Expulsion of non-resident Tamils from Colombo

The expulsion of non-resident Tamils from Colombo was an incident which took place on June 7, 2007 when 376cite news | title=Lanka defends expulsion of Tamils | date=2007-06-10 | publisher=AP | url =http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Lanka_defends_expulsion_of_Tamils/articleshow/2112442.cms | work =The Times of India | accessdate = 2007-06-10 ] ethnic Tamils who were temporarily staying in Colombo and who could not explain their reasons for being in the city were sent back to their homes by the Sri Lankan Police due to security concerns.cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070607/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankapoliticsunrestrights_070607124831| title= Sri Lanka police evict ethnic Tamils from capital | date= 2007-06-07 | publisher = AFP | first = Jayasinghe | last = Amal | accessdate = 2007-06-07 ] cite news|url=http://www.achrweb.org/press/2007/SLK0307.htm| title= Deportation of Tamils from Colombo is reminiscent of The Holocaust| date= 2007-06-08 | publisher = | first = | last = | accessdate = 2007-06-08 ] cite news|url=http://news.aol.com/topnews/articles/_a/sri-lanka-accused-of-ethnic-cleansing-as/n20070607092309990001| title= Sri Lanka accused of ethnic cleansing as over 400 Tamils evicted from capital| date= 2007-06-07 | publisher = AP | first = Francis| last = Krishan | accessdate = 2007-06-07 ] The evicted were sent back to Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa, where they are originally from, in several buses with a police escort. [ [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/World/Rest_of_World/Lanka_SC_steps_in_halts_eviction_of_Tamils_from_Colombo/articleshow/2108797.cms Lanka SC steps in, halts eviction of Tamils from Colombo-Rest of World-World-The Times of India ] ] However the buses only went as far as the town of Vavuniya and the evicted Tamils were forced to stay in a detention campcite web | title =Tamils return to Sri Lanka capital | url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EA3925AE-9EC5-4D7B-8140-DC7D87F0CAC6.htm | accessdate =2007-06-09 ] . The President asked those who were evicted to come back to Colombo cite web | title =Tamils return to Sri Lanka capital | url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EA3925AE-9EC5-4D7B-8140-DC7D87F0CAC6.htm | accessdate =2007-06-09 ] and ordered an investigation in to the incident

Background to the Expulsion

The Tamil militant Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam organization (the LTTE or the "Tamil Tigers"), which is banned as a terrorist organization in 32 countries including the United States, Canada and member nations of the European Union, has carried out numerous bombings in Colombo, the commercial capital city of Sri Lanka, over the course of the Sri Lankan Civil War. [ [http://www.cfr.org/publication/9242/#5 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sri Lanka, separatists) - Council on Foreign Relations ] ] The breakdown of the Norwegian-backed peace process saw an increase in IED explosions and suicide bombings, attributed by the Sri Lanka Police, to the LTTE in Colombo. In May 2007, at least three such explosions took place in the city, including an attack on a military vehicle that killed seven civilians and one police officer. [ [http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Roadside_bomb_kills_seven_near_Sri__05282007.html Roadside bomb kills seven near Sri Lanka military base] ] Police investigations identified that those responsible for a number of these bombings had temporarily lived in and planned their attacks from low budget lodges in the city. [ [http://www.rnhit.com/mcns/fullnews.php?id=6136 OCCUPATION OF LODGINGS] ] The Sri Lanka Police said that, for instance, there were occasions where some individuals had lived in these lodges for over six months on the pretext that they had come to obtain their passports,cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6729555.stm| title = Police evict Tamils from Colombo | date= 2007-06-07 | publisher = BBC | accessdate = 2007-06-07 ] which could be obtained in as little as one day. ["Department of Immigration and Emigration," [http://www.immigration.gov.lk/html/passports/fees.html Passport fees] ]

Therefore the Sri Lanka Police said:

"Temporary occupants who cannot provide valid reasons for their stay in the Colombo area will be sent back to their homes"

