{"id":86860,"date":"2019-03-31T14:55:03","date_gmt":"2019-03-31T21:55:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/?p=86860"},"modified":"2019-03-31T14:55:03","modified_gmt":"2019-03-31T21:55:03","slug":"as-snowden-angels-start-new-life-in-canada-other-asylum-seekers-in-hong-kong-are-filled-with-greater-anxiety-hope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/2019\/03\/31\/as-snowden-angels-start-new-life-in-canada-other-asylum-seekers-in-hong-kong-are-filled-with-greater-anxiety-hope\/","title":{"rendered":"As \u2018Snowden angels\u2019 start new life in Canada, other asylum seekers in Hong Kong are filled with greater anxiety, hope"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 class=\"main-info__name\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><em><a class=\"\" style=\"color: #0000ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/author\/raquel-carvalho\" data-v-22ae94a0=\"\" data-v-2b159ece=\"\">Raquel Carvalho<\/a>\u00a0 Courtesy SCMP.com<\/em><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Former soldier Ajith Pushpakumara and a family of four from Sri Lanka hope to regain their freedom soon<\/li><li>They had all sheltered Edward Snowden when he was in Hong Kong<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/1200x800\/public\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/03\/31\/b603ed92-520b-11e9-8617-6babbcfb60eb_image_hires_155941.JPG?itok=6d6eIoPo\" alt=\"Ajith Pushpakumara, a Sri Lankan refugee who sheltered Edward Snowden. Photo: Edward Wong\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ajith Pushpakumara, a Sri Lankan refugee who sheltered Edward Snowden. Photo: Edward WongWhen Ajith Pushpakumara, an asylum seeker from&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/topics\/sri-lanka\">Sri Lanka<\/a>&nbsp;in Hong Kong, hears the word Canada\u201d, his smile turns wider and his brown eyes brighter. That word isn\u2019t just the name of a country, it means hope to him \u2013 an apparently distant and yet tenable possibility.He is one of the four adults who sheltered American whistle-blower&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/topics\/edward-snowden\">Edward Snowden<\/a>while he was in the city back in 2013. They filed refugee claims for themselves and their children with the Canadian government a couple of years ago.This week, the news that one of them,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/law-and-crime\/article\/3003282\/maple-syrup-and-ice-skating-asylum-seekers-who\">Vanessa Mae Rodel<\/a>, from the Philippines, and her seven-year-old daughter Keana, had been granted asylum and were leaving for Montreal, shook his world all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am really happy for them. We were all in the same situation \u2026 I hope it\u2019s like a chain, maybe our time will also come,\u201d he says.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/law-and-crime\/article\/3003282\/maple-syrup-and-ice-skating-asylum-seekers-who\">\u2018Snowden refugees\u2019 feel free in Canada after \u2018living in hell\u2019 in Hong Kong<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But I also feel more tension. It\u2019s like it will go one way or another for me.\u201dPushpakumara, who has been in Hong Kong for about 15 years, knows that his life is at a crossroads and it can soon take dramatically different turns. I may go to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/topics\/canada\">Canada<\/a>&nbsp;or I may be detained in Hong Kong and sent back to Sri Lanka, where my life is going to be over.\u201dSUBSCRIBE TO&nbsp;THIS WEEK IN ASIAGet updates direct to your inboxSUBMITBy registering for these newsletters you agree to our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/terms-conditions\">T&amp;C<\/a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/03\/31\/34ebfcd0-5220-11e9-8617-6babbcfb60eb_1320x770_155941.jpg\" alt=\"Vanessa Rodel and her seven-year-old daughter Keana talk to the media after arriving at Lester B. Pearson Airport in Toronto, on March 25. Photo: AP\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Vanessa Rodel and her seven-year-old daughter Keana talk to the media after arriving at Lester B. Pearson Airport in Toronto, on March 25. Photo: AP<strong>Share:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=As%20%E2%80%98Snowden%20angels%E2%80%99%20start%20new%20life%20in%20Canada,%20other%20asylum%20seekers%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20are%20filled%20with%20greater%20anxiety,%20hope%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/week-asia\/people\/article\/3003920\/snowden-angels-start-new-life-canada-other-asylum-seekers-hong\"><\/a>In a similar situation is a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/politics\/article\/2094351\/hong-kong-rejects-asylum-seekers-who-sheltered-edward\">family of four<\/a>&nbsp;from Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Legal experts \u2013 who were not involved in the applications and who prefer not to be named due to the sensitivity of the case \u2013 say that it is very hard to predict the future of the three adults and two stateless children who still remain in Hong Kong.<a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">&nbsp;&nbsp;TOP ARTICLES1\/5READ MOREAs \u2018Snowden angels\u2019 start newlife in Canada, other asylum seekers in Hong Kong are filled with greater anxiety, hope<\/a><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\">&nbsp;&nbsp;TOP ARTICLES2\/5READ MORESaudis \u2018had access\u2019 to AmazonCEO Jeff Bezos\u2019 phone, his security chief claims<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even though they all filed their claims with the Canadian authorities at the same time and helped Snowden, the applicants came from different backgrounds, a lawyer says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another notes that each country has a number of internal procedures and criteria that we are not necessarily aware of. For instance, some prioritise women over men\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Robert Tibbo, who has been their legal adviser since 2012 and who is now in Canada, says that each case is being handled by a different Canadian immigration officer. Each one goes at their own pace \u2013 that\u2019s what I have seen in terms of documentation,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is also likely that the US or the \u2018Five Eyes\u2019 [alliance of intelligence agencies] have put pressure on Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/03\/31\/40b6a268-5220-11e9-8617-6babbcfb60eb_1320x770_155941.jpg\" alt=\"Vanessa Rodel and her daughter Keana with lawyer Robert Tibbo. Photo: AP\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Vanessa Rodel and her daughter Keana with lawyer Robert Tibbo. Photo: AP<strong>Share:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=As%20%E2%80%98Snowden%20angels%E2%80%99%20start%20new%20life%20in%20Canada,%20other%20asylum%20seekers%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20are%20filled%20with%20greater%20anxiety,%20hope%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/week-asia\/people\/article\/3003920\/snowden-angels-start-new-life-canada-other-asylum-seekers-hong\"><\/a>This group of refugees helped Snowden after the former National Security Agency contractor fled the US and went into hiding in Hong Kong for several weeks in June 2013. He was on the run after leaking classified documents that exposed details about global&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/article\/1266777\/exclusive-snowden-safe-hong-kong-more-us-cyberspying-details-revealed\">electronic spying programmes<\/a>&nbsp;used by the United States and other governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are clear-cut cases,\u201d Tibbo argues. They should all have been approved and be brought together to Canada.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>THE CANADIAN DREAM<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pushpakumara has thought of what he would say to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau if both men were to meet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you for helping Vanessa,\u201d he would say. I am not safe in Hong Kong. I am stuck and very, very tired. Please, take care of us.\u201d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/hong-kong-law-and-crime\/article\/2152085\/canada-has-been-dragging-its-feet-human\">Canada accused of \u2018dragging its feet\u2019 over asylum seekers in Snowden case<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The 47-year-old wears an inscrutable expression, until he talks about Canada. Then, his face lights up. He has been through three interviews with Canadian authorities and imagines the country to be a place where poor people face less discrimination\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I think Canadians are very good people, who like to help others,\u201d he says. I also think it\u2019s a very quiet place, and cold \u2013 I am a bit afraid of that, but I will be happy in summer,\u201d Pushpakumara says, grinning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If he is given a chance, he would like to work as a carpenter. I have no studies, but my hands can do many things \u2026 I can be a good handyman,\u201d Pushpakumara says. I will probably need help in the first two or three months there and then I can buy my own tools and even set up my own business.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/03\/31\/09bc01a4-520c-11e9-8617-6babbcfb60eb_1320x770_155941.JPG\" alt=\"Ajith Pushpakumara, right, Vanessa Rodel, second from right, with her daughter Keana, Nadeeka Dilrukshi Nonis, third from left, and Supun Thilina Kellapatha, second from left, and their children pose for a photo in front of the Torture Claims Appeal Board building in Hong Kong in July 2017. Photo: AFP\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ajith Pushpakumara, right, Vanessa Rodel, second from right, with her daughter Keana, Nadeeka Dilrukshi Nonis, third from left, and Supun Thilina Kellapatha, second from left, and their children pose for a photo in front of the Torture Claims Appeal Board building in Hong Kong in July 2017. Photo: AFP<strong>Share:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=As%20%E2%80%98Snowden%20angels%E2%80%99%20start%20new%20life%20in%20Canada,%20other%20asylum%20seekers%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20are%20filled%20with%20greater%20anxiety,%20hope%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/week-asia\/people\/article\/3003920\/snowden-angels-start-new-life-canada-other-asylum-seekers-hong\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pushpakumara, who now relies on donations, says he is looking forward to being independent. Asylum seekers are not allowed to work in Hong Kong \u2013 one of the world\u2019s most expensive cities to live in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If I go to Canada, I can work, make money and provide for my mother and daughter,\u201d he says. I could take care of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pushpakumara has a 17-year-old daughter living with his mother back in Sri Lanka. My daughter knows my story, but she keeps asking \u2018when are we going to be together?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>\u2018UNSAFE\u2019 IN HONG KONG<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Hong Kong had never been part of his plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When he fled Sri Lanka, his initial intention was to reach Canada. My agent told me to wait in Hong Kong for a week and he would pick me up a week later. I am still waiting,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pushpakumara was a soldier for three years in Sri Lanka. His refugee claim says that he decided to desert the army after being sexually assaulted by superiors, but he was caught and tortured before being able to escape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He landed in 2003 in Hong Kong, where he later filed a protection claim that was rejected about two years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pushpakumara needs to report every four weeks at the Castle Peak Bay Immigration Centre in Tuen Mun, a facility for detainees awaiting repatriation or deportation. I am still waiting for the result of my appeal. But every time I have to report to the Hong Kong authorities, I am very scared of being arrested,\u201d he says.