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Croydon man charged with smuggling Sri Lankan immigrants into UK

A 50-year-old man from Croydon has been charged with smuggling Sri Lankan immigrants into the UK. Chubramaniam Vignarajah of Aurelia Road, was one of 18 people arrested in a series of international raids by immigration and police ,which included addresses in London, Luton and Essex on Wednesday. Mr Vignaraha has been charged with conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration along with two other men from Hayes and Northold. Two other suspects were charged with the same offence yesterday. Six other people arrested during the raids have been bailed until July, pending further enquiries. A spokesperson for the Home Office said the arrests were a culmination of a joint investigation into an alleged criminal network that is believed to…
Lawyers given access to Lankans

Australian Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor has granted lawyers access to two Tamil asylum seekers who feared they would be sent back to Sri Lanka, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. One asylum seeker, who cannot be named, emailed refugee lawyer David Manne from Christmas Island on Wednesday seeking his help to apply for refugee protection. The email came after 31 Tamil asylum seekers were flown from Christmas Island to Sri Lanka after they were found not to be genuine refugees. Daniel Webb, from the Human Rights Law Centre, said such people were typically interviewed without legal advice. Lawyers applied to the Federal Circuit Court for access to the two people and 12 others who, they believed,…
Indian police arrest 21 Sri Lankans in Kochi

The Q branch of the Tamil Nadu police, with the assistance of the Ernakulam North police, took 21 Sri Lankans who were about to sail to Australia in a fishing boat from Kochi, into custody. The operation was carried out after information about the same was passed on by the Intelligence Bureau, New India Express reported today. According to officials, seven men, six women and eight children were nabbed from the New Cochin Residency, a hotel situated near the Ernakulam North Railway station, in the early hours of Thursday. The Sri Lankans came from Chennai by train and according to a statement issued by them, an agent named Subash took `1 lakh from each of…
K’nidhi wants citizenship for Lankans

DMK President M Karunanidhi today requested the Centre (Indian government) to provide citizenship to over one lakh Sri Lankan Tamils living in India as refugees, the Press Trust of India reported. Observing that continuous efforts were made to provide citizenship to the Eelam (separate home land) Tamils living as refugees when DMK was in power, Karunanidhi said, “Recently, United States of America has decided to provide citizenship to 2.60 lakh Indians living in that country without any relevant documents.” “Similarly, it is also our wish and request to the Centre to come forward and provide citizenship to over one lakh Eelam Tamils living in the country ensuring their permanent safety,” he said. Such an effort…
Tension over army ‘seizure’ of Sri Lanka Jaffna land

There are growing tensions in northern Sri Lanka as Tamil people try to prevent the Sinhalese-dominated army from taking over their land. In a new development, villagers have driven out a group of surveyors sent by the authorities yesterday. Thousands more are engaged in court action to try to win back land they were displaced from years ago. Sri Lanka’s army defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels after a brutal 26-year war in 2009. The military says it needs land for security purposes and insists it is reducing its overall presence there. Opposition parliamentarian and lawyer MA Sumanthiran confirmed reports from Point Pedro, at the island’s northernmost tip, that dozens of landowners turned away surveyors sent…

Croydon man charged with smuggling Sri Lankan immigrants into UK

A 50-year-old man from Croydon has been charged with smuggling Sri Lankan immigrants into the UK. Chubramaniam Vignarajah of Aurelia Road, was one of 18 people arrested in a series of international raids by immigration and police ,which included addresses in London, Luton and Essex on Wednesday. Mr Vignaraha has been charged with conspiring to facilitate illegal immigration along with two other men from Hayes and Northold. Two other suspects were charged with the same offence yesterday. Six other people arrested during the raids have been bailed until July, pending further enquiries. A spokesperson for the Home Office said the arrests were a culmination of a joint investigation into an alleged criminal network that is believed to…

