Wednesday, 1st October 2014.
The Sri Lankan Government has dismissed as ‘baseless’ the findings of an investigation by the Australian media into the alleged mistreatment of failed asylum seekers sent back to the country by Australia.
In a report by Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) some people claimed they were abducted, tortured, raped and abused by the Sri Lankan security forces on their return.
However Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe described the report as doctored, orchestrated and biased.
The Australian Department for Immigration and Border Protection also responded to the claims in the special Dateline investigation by Go Back To Where You Came From presenter Dr David Corlett.
The Australian Department for Immigration and Border Protection said that former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, during his term in office, sought and received assurances from Sri Lanka regarding similar allegations raised.
“We are relying on the same assurances and despite our request we have not received any information that would enable us to investigate these matters further. Persons seeking to arrive in Australia illegally by boat may be subject to an enhanced screening process, as also practiced by the previous government, to ensure compliance by Australia with our international obligations under relevant conventions.”
From: Colombo Gazette. http://colombogazette.com/2014/10/01/lanka-rejects-allegations-on-returnees/
5 Responses to "Lanka rejects allegations on returnees"Reply
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Nalini October 1, 2014 - 11:14 at 11:14
This attack on Sri Lanka is only a part of the well organized scheme orchestrated by SBS, Fairfax media and Tamils and Indian interests. On 29th Monday in Melbourne there was a talk at Wheeler Centre in Melbourne Australia by refugee activists on similar lines. The Fairfax media was not left behind. The Age, WA Today etc. carried articles on the same line. For some reason or other Australian Broadcasting Corporation was left behind. SBS has been pro Tamil and pro Indian from its inception and was maneuvered by Indian interests. But with the cuts proposed by the current government SBS might not venture in to this type of projects, but then money always talks like the UK Channel 4.
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Raja October 1, 2014 - 09:03 at 09:03
The Sri Lankan High Commissioner claims these reports are doctored and I believe him totally, as I too visit Sri Lanka regularly and I am in constant touch with my relatives and friends living in the country, but no one is aware of returnees being harassed by security forces. Truth of this matter could easily be resolved if the Australian officials investigate as to why this particular journalist produced a doctored report, which may favour the illegal immigrants to remain in Australia.
As for SBS news reporting and documentaries on Sri Lanka, we think it is for some reason giving publicity to the versions released by Tamil activists. It may not be a coincidence that a leading Victorian Tamil activist who died the day before he was to be arrested with three others was also a senior employee at the SBS. I believe, SBS foreign affairs desk is influenced by these activists and was even petty enough to black out the name of the Sri Lankan capital Colombo from the weather report map, though Colombo is an important port of call since ancient times.
I have also seen SBS news items showing massacred sinhalese civilians, dubbed as Tamil victims. Therefore, this latest distortion as mentioned by the High Commissioner, is not a surprise but a waste of Tax payers money. -
terry perera October 1, 2014 - 08:57 at 08:57
lot of ex LTTE infiltrated SBS and those LTTE sympathizer feeding misinformation to naive and gullible SBS news and investigative stuff, SBS is so ignorant and may be stupid they are unknowingly working for people smugglers. just see the quality of the report by so called investigator just making a theater. looking like a rabbit ;ooking at all directions to show someone following him laughable
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nihara October 1, 2014 - 08:08 at 08:08
This documentary was another biased one as Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia mentioned. No evidence to back up any of the allegations stated in documentary. So called “Dr Corlett” is another ‘Callum MacRae’ to SBS Australia who’s main aim to tarnish the image of Sri Lanka. It showed from the scenery he filmed to begin with.
DR ANURA WEERERATNE October 1, 2014 - 13:46 at 13:46
It is absurd for people to say that any failed asylum seeker has been mistreated on return. One can easily verify from the High Commission It is pretty obvious that this so called Corlett is an LTTE proxy paid with drug money that some members of the pro LTTE diaspora hold.
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