Comments about Tamil asylum seekers by the Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, Mr Senaka Walgampaya, provide a strong reason why the asylum seekers should not be returned to Sri Lanka. Is also makes it almost certain they will meet the criteria of Refugee Convention, even if they didn’t before.
Mr Walgampaya, who speaks of course as a representative of the Sri Lankan government, has publicly stated that the asylum seekers “pose a threat to peace and security of Australia” and that “there must be Tamil terrorists” among them.
There is a mountain of evidence over many years of major human rights abuses by Sri Lankan authorities, including torture, killings and disappearances. Of course, there were also plenty of grievous human rights abuses by Tamil Tiger leaders, but one hardly excuses the other. Despite efforts to keep independent observers out, there is also evidence that this is continuing. A report recently issued by the US State Department makes a strong case that war crimes were committed by Sri Lankan authorities and Tamil Tiger leaders in final months of the civil war earlier this year.
Returning people back to a country with this record when government representatives have already labelled them terrorists and threats to security is simply unthinkable.
It is undoubtedly the opposite of the High Commissioner’s intention, but the more he comments on this matter, the more certain he makes it that Tamil asylum seekers will be recognised as refugee and given permission to stay in Australia.
6 Comments
Yesterday’s Crikey had a piece about some charm offensive being mounted this weekend by the Sri Lankan High Commission. Where is that? who is going and can we gate crash it?
It is a forgotten horror show Sri lanka as those trying to save the lives of Sri lank an journalists under threat from state run goon squads will attest.
And Murali chucks the ball.
Sri Lanka Week is being held at Docklands from October 30th till November 3rd.
Given the absolute contempt shown by the Sri Lankan government for international human rights, international law and the international community, the fact that this is being allowed to proceed is astounding. This especially in the context of the European Union threatening to withdraw trade subsidies from Sri Lanka, given its abysmal human rights record, as detailed by multiple human rights groups and the American State Department, who released a 70 page report of human rights violations committed recently. Rather than leading the way in upholding human rights, we risk falling behind.
You are definitely right about Murali and so was Hare!
Murali is both a chucker and a Tamil.
This miniscule-boat fiasco is selective xenophobia.
In the last fortnight 50,000 declasse Europeans with tourist visas have entered the country by plane, carrying neatly-sketched Austrian $50 bills and two pairs of underpants. 100,000 foreign students turned up too, some eventually to seek asylum from clingy parents. (who wants to be A Suitable Boy in the internet era?)
Quite rightly, no one gives a toss. Rudd wants a Big Australia.
Australia’s mighty border control ramparts are a Hollywood set, all facade and no rear.
As population densities increase, compassion decreases (country folk are more caring than city folk). When an area becomes overpopulated, the tribal groupings find a scapegoat group and they are either eliminated or forced to leave. With world populations sky-rocketing Australia needs to prepare for ever increasing refugee levels.
Populations on the subcontinent have reached bursting levels, we can now expect to see a lot more migration from the area. They see Australia as an extremely low population land and believe they have a god given right to move here, so do the people coming from Africa.
Australia needs to prepare itself for hundreds of millions of refugees. Get ready for a society where corruption is the norm like in India, where the outcome of a court case depends on the highest bid.
Most of the Tamils on the Viking are refugees, they cannot be offloaded in Indonesia by law. It is refoulement because we know they will be jailed and brutalised further.
There are 50 recognised refugees locked illegally in Christmas Island prison.
We have only taken 460 refugees from Indonesia in 9 years and are just now accepting those turned away during Relex.
It’s time we just started treating innocent people with respect instead of targetting small groups.
Last time it was Afghans who were all supposed to be the Taliban, this time 99% are being put through on first interviews.