Lawyers given access to Lankans

Australian Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor has granted lawyers access to two Tamil asylum seekers who feared they would be sent back to Sri Lanka, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. One asylum seeker, who cannot be named, emailed refugee lawyer David Manne from Christmas Island on Wednesday seeking his help to apply for refugee protection. The email came after 31 Tamil asylum seekers were flown from Christmas Island to Sri Lanka after they were found not to be genuine refugees. Daniel Webb, from the Human Rights Law Centre, said such people were typically interviewed without legal advice. Lawyers applied to the Federal Circuit Court for access to the two people and 12 others who, they believed,…

Indian police arrest 21 Sri Lankans in Kochi

The Q branch of the Tamil Nadu police, with the assistance of the Ernakulam North police, took 21 Sri Lankans who were about to sail to Australia in a fishing boat from Kochi, into custody. The operation was carried out after information about the same was passed on by the Intelligence Bureau, New India Express reported today. According to officials, seven men, six women and eight children were nabbed from the New Cochin Residency, a hotel situated near the Ernakulam North Railway station, in the early hours of Thursday. The Sri Lankans came from Chennai by train and according to a statement issued by them, an agent named Subash took `1 lakh from each of…

K’nidhi wants citizenship for Lankans

DMK President M Karunanidhi today requested the Centre (Indian government) to provide citizenship to over one lakh Sri Lankan Tamils living in India as refugees, the Press Trust of India reported. Observing that continuous efforts were made to provide citizenship to the Eelam (separate home land) Tamils living as refugees when DMK was in power, Karunanidhi said, “Recently, United States of America has decided to provide citizenship to 2.60 lakh Indians living in that country without any relevant documents.” “Similarly, it is also our wish and request to the Centre to come forward and provide citizenship to over one lakh Eelam Tamils living in the country ensuring their permanent safety,” he said. Such an effort…

Tension over army ‘seizure’ of Sri Lanka Jaffna land

There are growing tensions in northern Sri Lanka as Tamil people try to prevent the Sinhalese-dominated army from taking over their land. In a new development, villagers have driven out a group of surveyors sent by the authorities yesterday. Thousands more are engaged in court action to try to win back land they were displaced from years ago. Sri Lanka’s army defeated separatist Tamil Tiger rebels after a brutal 26-year war in 2009. The military says it needs land for security purposes and insists it is reducing its overall presence there. Opposition parliamentarian and lawyer MA Sumanthiran confirmed reports from Point Pedro, at the island’s northernmost tip, that dozens of landowners turned away surveyors sent…

Gota opposes NPC polls

The Defence Secretary was responding to a statement attributed to Petroleum Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, at Wednesday’s post-cabinet media briefing, that the election would be held in accordance with the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. Minister Yapa ruled out the possibility of diluting the 13th Amendment before the election. Asked whether he would publicly campaign against the decision, the Gajaba Regiment veteran said: “As the Secretary, Ministry of Defence, my responsibility is to warn the government of the grave repercussions of empowering a hostile provincial administration with land and police powers. Police powers in the hands of those still pursuing a separatist agenda can pose a severe threat to national security.”The Defence Secretary said that…

Govt. MPs also participated in Naumann workshops: UNP

While condemning certain media reports labeling UNP MPs as traitors for cooperating with Friedrich Naumann Foundation (FNF), the UNP said earlier today that members in the government had also closely worked with the foundation. “The foundation had organised events and workshops for both the government and the opposition politicians. Even Keheliya Rambukwella and Mahinda Samarasinghe had participated at FNF organised events,” UNP MP Ruwan Wijewardena told a news conference today. Explaining about the Frederick Newman Foundation MP Harshana Rajakaruna said the Germany based foundation was funded by the German Government. The foundation had established in Sri Lanka as a MoU between the two governments in 1988. He said the FNF only seeks to share its…

