OTTAWA, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- The Canadian government will provide another $15 million in aid to Sri Lanka, which is recovering from a lengthy violent rebellion, an official says.
Canadian International Cooperation Minister Bev Oda said her country would continue aiding Sri Lanka despite a lack of international cooperation regarding three Canadian citizens being detained in the Asian country, The Globe and Mail reported online Friday.
Oda said her country has not been allowed consular contact with any of the three Canadian nationals in custody for unknown reasons.
The lack of interaction with the Canadian detainees comes despite efforts by Canadian officials for more than a month to gain access to them.
"We're always impatient," Oda told the Toronto newspaper. "We want to ensure that we are providing service and that we can we have access to Canadians to ensure their health and well-being."
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels battled government forces for power in the country for 26 years until the rebel forces were finally defeated in May.
