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Sri Lanka raises threat of “mass eviction”

COLOMBO: Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has said those people who had come to Colombo and its suburbs and are “staying without any valid reason were a huge security concern” and should return to their hometown.

Mr. Rajapaksa’s remarks, in an interview to the government-controlled English paper, Daily News, assume significance in view of the recent Supreme Court judgment that the government has no right to evict anybody from any part of the nation.

The apex court verdict came following a petition by the Centre for Policy Alternatives and others against the June 7, 2007 “mass eviction” of Tamils staying in lodges on the ground that their presence in the capital without valid reason posed a security threat.

In the interview, Mr. Rajapaksa said: “An alarming situation has been observed by the Security Forces as a large number of people have come to the Colombo Police Division in August alone without any valid reason. On August 6, 950 people have come to the Colombo Police Division and are temporarily living in lodges, houses and various other places. This is not normal. It causes a lot of problems. Among other things it causes a lot of security risks.” The paper said Mr. Rajapaksa was responding to a question regarding desperate attacks by the LTTE.

He told the paper the security forces have to take “these human control measures” to prevent the LTTE’s suicide cadre from entering these areas.

“We must be prepared for this. That is why we are doing human control measures. People criticise us for fundamental rights violations when we do these things.

“But we do it to protect the innocent citizens of our country against desperate terrorist attacks,” he was quoted as saying.

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