More than 20 disappearances last year

More than 20 alleged enforced disappearances were reported in Sri Lanka last year, the annual human rights report released today by the London based Amnesty International (AI) said. The victims included political activists, business people and suspected criminals. The report slammed Sri Lanka saying that Government officials and supporters harassed and threatened human rights defenders, journalists and members of the judiciary who spoke out about abuses of power or advocated human rights accountability. The 2013 report which looks at the state of human rights around the world in 2012, said that in Sri Lanka unlawful detentions, torture and enforced disappearances remained rife and went unpunished. It also said that despite the end of the war, impunity…

UN intervenes in land issue in North

Head of the United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Agnes Asekenye-Oonyu, on Tuesday flew to Palaly, where she discussed the issue with Security Forces Commander, Jaffna, Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe. Ms. Asekenye-Oonyu was accompanied by the deputy head of the mission, Mark Prasopa-Plaizier. Authoritative sources told to colombo news paper that Jaffna Commander had explained the circumstances under which some land had been acquired in accordance with the overall post-war development plan encompassing Palaly and Kankesanthurai. The acquisition of some land in the Valigamam north was necessary to expand the Palaly airport as well as the Kankesanthurai harbour, Maj. Gen. Hathurusinghe told the visiting delegation. India recently completed clearing the Kankesanthurai…

Govt. trying to arrest UNP MPs – Ranil

UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said, in Parliament yesterday, that the government was getting ready to arrest a number of UNP politicians who participated in a workshop coordinated by the Friedrich Neumann Foundation. The Opposition Leader said that the issue would be taken to international fora and the MPs who attended the workshop had been accused of trying to overthrow the government. “Yes, we are trying to topple this government but that is through democratic means, through electoral process, by the ballot. That is our sole right as the Opposition. Now, the government has got the CID to harass our MPs accusing them of trying to topple the government through undemocratic means.” The UNP…

Ganeshan Nimalaruban Case: De Facto CJ Denies Petitioner’s Right To See Replies Filed By AG

The Fundamental Rights case of Ganeshan Nimalaruban was taken before the Supreme Court yesterday. The Bench consisted of: Mohan Pieris CJ, P. A Ratnayake PC J and S Hettige J. In the course of submissions by the petitioner’s lawyers, Chief Justice Mohan Peiris made the following remarks: ”When the prison is under siege do you want the prisons commissioner have to read to them the Geneva Conventions?” The AG submitted a confidential report to the Court and Counsel Petitioner requested a copy to be issued to him. CJ Peiris said “Why do you need this? The court is not a place to get documents for the petitioners. This is the way you all procure the evidence and then…

China to lend Sri Lanka $732m

China Development Bank (CDB) Corporation will lend US$580 million (S$732 million) to Sri Lanka to help implement key infrastructure projects, a government document released on Wednesday showed, according to a Reuters news agency report. The loan will bring CDB’s total lending to Sri Lanka to more than US$1.4 billion. China’s increasing influence in the island nation has stoked concerns in neighbouring India. According to the document, US$300 million of the loan will be spent on developing roads and US$200 million on water supply projects, with the rest going to the national business school. It said CDB had already extended US$652 million for road development projects and US$214 million for an irrigation project.

India playing critical role says Basil

Minister Basil Rajapaksa says India is playing a critical role in assisting the return of normalcy in the north and east. He said that the Housing Project undertaken by India in the north and east was indicative of the phased, timely and sequenced manner of India’s development assistance to Sri Lanka which has been based on requirements on the ground. He was speaking during the launch of the Indian Housing Project in the Eastern Province yesterday, the Indian High Commission in Colombo said. Minister Rajapaksa also pointed out that among donor-funded humanitarian assistance projects in Sri Lanka, the Indian Housing Project was unmatched and unprecedented in its scale, reach and impact. In his address, High…

