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Jobless Tamils evicted from Colombo on grounds of security

B. Muralidhar Reddy

"90 per cent of the recent terrorist incidents were hatched in lodges in Tamil dominated areas"

COLOMBO: In an unprecedented and controversial move, the Sri Lanka police on Thursday evicted from the lodges and hotels here 376 `jobless' Tamils from the north and the east on grounds of `national security' and packed them in eight buses headed for Vavyunia district in the north and Batticaloa district in the east.

The action was denounced by most members of the Opposition in Parliament and civil society as a "senseless move" that could lead to further polarisation between the different ethnic communities and heighten the sense of marginalisation and alienation of Tamil people of this country.

However, the Government and police justified it as a necessary step to ensure the safety of civilians in and around Colombo. Defence Minister Keheliya Rembukwella told a news conference here that government agencies concluded that 90 per cent of the recent terrorist incidents were hatched in these lodges tucked away in the Fort area and Tamil dominated areas such as Wellawatta.

Further, the Minister asserted that only those Tamils who could not satisfactorily explain the reasons for their extended stay in the capital were being advised to leave in "their own interest and welfare." Maintaining that the island nation was faced with an extraordinary security situation, the Minister said the Government was compelled to resort to such action.

The eviction began early in the morning under the watchful eyes of hundreds of police personnel. Some of those asked to leave complained that they were given just half-an-hour notice to pack their luggage and move into the waiting buses.

Most of the lodges covered under the operation are located in Wellawatte, Pettah and Peliyagoda. The action came after the Inspector-General of Police of Colombo reportedly instructed the lodge owners not to shelter people from the North and the East who had no "valid reasons" for being in Colombo.

After members of the Opposition raised the subject in Parliament, the IGP reportedly clarified to the party leaders meeting in Parliament that six buses had left for Vavuniya, one each to Batticaloa and Trincomalee.

Plea to President

In a joint appeal to President Mahinda Rajapaksa, a group of NGOs and voluntary organisations complained that the criteria for their expulsion seemed to be determined arbitrarily by the police and the army and asked him to immediately halt the evictions.

"Even in some cases where lodgers were able to explain their presence in Colombo to establish their bona fides, they were told that Tamils who were not permanent residents of Colombo had no right to be in Colombo and had to leave," it alleged.

The statement said, "While we are full cognisant of the current security situation and the need to maintain close surveillance of the city and its environs, in terms of the human rights principles that guide us in our work as human rights defenders, we are convinced that the above process is not capable of guaranteeing security ... We reaffirm the principle enshrined in the Constitution of Sri Lanka guarantees all Sri Lankans the right to choose their own residence [temporary or permanent], and freedom of movement and maintain that what has taken place in Colombo today is a flagrant violation of this principle, and a disgrace to humanity."

Separately, the Free Media Movement (FMM), a Sri Lanka-based NGO working for the welfare of media personnel, in a statement said the police claim that they were simply aiding Tamils' return to their home towns, and that they had come to know about these desires during the checking carried out.

"The reports from residents, owners and staff of lodges, eye witnesses to the expulsion are in complete contrast to these police accounts. People were forced to leave, even those who were in Colombo for health reasons and were not fit to travel. The FMM unequivocally decries this action, which we see as a heinous act that grossly undermines democracy, violates the civic rights of the Tamil community and makes a mockery of this Government's avowed commitment to strengthening human rights of all citizens," it said.

The FMM said the Government action was "tantamount to ethnic cleansing" and added that it was the anti-thesis of what was required to address the root causes of terrorism in Sri Lanka. Furthermore, such actions only served to cement the perception of this Government as one that was inimical to the fulfilment of Tamil aspirations, it said.

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