URGENT ACTION

H.E. Shri Pranab Mukherjee
Foreign Minister of India
Ministry of External Affairs
Government of India
South Bloc
New Delhi-110011

Subject: Urgent intervention against the acts of ethnic cleansing and racism being perpetrated by the government of Sri Lanka by forcibly expelling the ethnic Tamils from Colombo, Sri Lanka

Dear Foreign Minister,

Asian Centre for Human Rights is writing to seek urgent intervention of the government of India against the acts of ethnic cleansing and racism being perpetrated by the government of Sri Lanka. Nearly 500 ethnic Tamil minorities including women and children were hounded like animals from their lodges in Colombo, subbed into the waiting Ceylon Transport Corporation buses and then deported to war-torn Northern and Eastern parts of Sri Lanka since 7 June 2007.

I. Chronology of the acts of racism against the Tamils

On 31 May 2007, Tamil owners of 68 lodges in Pettah (Peaddai) Police Division in Colombo were instructed by the Police Officer in Charge of Pettah to expel around 5,000 Tamil tenants from North and East within 24 hours from their lodges of Colombo, Sri Lanka.

On 1 June 2007, the Inspector-General of Police, Victor Perera justified the action on the ground that they posed serious threats to “national security”.

On 7 June 2007, the Sri Lankan police began forced eviction of ethnic Tamils who have been temporarily staying in Colombo as part of crackdown on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Most of the lodges covered under the operation are located in Wellawatte, Pettah and Peliyagoda.

A total of 376 persons, including 291 males and 85 females, were forcibly sent to their homes in Vavuniya, Batticaloa, Jaffna and Trincomalee in 7 buses. However, ethnic Tamil sources claimed that around 500 Tamils were deported by the Sri Lankan Police on 7 June 2007, and another 300 were being detained in Pettah (Peaddai) police station to be transported to their homes. Those who were forced to leave included women and children.

II. National Security or Ethnic Cleansing?

The forcible deportation of the ethnic Tamils from Colombo to the Northern and Eastern parts is reminiscent of the Holocaust.

Justifying the eviction, the Government of Sri Lanka has claimed that eviction of Tamils was being done without any “communal consideration” and was necessitated as Tamils staying in Colombo “without valid reasons” posed serious “security threats”. Defence Minister Keheliya Rembukwella stated that 90 per cent of the recent insurgency related incidents were hatched in the lodges, particularly in the Fort area and Tamil dominated areas such as Wellawatta.

As a result, most of the Tamils have been evicted forcibly without considering their bona fide grounds for staying in Colombo. Presently, the only criteria spelt out by the government for eviction is “joblessness”. The definition of jobless persons could include students who are pursuing their studies, job seekers, persons who have come for better medical attention, tourists, victims of human rights violations who have come for legal aids etc or those who want to escape threats from the Sri Lankan security forces, the LTTE and the Karuna faction. Even those Tamils who were in Colombo for medical treatment were also forced to leave Colombo.

The ethnic Tamils were reportedly given just half-an-hour time to pack their luggage and board the Ceylon Transport Board buses that were waiting outside the lodges.

These ethnic Tamils who come out of North and Eastern parts had already taken “Travel Passes” from the authorities of Sri Lankan Army to travel. Under the “Travel Passes” system, those wishing to travel have to submit applications to their local Sri Lankan Army official through the Village Officer and the Divisional Secretary. While applying for a “Travel Pass”, the applicants also have to further submit a surety which will guarantee their return to their homes.

The forcible deportation of the ethnic Tamils from Colombo to their homes will not only widen the ethnic divide and intensify the conflicts but these are acts of ethnic cleansing and racism which cannot be tolerated by any civilized society.

Asian Centre for Human Rights therefore fervently urges the government of India to immediately intervene with the government of Sri Lanka to halt the forcible deportation of the ethnic Tamils and allow those who have already been forcibly evicted to return to Colombo.

Looking forward to your kind interventions.  

With kind regards, 

Yours sincerely 

Suhas Chakma
Director

Copy to:

President
Dravida Munnetra Khazagam
Anna Arivalayam 268-269,
Anna Salai, Teynampet,
Chennai-600018 (Tamil Nadu)