TID questions TNPF on funds

The Terrorist Investigations Department (TID) has questioned the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) on where it gets it’s funds from, TNPF leader Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam said. He said that a group of TNPF members who were arrested in Mannar on Saturday and questioned on their identity as well as posters used at a war remembrance event, have now been quizzed on funding. Ponnambalam said that the TNPF members are out on bail but have been asked to report to the police almost on a daily basis. On Saturday the police had visited the TNPF office in Jaffna but no one was arrested there. When contacted, police spokesman Budhika Siriwardena had said that the TNPF members in Mannar were arrested over a…

TNA requests govt. to ‘genuinely implement’ HRC resolution

The TNA yesterday requested the government to take action to “genuinely implement” the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution on “Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka and to reverse the latter’s current actions pertaining to the land issues in the North and East. TNA Leader R. Sampanthan, moving an adjournment motion in Parliament, said that the government’s actions had resulted in deterioration of the human rights situation in the North and East. “Two statements were made on the floor of the House on April 09, 2013 by the Leader of the Opposition and the Minister of External Affairs, pertaining to the resolution No: A/HRC/22/L.1 on ‘Promoting Reconciliation and Accountability in Sri Lanka’ adopted by…

Asylum seeker to be freed after ASIO overturns adverse security assessment

A Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seeker has become the second person to have an adverse security assessment overturned by ASIO. Manokala Jenaddarsan, 41, was in the final stages of getting her refugee claim processed in 2011 when ASIO issued her with the adverse assessment. She was held in indefinite detention in Villawood, but will now be released into the community along with her son. Manokala Jenaddarsan has been in detention at Villawood since the adverse security assessment (Credit: Getty Images) A Sri Lankan asylum seeker has become the second person to have an adverse threat assessment overturned by ASIO. Manokala Jenaddarsan, 41, was in the final stages of getting her refugee claim processed in 2011…

GL blames Canada for ” relentlessly pursuing” SL

Minister of External Affairs Professor G.L.Peries in Parliament today blamed Canada for relentlessly trying to stop the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) being held in Sri Lanka and hinted that it was due to the influence of LTTE sympathizers which was the reason behind it. “Why is Sri Lanka is pursued relentlessly and castigated by some representatives of the government of Canada. Even though the LTTE is not presented physically their influence is still there,” he said. He said that since October 2011, Canada has attempted to stop CHOGM being held in Sri Lanka but all such attempts had failed as most countries had supported Sri Lanka. He said the last attempt was made in April…

Tamara re-elected as Chairperson-Rapporteur of the UN Working Group-The Island

Tamara Kunanayakam, Sri Lanka’s former Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, was re-elected as Chairperson-Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council’s Intergovernmental Working Group on the Right to Development, which held its 14th session from 13 to 17 May, in Geneva. This is the third time that Ms. Kunanayakam has been nominated by the Non-Aligned Movement for the post, which is an honorary non-remunerated position, and has received the unanimous support of all members of the United Nations for her expertise on the right to development and her remarkable leadership. This, despite attempts last year by Sri Lankan government to prevent her from presenting the report of the Working Group to the Human…

UNP open for change on devolution

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said yesterday it was considering a change in its stance on power devolution and instead opt for a new system of devolution depending on the will of the people. However, it said as of now it would stick to its policy on power devolution based on the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake told a news conference that his party would listen to the views expressed by the people and propose a system of devolution accordingly. “We will leave this matter to the people,” he said. He said the UNP would include a system of power devolution in the party’s new constitution based on…

Champika to submit motion on 13A

Government Minister and Jathika Hela Urumaya leader Patali Champika Ranawaka is to submit a private member’s motion in parliament this week against the 13th Amendment to the constitution. The Minister’s media unit said that he will also submit a motion against the provincial councils system. He note that in India if the provinces misuse their powers then the central government can take it over but in Sri Lanka the situation is different. The Minister said that giving land and police powers to the provinces is dangerous and should not be allowed so he will put forward a bill in Parliament against it as a private member’s motion this week. The government is to hold elections in the northern province…