Expulsion

On the morning of June 7, heavily armed Sri Lanka Police officerscite web
last =
first =
title =Tamils return to Sri Lanka capital
url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EA3925AE-9EC5-4D7B-8140-DC7D87F0CAC6.htm
accessdate = 2007-06-09 ] entered low-budget hostels in the Wellawatte, Kotahena, Pettah and Wattala areas of Colombo and asked 376 persons, comprising 291 males and 85 females, who did not have valid reasons for being in Colombo to leave. They were then put into buses and were sent away from Colombo to destinations in the east and north of Sri Lanka. People were taken to the town of Vavuniya and made to stay in a detention campcite web | title =Tamils return to Sri Lanka capital | url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EA3925AE-9EC5-4D7B-8140-DC7D87F0CAC6.htm | accessdate =2007-06-09 ] . On the next day they were handed over to Government officials of Vavuniya.

Concern

The move to expel these people drew wide criticism of the government. The United States Embassy in Sri Lanka condemned the act, asking the government of Sri Lanka to ensure the constitutional rights of all the citizens of the country. [cite news | title=The United States condemns the forced removal of Tamils | date=2007-06-08 | publisher=U.S. Department of State.| url =http://srilanka.usembassy.gov/pr-08june2007.html | work =press release June 2007 | accessdate = 2007-06-08 | language = English ] . Norway also condemned the act, describing it as a clear violation of international human rights law. Their press release urged government of Sri Lanka to desist from any further enforced removals. [cite news | title=Norway condemns enforced removal of Tamils from Colombo | date=2007-06-08 | publisher=Norway - the official site in Sri Lanka.| url =http://www.norway.lk/press/press+releases/press+releases.htm| work =press release June 2007 | accessdate = 2007-06-13 | language = English ] Canada has also condemned the action. [cite news | title=Canada condemns ‘dislodging’ of Tamils | date=2007-06-08 | publisher=Dailymirrir| url =http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/06/11/news/7.asp| work =| accessdate = 2007-06-13 | language = English ] The expulsion was also condemned in the Sri Lankan media.cite news|url= http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/070609/world/srilanka_politics_unrest_rights| title=Sri Lanka media slam Tamil eviction| date= 2007-06-09 | publisher = AP | accessdate = 2007-06-10 ] Eight human rights groups wrote a joint letter to the President claiming that act was "a flagrant violation of (freedom of movement) and a disgrace to humanity".cite news|url=http://www.indiaenews.com/srilanka/20070607/55214.htm| title= Mass expulsion of Tamils from Colombo denounced| date= 2007-06-07 | publisher = INAS | accessdate = 2007-06-07 ] ;Allegation of Ethnic cleansingHuman rights groups, Local think tank and other observers have termed this act as "ethnic cleansing". [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6729555.stm BBC NEWS | South Asia | Police evict Tamils from Colombo ] ] [ [http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1631473,00.html "Ethnic Cleansing" in Sri Lanka? - TIME ] ] [ [http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/jun/08lanka.htm Apex court halts eviction of Tamils from Colombo ] ] [ [http://in.news.yahoo.com/070608/211/6gskx.html] ] [ [http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2097984,00.html Ethnic cleansing claim after police move Tamils at gunpoint | World news | The Guardian ] ] [ [http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSCOL6048 Sri Lanka court blocks state deportation of Tamils | Reuters ] ] The media group said that this type of act reminds people of what "Hitler did to the Jews",cite news|url=http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070607/wl_sthasia_afp/srilankapoliticsunrestrights_070607124831| title= Sri Lanka police evict ethnic Tamils from capital | date= 2007-06-07 | publisher = AFP | first = Jayasinghe | last = Amal | accessdate = 2006-10-01 ] and the Asian Center of Human Rights urged India to intervene.cite news|url=http://www.achrweb.org/press/2007/SLK0307.htm title= Deportation of Tamils from Colombo is reminiscent of The Holocaust| date= 2007-06-08 | publisher = | first = | last = | accessdate = 2007-06-08 ] .

Eyewitness Accounts

One of the men who was forced to leave Colombo managed to call a local radio station, Sirisa FM from a mobile phone. He said;

A 64-year-old woman from Jaffna, who was among those evicted said that;

Bquote|"We were asked to go back to our villages, but the government dropped us off at a detention camp in Vavuniya"cite web
last =
first =
title =Tamils return to Sri Lanka capital
url=http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/EA3925AE-9EC5-4D7B-8140-DC7D87F0CAC6.htm
accessdate = 2007-06-09 .]

