Attached is a transcript of a press conference given by the Minister for Foreign Affairs Stephen Smith
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091108 Transcript – Smith – Press Conference – Sri Lanka, People Smuggling.pdf |
Reuters – Australia urges Sri Lanka reforms, reconciliation
Australia on Sunday urged Sri Lanka, having defeated the Tamil Tigers in May, to now embrace political reform and reconciliation to stem the flow of asylum seekers leaving the country.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith will meet his Sri Lankan counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama in Colombo on Monday amid a standoff in Indonesia involving 78 Tamil asylum seekers, who are refusing to leave an Australian vessel that rescued them last month. More
Western Australian Today – Greens challenge Smith on Tamil camps
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith should push the Sri Lankan government to allow aid agencies access to Tamil camps, the Australian Greens say.
Mr Smith is heading to Colombo for talks that aim to stem an exodus of Tamils from Sri Lanka.
The visit comes as a group of 78 Sri Lankans refuse to leave the Australian Customs vessel Oceanic Viking moored in Indonesian waters.
Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young is concerned international aid organisations are not able access Tamil camps.
“The first basic step we should be doing is working with the Sri Lankan government to say look guys, we’re going to have to let some organisations in here to help deal with this,” she told ABC Television on Monday. More
