong advocate for women’s equality. He was an active volunteer with the Women’s Crisis Services. Suresh also volunteered with the University of Waterloo’s Office for Persons with Disabilities, as he understood the importance of ensuring equal rights and opportunity for everyone. A highlight for Suresh was coordinating volunteers to assist 36 South African high school students of Soweto Marimba Youth League who traveled to Canada on a cross-cultural awareness tour. He is currently involved with Sustainable Environmental and Economic Development (SEED Canada).

In 2004, Suresh visited Sri Lanka with his family. During this time, the Asian tsunami hit the coastal areas of Sri Lanka, causing damages of a magnitude beyond imagination. This event fundamentally altered Suresh’s life as he witnessed the ramifications of this disaster, particularly its effects on women and children. Overcome with emotion, Suresh was motivated to help the suffering. He felt privileged that he and his family had a safe home in Canada. Suresh became passionate about bringing to Sri Lanka the same sense of hope and security that Canada had provided him.

ARTICLES WRITTEN BY SURESH REFLECTING ON HIS EXPERIENCE IN SRI LANKA:
Witnessing the tsunami | Co-op term in Sri Lanka

LEGAL PROCEEDINGS........................................................................................

In 2006, the United States government alleged that Suresh was involved in providing computer software to the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka. The allegations against Suresh are computer-related and in no way do they relate to weapons. These allegations date back prior to the banning of Tamil Tigers in Canada. Despite this fact, the United States authorities have sought to have Suresh extradited on the technicality that the e-mail computer server Suresh used was based in New York.

Suresh was ordered to be extradited to the US by the Superior Court of Ontario, Appeal Court for Ontario, as well as the Minister of Justice. It should be pointed out here that the validity of evidence is not assessed in extradition hearings. He is currently going through the appeal process at the Supreme Court of Canada. Suresh has been released on bail while this legal procedure continues.

NEWS ARTICLE: National Post

WE NEED YOUR HELP.........................................................................................

To ensure that this Canadian citizen’s civil and human rights are protected, we need your help. You can offer support in multiple ways:

Letters of Support

Please contact us at contact@justiceforsuresh.org to receive a letter campaign package to ask your family and friends to write letters of support on behalf of Suresh.

Donations to Legal Fund

Offer a donation to help Suresh’s family and friends pay for his legal fees. They have set up a legal trust fund via a lawyer. We are pleased to have two independent trustees to ensure that payments are made only for legal fees. The following options are available for you to donate:

• Mail cheques made payable to ’Justice for Suresh’ to 38064-256 King St. N, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 2Y9, Canada
• Deposits can be made at any TD Canada Trust bank to Justice for Suresh - # 0085-5204513
• Call +1 (647) 477-6165

We cannot be silent. Justice and civil liberties must be protected. Please act now.

Contact Information

Phone: (647) 477-6165
Email: contact@justiceforsuresh.org
Address: 38064-256 King St. N, Waterloo, Ontario, N2J 2Y9, Canada