| Extra-Judicial Killing & Abductions brough Sri Lankans to Australia - Asylum seekers (boat arrivals) |
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 Its is suspected that the recent escalations in "extra-judicial" killing and abductions by Sri Lankan armed forces has made those 83 boat arrivals in Christmas Island to flee the country, an analyst said.In a recent Letter written on 23 January 2007, by Mangala Samaraweera, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Port and Aviation Minister,Sri Lanka says, ".It has been reported by local and international human rights organisations that a person is abducted every five hours. Kidnapping, abductions, killings have now become common incidents. No matter who does it, as a government we are responsible for it..." The Australian Government says some of the 85 men picked up by the Australian Navy in the Indian Ocean this week have made claims for asylum.But where the men are to be taken is still unclear.
A spokeswoman for the Immigration Minister, Kevin Andrews, says the department has checked with officials on the island of Nauru that the men can be processed in Australia's detention facility there and has been given approval. She says at this stage only some of the men have indicated they want to seek asylum. She says 83 of them have identified themselves as Sri Lankan, with 2 Indonesians and all are in good health. The minister's spokeswoman says she's unaware of any plan for the navy to ship the men to Indonesia for return to Sri Lanka, as reported in one newspaper this morning. She says she understands the men are still on HMAS Success, which hasn't moved from the spot where it found the men, off the coast of Christmas island. |
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