Another 54-year-old woman was quoted as saying;

Bquote|"Police didn't listen to us, they tried to beat us, they were scolding and they put us in to the vehicles, they didn't even allow us to drink tea. When we saw people being caged in white van and taken away, we got scared and were hiding, even there they found us. "cite web
last =
first =
title =Is Sri Lanka "our country?"
url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2007/06/070608_evicted_tamils.shtml
accessdate = 2007-06-09 .]

Aftermath

The Sri Lankan Supreme Court on June 8 2007 issued an injunction on the Sri Lanka Police to stop the evacuation of residents of Colombo lodges after hearing a fundamental rights petition filed by a non governmental organization, the Center for Policy Alternatives, Sri Lanka (CPA). [cite news | first=BHARATHA | last=MALLAWARACHI | title=Court: End Tamil Expulsions in Colombo | date=2007-06-08 | publisher=AP | url =http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6693892,00.html | work =Guardian Unlimited | accessdate = 2007-06-08 ] [cite news | title=Sri Lanka Supreme Court orders to stop evacuation of ethnic Tamils from Colombo lodges | date=2007-06-08 | url =http://www.colombopage.com/archive_07/June8102839SL.html | work =ColomboPage | accessdate = 2007-06-08 ] [cite news | title=SC issues Interim Order against forcible transportation of Tamil lodgers | date=2007-06-08 | publisher=Free Media Movement | url =http://lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=4239 | work =LankaeNews | accessdate = 2007-06-08 ] As a result of the ruling, police boarded 185 out of the 270 people who were sent to Vavuniya onto five buses and took them back to Colombo.cite news | title=Those chased from Colombo yesterday brought back to Colombo today | date=2007-06-08 | publisher=Free Media Movement | url =http://lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=4240 | work =LankaeNews | accessdate = 2007-06-08|] [cite news | title=Those chased from Colombo yesterday brought back to Colombo today | date=2007-06-08 | publisher=Free Media Movement | url =http://lankaenews.com/Sinhala/news.php?id=2496 | work =LankaeNews | accessdate = 2007-06-08 | language = Sinhala ]

President Mahinda Rajapaksa reprimanded his police chief for the deportations [http://www.indianexpress.com/story/33088.html] and ordered the Inspector General of the Police to present a report on the manner of transportation of the Tamils and on the alleged exceeding of authority by the officials involved. He has also invited the people who were sent to Vavuniya to return to Colombo. [cite news | title=Vacation of lodgings: President asks IGP for immediate report | date=2007-06-09 | publisher=The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd | url =http://www.dailynews.lk/2007/06/09/news02.asp | work =Daily News | accessdate = 2007-06-09 | language = English ] [cite news | title=President orders probe | date=2007-06-09 | publisher=Wijeya Newspapers Ltd. | url =http://www.dailymirror.lk/2007/06/09/front/7.asp | work =Daily Mirror | accessdate = 2007-06-09 | language = English ]

Government reaction

On June 10, 2007 Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake told reporters that the government regretted the eviction of 376 Tamils from Colombo and that he accepted responsibility of the incident. He promised that this kind of incident would not recur. [cite news | title=Sri Lanka PM expresses regret | date=2007-06-11 | publisher= The Hindu | url =http://www.hindu.com/2007/06/11/stories/2007061115040100.htm | work =The Hindu | accessdate = 2007-06-11 | language = English ]

Two days later Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa defended the move, sayingBquote|"We have to defend ourselves. You can't risk the country. It's not against a community. I'm talking about terrorists. Anything is fair. When America is attacked every country calls it war against terrorism, but why are the terrorists being treated in a different way in Sri Lanka?" [cite news | title=Sri Lanka bullied by West, says defence official | date=2007-06-12 | publisher= Reuters | url =http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/COL58218.htm | work =Reuters | accessdate = 2007-06-12 | language = English ] [cite news | title=Sri Lanka accuses 'bullying' West | date=2007-06-12 | publisher= BBC News | url =http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6745553.stm | accessdate = 2007-06-13]

See also

* Expulsion of Muslims from Jaffna

References