- by: Paige Taylor
- From: The Australian
- October 29, 2012
Asylum seekers arrested by Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan police arrest a group of asylum
seekers deported by Canberra after hijaking a fishing boat.
REFUGEE advocates have been trying to make contact with the last
remaining Sri Lankan from a hijacked trawler intercepted near the Cocos
(Keeling) Islands in the early hours of Friday, hoping they can block his
removal from Australia on the grounds he faces serious danger in Sri Lanka.
Fourteen
of the 15 Sri Lankans from the Chejan multi-day fishing trawler allegedly taken
by force on October 14 were flown back to Sri Lanka on Saturday barely 24 hours
after arriving. They were immediately detained for questioning in the capital,
Colombo.
Immigration
Minister Chris Bowen said at the weekend none of the returned Sri Lankans made
claims for asylum. "Some of these people face serious charges in Sri
Lanka," he said.
"The
government took the view it's appropriate that they face those charges, and
that the removal occur as soon as possible.
"They
made no claims for protection nor raised any issues that engaged Australia's
international obligations."
Yesterday,
the Refugee Action Coalition said the group's swift removal was extremely
worrying. The organisation said it was reminiscent of recent cases in which
detainees were "screened out" at initial interviews.
"I
am extremely concerned that the 14 alleged pirates were sent back to Sri Lanka
without having the benefit of any independent legal advice," coalition
spokesman Ian Rintoul said.
"This
is similar to the situation with the Sri Lankans who have been removed from
detention in Australia and Nauru without the opportunity of legal advice.
"There
is every reason to believe they would have legitimate claims for protection and
every reason to doubt that could get a fair trial in Sri Lanka."
Mr
Rintoul said he held concerns for the remaining Sri Lankan and his organisation
wanted to help him.
An
Immigration Department spokesman was unable to say why the 15th Sri Lankan did
not go with them, or whether he tried to claim asylum. It is thought he was
flown from the Cocos (Keeling) Islands to Christmas Island on Saturday, about
the same time his travelling companions were returned to Sri Lanka.
The
Immigration Department returned a total of 29 Sri Lankans to Colombo at the
weekend as more boats arrived -- 35 people assisted near Ashmore Islands were
delivered to Christmas Island, as was a boat carrying six people detected near
the Australian territory. Yesterday at Cocos (Keeling) Islands, 62 boatpeople
were brought ashore.
Late
yesterday, the Immigration Department was expecting more boat arrivals at
Flying Fish Cove.
The
department also sought to ease pressure on detention facilities on Christmas
Island by moving several family groups to Darwin. An Immigration Department
spokesman was unable to say yesterday whether the families stayed there, or
were transferred on to somewhere else.
Those
asylum-seekers arrived after August 13 and are therefore eligible to be sent to
Nauru, although the Immigration Department has repeatedly said decisions about
who goes there will be made on a case-by-case basis and for operational
reasons.
The
14 people who travelled to the tiny Australian atolls of Cocos (Keeling)
Islands onboard the Chejan multi-day were returned on a chartered long-range
jet by Australian Federal Police after discussions between the Australian and
Sri Lankan governments.
A
Sri Lankan official has said they face a range of charges including attempted
murder, abduction and theft, according to Sri Lankan authorities, who say the
boat was taken by force on October 14.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/attempt-to-block-removal-of-last-sri-lankan-pirate/story-fn9hm1gu-1226504940793
