Insight By Sunil Kumar

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ While it has now becomeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  very apparent that the concerted and widespreadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ propaganda campaigns targeting the Sri Lankan government over human rights issues and so called crimes against humanity do not carry as much weight as it did some years ago for very plausible reasonsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ it has also been learned thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the Tamil Diaspora seems to be losing ground in Europe, with the UK stepping up deportations on many revocations tabled in court.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ItƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ certainly seems ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  rational consideration for countries like Norway and Canada in particular to alsoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ follow suite rather than continue to harbour these typesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as they ultimately pose a threat to the security of the host nations as well as being an unnecessary financial encumbrance where risking to support and tolerate them could eventually pose a major issue where initial prevention mightƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  avoid finding resolutions to the greater implications that could easily result which in all probabilities is what entails the British vision on the issue as after all these are individuals who have not really given up their cause towards secession nor come clean from theirƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  support of the Tamil Tigers (theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ LTTE) . This can be confirmed when one looks around many major world cities with Tamil Diaspora populations where every pastƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ action of note involving the LTTE during the three decade long insurrectionƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ still continues to be celebrated with shopfronts carrying posters of the likes of Velupillai Prabhakaran, Anton Balasingham and S.P.Tamilselvam in comemoration as well as in remembrance despite the group being banned as well as many other clamdestine activities that still continue behind the backs of the authorities concerned! In some countries ludicrously enough they even erect statues of their likenesses as unlikely as it seems~ no pun intended despite the proviso for same!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The exhortations that come from Senior External Affairs and Defence Ministry officials addressing the media that the international community shouldnƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t accommodate bogus political refugees and those entering countries using fraudulent travel documents is something countries such as Norway and Canada should heed fairly seriously as the realitiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  as well as the consequences are very prevalent and encourages many otherƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ undesirable sources to also take this route and the UK has created a precedent which needs to be emulated towards the well being of decentƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and secure societies around the world where the naturalization process has come through legitimate means to immigrantsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ rather then through the back door and these societiesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ could pay a price for the tolerances of their Administrations. Relatively FridayƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s deportation of 58 Sri Lankans from the UKƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ seems indicativeƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ of the British government no longer bending to propaganda carried out by various interested parties on behalf of those seeking to remain in the country on false pretexts and needs to be commended. ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The British response to bogus asylum and refugee seekers has been well co-ordinated and by their own admission inspired by a similar stand taken by Australia which in turn has benefited the Sri Lanka Government and its continued calls towards exposing the iregular and illegal nature of these claimamants.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ 

The British authorities have said that the Sri Lanka Government ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ should be grateful to AustraliaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and indeed they should be, for taking a tough stand against bogus asylum seekers and that the Australian position had contributed immensely to Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s efforts to convince the international community to expose certain troublemakers, some of whomƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ who they most certainly appear to be based on findings related to their backgrounds.

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ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Breaking news on this was first reported in the Sunday Island News of Sri Lanka recentlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  and quoted here according to which “BritishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Security personnel accompanied those deported on a special flight and handed them over to Sri Lankan authorities at Colombo International Airport. Among them were residents of several districts including the North.”ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The report also saysƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  thatƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ” The London based Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, British MPs and a section of the UK media had been campaigning against the deportations citing continuing human rights violations in post-war Sri Lanka. The Tamil Diaspora had even campaigned against deportations at cricket venues during Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s last cricket tour of the UK “ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  which the world today has been made aware of through the widespreadƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  global publicityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  these actionsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  were given but beyond monotony and repetition it has not swayed the British Authorities who have stuck to the conformity of officialdome and recognized the legiticimacies involved relative to the Sri Lankan Authorities while sending the dissentorsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  a strong message.This is what needs to be picked up by those who believe word for wordƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  all the souped up and falsified depictions by sources attempting to discredit the Government of Sri lanka and applied to calls suggesting Sri Lankan indiscretions in the manner Canada has done recently with no inkling beyond hearsay and conjecture and of course a bit of sympathy induced byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Tamil supportives of the DiasporaƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  lobbyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ and the nature of their bleatings ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ far removed from what really transpired as Sri Lanka fought to overcome the deasdly terrorism which could have torn the Nation apart but stands triumphant in the wake of the Government’s concerted pursuance for a legitimate albeit overwhelmingƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ solution out of necessityƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which it mercifully did!

ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ It is now officially known and further confirmed by the Sunday Island reportƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ also that quoteƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ “since last June UK Border Agency had carried out three large scale deportations to Sri Lanka amidst protests aimed at forcing the government to reverse its decision.The UK has also tightened border controls this year and ordered punitive action against those seeking entry using fraudulent documents.

The Defence Ministry said that in the backdrop of thousands of terrorists released from detention facilities since the conclusion of the conflict in May 2009, claims of their being tortured sound ridiculous. In fact, the UK had provided considerable amount of funds in support of the ongoing rehabilitation and reintegration process handled by IOM (International Migration Organization)” end ofƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ quote where the calls of those dissenting against the actions of the Sri Lanka Government seem worthless and irrational and leaning ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ perhaps towards their own agendas.

Other excerpt from the Sunday Island report alsoƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ allegesƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that somewhat alarminglyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  andƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ in aƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ conspiratorialƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  perspective howƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  certainƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Sinhalese seeking asylum in the Europe and Australia cooperated with LTTE front organizations wanting to haul the Sri Lankan Government up before an international war crimes tribunal for alleged war crimes. Sources said that sending people abroad had been a lucrative business carried out by organized gangs. In this respect is is no surprise that such individuals would fight to avoid deportation as they well know what awaits them when they return as they will have to contend with theƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ long arm of the law awaiting to deal with themƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ as they well deserve!

Depicting the activities which pro active LTTE supportives within the Tamil Diaspora will resort to and the extent to which they will goƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ inƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ their attempt to halt deportations, LTTE front Tamils Against Genocide has reportedlyƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ lodged a petition in the High Court claiming the UK government failed in its obligation to review its deportations policy in light of new torture allegations. And in continuity to what transpires consequently as reported in the BritishƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Guardian newspaper and picked up byƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ The SundayƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Island,ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ the UK Border Agency has warned officials who are deciding on asylum claims that the NGOs have serious concerns about forcibly returned Tamils. However, the agency is also circulating a reportƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ which quotes senior Sri Lankan intelligence officials as saying Tamil detainees are inflicting wounds upon themselves in order to create scars that will support later asylum claims. Perhaps deportations is too goodƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  for these types who probably need to be confined to prison for a long time.

In response The Border Agency has saidƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚  that it only deports individuals “when we are satisfied the individual has no international protection needs”, and cites a ruling by the European Court of Human Rights that not all Tamil asylum seekers are in need of protection.