Tamil Justice

ABC Radio Australia PM – UN Refugee Agency may change some protection guidelines

The United Nations Refugee Agency is looking at changing its international protection guidelines for Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers. The changes would pave the way for Australia to send many more of the detainees on Christmas Island back to where they started. The Tamil Association is urging against any change to the guidelines, saying it’s no safer for Tamils in Sri Lanka. From Canberra, Alexandra Kirk reports.

“There is still 100- to 150,000 Tamils being held in military run camps in the north and the fact that there’s about another 10- to 15,000 Tamils being held in undisclosed areas where there are allegations of rape and torture that have been continuing for more than a year. I do not believe that the guidelines should be relaxed. Sri Lanka is still a very dangerous country for Tamil civilians regardless of whether they’re from the north, whether they’re from the east or anywhere on the island.” – Dr Sam Pari, National Spokesperson, Australian Tamil Congress

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The Wire – Sri Lankan opposition leader arrested

Produced by Jacinta Patterson

In Sri Lanka, the main opposition leader has been arrested after the government accused him of what it termed ‘military offences’. Sri Lanka held its general election last month – the first since the end of the country’s lengthy civil war. Former military leader General Sarath Fonseca ran an unsuccessful campaign against his former commander-in-chief, President Mahendra Rajapaksa. His arrest came just hours after he told reporters he’d be willing to give evidence about war crimes he alleges took place during the conflict. Featured in this story: Dr Sam Pari, spokesperson for the Australian Tamil Congress; Dr Jake Lynch, director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Sydney University.

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ABC – PANEL: the Tamil factor in Sri Lankan polls

Thousands of Tamils in the north of the country will be voting for the first time in many years.

Ironically, the minority Tamils – who’ve suffered discrimination under successive governments – may decide the outcome, if the majority Singhalese vote is split. While both incumbent President Rajapakse and the former military chief General Fonseka actively courted the Tamil vote during campaigning, many observers say it remains to be seen if the lot of the Tamil minority will improve in Sri Lanka.

Presenter: Sen Lam
Speakers: Sisira Jayasuriya, Singhalese-born Professor of Economics at LaTrobe University in Melbourne; Dr Sam Pari, Sydney-based spokesperson for the Australian Tamil Congress

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PARI: I think the fact that the two main candidates, one of whom was a commander-in-chief who ordered the war against the Tamil people, and the other, the former head of the military who executed that order, the fact that it’s these two individuals who are the main candidates running for presidency, I think that is of deep concern to the Tamil population. Both these gentlemen have given speeches and have said many things that are staunchly nationalistic and very pro-Sinhalese and quite inconsiderate of the Tamil population. For the Tamil people, the absence of war does not equal peace. The history of Sri Lanka has shown several pacts, several agreements made between Tamil leaders and the Singhalese president that have only later been abrogated by the Sri Lankan government. It’s been more than six months since the end of the war and we still see about 150-thousand Tamils being interned in camps. There are about ten to 12-thousand young Tamils who are still arrested, jailed and kept in undisclosed areas. There are allegations of rape, of torture, of abductions still continuing, people are disappearing. I don’t believe that the Tamil people really are much more free today as compared to say a year ago. More

Availability for Comment Dr Sam Pari

The Age : Convenient bogeymen
WHY are men, women and children fleeing Sri Lanka? It’s not because they want the thrill of risking life, limb and capture while spending days at sea in barely seaworthy vessels. These people are fleeing a humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka that has been orchestrated by the Government of Sri Lanka and motivated on ethnic grounds.

About 300,000 Tamils remain under military rule in camps that lack basic food, shelter and health requirements. Non-government organisations’ and independent media access to the camps is heavily restricted.

People smugglers are the middle men, and not the root cause of why people are desperate to escape persecution, hunger and an uncertain future. They are, however, convenient bogeymen for the Australian Government to apportion blame as it seeks to preserve its “warm diplomatic relations” with Sri Lanka. Through its silence and apathy, the Australian Government is helping condemn thousands of Tamil Sri Lankans to an uncertain and grim future.

Dr Sam Pari, Australian Tamil Congress, Sydney

Read other letters here.

Green Left – Calls made to not forget the Tamils

At a seminar at NSW Parliament House on June 16 discussed the current dire situation for Tamils in Sri Lanka and the need for the Rudd Labor government to step up and help protect human rights there.

Photo taken at the forum in Canberra

Photo taken at the forum in Canberra