Boat people 'killed' if sent home
Saturday, 11 April 2009 12:33
By MARK BOUSENA Sri Lankan human rights activist believes 50 Sri Lankan boat people, discovered on Warrior Reef on Wednesday, April 1, when their vessel ran aground, will be "killed" if they are not given protection visas by the Australian Government.
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Mr Wicki Wickiramasingham, Chairman of the Justice and Freedom for Ceylon Tamils Action Group, has no doubt the 50 people are Tamils, from the north of Sri Lanka, and are fleeing the country in the face of advancing government forces in the 25-year war.
"I request the Australian Government and the United Nations Human Rights Commission to help these refugees.
"If they get sent back to Sri Lanka, they will be killed by the Sri Lankan authorities.
"I know a lot of Sri Lankans have walked away from the north of the country in the face of the war, and are fleeing to numerous Asian countries, such as Malaysia, Singapore, everywhere. And now it seems to Australia.
"Their main aim is to save their lives."
The refugees were flown out of Horn Island airport on chartered Dash-8 aircraft, believed to have been provided by Skytrans, early on Saturday morning on their way to Christmas Island detention centre.
They stopped off at Weipa where they were transferred from the Dash-8 aircraft onto a much-bigger Alliance jet with a seating capacity of about 100.
They were accompanied by security personnel, and, according to an eye-witness at the Weipa airport, were accompanied by fellow Sri Lankan nationals who appeared to be acting in an official capacity.
Mr Wickiramasingham told the Torres News most of the people fleeing northern Sri Lanka would have had family members die during the conflict while others would have suffered great harm.
"The transit camps in the war-torn area are similar to a prison; no one could go to see and visit with them; and they weren’t allowed any contact with family and friends.
"Within the last 2½ months more than 4000 Tamil civilians have died and 7000 have been seriously wounded. 82 people came about two years ago seeking protection visas and now live in Australia."
The Torres News believes at least one of the refugees has been flown out from Horn Island with an injury. He was repatriated on Thursday night aboard an aircraft which brought in several officers, believed to be Immigration officials.
The boat-load of refugees were lifted from the stranded vessel by the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service vessel Roebuck Bay.
The vessel was detected by a Border Protection Command Dash 8 aircraft as it passed through the Torres Strait and was monitored by the Roebuck Bay.
The vessel was observed to run aground in the Warrior Reef region about four days earlier before being assisted by the Roebuck Bay to a safe anchorage.
The group remained on BPC vessels overnight on Wednesday before being taken ashore on Horn Island on Thursday morning and transferred to the Horn Island Processing Centre.
They remained at the Centre with a small number of younger refugees staying the Gateway Motel until being transferred to Christmas Island where they will be detained and undergo health, security and other checks to establish their identity and reasons for their voyage.
Sri Lankan Government’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Bhaila said his ministry had not received any information on this issue yet and was awaiting a response from the Australian High Commission in Colombo.
"The Australian government has not confirmed the nationality of the people and, if the people are Sri Lankans and request for consular assistance, they will inform the Sri Lankan High Commission," said Mr Bhaila.
Curiously, Federal Government agencies have remained tight-lipped about the incident, refusing to release only basic information, a contrast to the normal situation where the agencies are generally forthcoming with details.
The agencies have refused to explain why the vessel and its occupants were allowed to remain stuck on Warrior Reef for four days although the agencies admit to knowing the boat people were there.
The agencies have refused to admit the boat people are Sri Lankans, and how many men, women and children are aboard, but their identity was revealed by Horn Island residents on Thursday morning to the Torres News.
I was not allowed to enter the Processing Centre, previously known as the Horn Island Detention Centre, when I approached them on Thursday, and was prevented from walking around the perimeter of the Centre by Customs authorities who told me I would be trespassing as the extended area outside the fence was also Government land.
I remained outside the Centre for more than an hour, hoping to catch sight of the refugees, and remained in conversation with a Customs officer throughout the period at the front gate.
I was unable to catch a sight of the boat people. The Centre has a capacity for about 20 people.
To his credit, the officer provided me with water to prevent dehydration in the hot and humid conditions.
It can only be assumed for the tight-lipped approach is that the Government now has another diplomatic situation on their hands, such as the Merauke Five who remain detained in West Papua over visa violations.
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