Colombo Citizens Committee says monitor search operations
France prepares forcible returns
A Sri Lankan government report says that France is taking preliminary steps towards an agreement with Sri Lanka to "facilitate and regulate the repatriation of Sri Lankan asylum-seekers". The report follows a meeting between the visiting French Foreign Affairs State minister Margie Sudre and President Chandrika in early May. Observers believe that the capture of Jaffna and the governmentÆs attempt to restore civil administration will encourage more Western nations to seek repatriation agreements.
Sri Lanka and Switzerland have already agreed to extend the pact reached in January 1994 for forcible returns. In May, nine rejected asylum-seekers were deported to Sri Lanka. The Swiss Refugee Council (OSAR) says asylum-seekers should not be returned in the current volatile situation in Sri Lanka.
A delegation of five Tamil political parties told ColomboÆs Swiss ambassador on 21 May that Tamils are viewed with suspicion throughout the island and urged the suspension of the programme. According to press reports the ambassador assured the Tamil parties that the Swiss government will follow a humane policy in the case of Sri Lankan refugees.
Arrests of Tamils in Colombo continue as security forces believe Tiger suicide bombers are hidden among 150,000 refugees from the north. Police arrested an alleged Tiger leader in the capital in mid-May. Deputy Inspector General of Police Dissanayake says the LTTE continues to send suicide units to Colombo.
Human rights organisations have launched a Colombo Citizens Committee to monitor human rights violations during military search operations. Senior Police Superintendent Gunasena de Silva told the inaugural meeting of the new committee that detainees must be held until reports from intelligence services in Colombo and Vavuniya clear them.
Human rights agencies say despite presidential orders, arbitrary detention, torture and extortion continue. Mrs T Packiyam and her 15 year-old daughter Pushpalatha were arrested at Modera and after detention for a month allowed bail. They were rearrested as they left the court. The Chief Magistrate has called for explanations from police.
In an application for breach of fundamental rights before the Supreme Court, S Ravichandran alleges that he was severely tortured in a Batticaloa Army camp and a confession obtained of LTTE membership under threat of torture at the Colombo Magazine prison in February.
Disappearances are still a major concern. Of the reported 81 disappearances from January to April this year, the Human Rights Task Force (HRTF) has been able to trace only 23. Human rights agencies say many disappearances remain unreported for fear of reprisals and have expressed concern over governmentÆs silence on prosecution of offenders in cases investigated by the three disappearance commissions.
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