Sri Lanka: Information on the situation of newly-arrived Tamils to Colombo since the breakdown of the ceasefire; and on their treatment by the authorities
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 November 1995 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | LKA22099.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Sri Lanka: Information on the situation of newly-arrived Tamils to Colombo since the breakdown of the ceasefire; and on their treatment by the authorities, 1 November 1995, LKA22099.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6aaa83e.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Although information specific to the situation of newly-arrived Tamils to Colombo since the 19 April 1995 breakdown of the ceasefire could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB, the following information on the general treatment of Tamils in Colombo may be of general interest.
According to the August 1995 issue of The Sri Lanka Monitor, of Colombo's 300,000 Tamil population, 100,000 are refugees from the north-east (3), while the July 1995 issue states that refugees from the north-east account for 150,000 of Colombo's 350,000 Tamil population (4).
Since the resumption of hostilities, hundreds of Tamils have been arrested, detained, stopped at checkpoints and subject to police raids (The Sri Lanka Monitor June 1995, 4; ibid. Apr. 1995, 4; Sri Lanka Information Monitor May 1995, 8; ibid. Apr. 1995, 7; AFP 15 June 1995). According to the September 1995 issue of The Sri Lanka Monitor, Tamils are "increasingly subject to search and detention as checkpoints in the city multiply and night raids on Tamil suburbs uncover fresh plots and suspects" (4). Tigers and suspected LTTE have been arrested in these raids (The Sri Lanka Information Monitor Sept. 1995, 9; AFP 4 May 1995; Sri Lanka Monitor Apr. 1995, 4; ibid. May 1995, 4; ibid. June 1995, 4) and terrorist attacts in Colombo are feared and expected (ibid. Sept. 1995, 4; ibid. July 1995, 4; AFP 4 May 1995; Xinhua 5 Nov. 1995). However, according to sources, most of the Tamils arrested are released after their documents have been checked (The Sri Lanka Monitor Apr. 1995, 4; ibid. May 1995, 4) or after "screening for links" with the LTTE (AFP 15 June 1995; ibid. 24 Apr. 1995). According to the Sri Lanka Information Monitor, human rights observers stated that many of those detained were "released after initial questioning and within a period of 48 hours" (Apr. 1995, 7) and that "redress for grievances regarding arrest and detention are still possible" (ibid. May 1995, 8).
There have also been reports of young Tamil women being harrassed in September 1995 during police checks (Sri Lanka Information Monitor Sept. 1995, 9), of financial extortion, robbery and assault (The Sri Lanka Monitor May 1995, 4) and of Tamils reported disappeared from Colombo (IPS 31 Aug. 1995; Reuters 3 July 1995) or abducted (The Sri Lanka Monitor Aug. 1995, 3; Reuters 9 Sept. 1995). Decomposed bodies, including those of Tamils, have begun appearing in Colombo's lakes and surrounding waterways (The Sri Lanka Monitor June 1995, 4; ibid. Aug. 1995, 3; Reuters 9 Sept. 1995; ibid. 3 July 1995), reviving memories of the government operation to crush the left-wing militant Sinhala Janatha Vimukti Peramuna (JVP) in the late 1980s (IPS 31 Aug. 1995; Reuters 9 Sept. 1995; The Sri Lanka Monitor June 1995, 4).
Police carry out checks on hostels and cheap hotels housing Tamils (The Sri Lanka Monitor May 1995, 4; Sri Lanka Information Monitor Apr. 1995, 7) and landlords have been warned by police against renting accommodations to strangers "without a proper check of their identities" (AFP 4 May 1995).
In late August 1995, members of the police commando Special Task Force (STF) and the Army's Directorate of Military Intelligence were arrested and accused of abducting and strangling 25 Tamils, dumping their bodies into lakes (The Sri Lanka Monitor Aug. 1995, 3; ibid. Sept. 1995, 4; Reuters 9 Sept. 1995; IPS 31 Aug. 1995).
Although police chief Frank Silva stated that north-east Tamils in Colombo no longer have to register at local police stations (The Sri Lanka Monitor June 1995, 4; ibid. July 1995, 4), police confirmed that north-east Tamils must still do so (ibid. July 1995, 4). According to the Sri Lanka Information Monitor, on 23 June 1995, police officers manning checkpoints were informed that it was no longer obligatory for Tamils to produce police registration forms (June 1995, 8).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
Agence France Presse (AFP). 15 June 1995. "Sri Lanka uses Emergency to Set Up Human Rights Panel." (NEXIS)
_____. 4 May 1995. "Tamil Rebel Swallows Cyanide in Colombo." (NEXIS)
_____. 24 April 1995. Amal Jayasinghe. "Tamil Tigers Call for Fresh Peace Bid as War Escalates." (NEXIS)
Inter Press Service (IPS). 31 August 1995. Rita Sebastian. "Sri LankaHuman Rights: Floating Dead Sully Human Rights Record." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 9 September 1995. BC Cycle. Jawed Naqvi. "Sri Lanka President Says Rogue Police May Kill Her." (NEXIS)
_____. 3 July 1995. BC Cycle. "Bodies in Lake May be Abducted Tamils." (NEXIS)
Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. September 1995. "Arrests of Tamils in the South."
_____. June 1995. "Human Rights."
_____. May 1995. "Security in the South."
_____. April 1995. "The Security Situation in the South."
The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. September 1995. No. 92. "Colombo's Killer Squads Vie for Victims."
_____. August 1995. No. 91. "Colombo Blast."
_____. July 1995. No. 90. "Back from the Dead."
_____. June 1995. No. 89. "Floating Corpses."
_____. May 1995. No. 88. "Colombo Red Alert."
_____. April 1995. No. 87. "Tigers at the Gates."
Xinhua News Agency. 5 November 1995. "Sri Lanka Steps Up Search for Rebels in Colombo." (NEXIS)
Attachments
Agence France Presse (AFP). 15 June 1995. "Sri Lanka uses Emergency to Set Up Human Rights Panel." (NEXIS)
Inter Press Service (IPS). 31 August 1995. Rita Sebastian. "Sri LankaHuman Rights: Floating Dead Sully Human Rights Record." (NEXIS)
Reuters. 9 September 1995. BC Cycle. Jawed Naqvi. "Sri Lanka President Says Rogue Police May Kill Her." (NEXIS)
Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. September 1995. "Arrests of Tamils in the South," p. 9.
_____. June 1995. "Human Rights," p. 8.
_____. May 1995. "Security in the South," p. 8.
_____. April 1995. "The Security Situation in the South," p. 7.
The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. September 1995. No. 92. "Colombo's Killer Squads Vie for Victims," p. 4.
_____. August 1995. No. 91. "Colombo Blast," p. 3.
_____. July 1995. No. 90. "Back from the Dead," p. 4.
_____. June 1995. No. 89. "Floating Corpses," p. 4.
_____. May 1995. No. 88. "Colombo Red Alert," p. 4.
_____. April 1995. No. 87. "Tigers at the Gates," p. 4.
Xinhua News Agency. 5 November 1995. "Sri Lanka Steps Up Search for Rebels in Colombo." (NEXIS)
Additional Sources Consulted
DIRB Indexed Media Review [Ottawa]. Weekly. April 1995 to present.
DIRB "Sri Lanka" country file. April 1995 to present.
DIRB "Sri Lanka: Amnesty International" country file. April 1995 to present.
Far Eastern Economic Review (FEER) [Hong Kong]. Weekly. April 1995 to present.
Keesing's Record of World Events [Cambridge]. Monthly. April 1995 to present.
On-line search of media sources.