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/politics\/article\/2094351\/hong-kong-rejects-asylum-seekers-who-sheltered-edward\">Hong Kong rejects asylum claims by refugees who sheltered Edward Snowden<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If his appeal fails, the last avenue for recourse is a judicial review. But he says that his fears have become greater as proposals to tighten the current regulations have emerged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The city\u2019s Immigration Department has recently suggested amending the existing law and introducing tougher procedures. If their proposal is approved, authorities will be allowed to remove an asylum seeker from Hong Kong even if he had filed a judicial review or a legal aid application \u2013 unless the court had already agreed to hear the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t think I would be able to cope with detention \u2026 And if I am sent back to Sri Lanka, forget it. My life is finished,\u201d Pushpakumara says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/03\/31\/317e1e8e-520c-11e9-8617-6babbcfb60eb_1320x770_155941.JPG\" alt=\"Supun Thilina Kellapatha and his family. Photo: Jonathan Wong.\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Supun Thilina Kellapatha and his family. Photo: Jonathan Wong.<strong>Share:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=As%20%E2%80%98Snowden%20angels%E2%80%99%20start%20new%20life%20in%20Canada,%20other%20asylum%20seekers%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20are%20filled%20with%20greater%20anxiety,%20hope%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/week-asia\/people\/article\/3003920\/snowden-angels-start-new-life-canada-other-asylum-seekers-hong\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At an even greater risk of arrest and deportation is the Sri Lankan family of four who also helped Snowden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Supun Thilina Kellapatha who, according to his claim, was nearly killed because of a relationship with a woman linked to an opposition political party, fled Sri Lanka and met Nadeeka Dilrukshi Nonis in Hong Kong. She had also to leave her home country after being raped and held against her will by individuals linked to the government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They meanwhile had two children in the city, who are stateless: Sethmundi, 7, and Dinath, 2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both their protection claims in Hong Kong and their appeals have been rejected. They have already filed a judicial review.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/law-crime\/article\/2051491\/families-who-sheltered-edward-snowden-hong-kong-say-nsa\">Families who sheltered Snowden in Hong Kong say whistle-blower \u2018gave them hope\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Their lawyer Tibbo says that they are now under great stress in Hong Kong, noting that Supun had to be hospitalised twice in the past month. They are currently unavailable for comments, the barrister says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A previously undisclosed link between Supun and Rodel \u2013 the asylum seeker who has moved to Canada \u2013 was revealed this week. He is also the father of Keana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/03\/31\/0cca45b0-5237-11e9-8617-6babbcfb60eb_1320x770_155941.jpeg\" alt=\"Keana (R) with her father Supun in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Keana (R) with her father Supun in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout<strong>Share:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=As%20%E2%80%98Snowden%20angels%E2%80%99%20start%20new%20life%20in%20Canada,%20other%20asylum%20seekers%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20are%20filled%20with%20greater%20anxiety,%20hope%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/week-asia\/people\/article\/3003920\/snowden-angels-start-new-life-canada-other-asylum-seekers-hong\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Both Rodel and her lawyers are calling on the Canadian government to grant refugee status to Supun\u2019s family. Keana should grow up with her father and stepbrother and stepsister,\u201d Rodel says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, Montreal is receiving her with open arms. People here are really amazing and warm. They already gave us many things, like clothes and toys \u2026 And Keana is enjoying it a lot, playing in the snow, seeing birds and squirrels.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But Rodel, who is being helped by non-profit For the Refugees and other local organisations, insists that their happiness will only be complete when the rest of the group is given the chance to rebuild their lives in Canada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>MEETING SNOWDEN AND THE LIMELIGHT<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pushpakumara, who has been diagnosed with severe post-traumatic stress disorder, has lived in about 15 different houses in Hong Kong \u2013 either because of rent going up or safety issues.He recalls an episode from 2016, when he was told that&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/law-crime\/article\/2073082\/police-urged-probe-claims-sri-lankan-investigators-came\">Sri Lankan police<\/a>&nbsp;investigators were in the city looking for the asylum seekers from the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I am still afraid \u2026 Life here is very hard. Hong Kong is like a jail,\u201d he says, adding that he sometimes needs to take medication to help him get through the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My mind is not the same and sometimes I cannot control my feelings. My body starts shaking and I cannot sleep,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite all the pressure, he says he does not regret having helped Snowden. I would help anyone with a life problem,\u201d he says. We, asylum seekers, know how it is to go through problems, living with no money, no accommodation, in fear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pushpakumara says he monitored the area while Snowden went to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees\u2019 office in Hong Kong. He says he also travelled several times with the former NSA contractor by taxi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/article\/1259335\/exclusive-whistle-blower-edward-snowden-talks-south-china-morning\">EXCLUSIVE: Whistle-blower Edward Snowden talks to South China Morning Post<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I helped protect him while he was here and at the time I was very happy, because I was useful,\u201d he says. And I think he is a good guy. He did not forget us. He is still not safe, but he still speaks up for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-scmp.com\/sites\/default\/files\/d8\/images\/methode\/2019\/03\/31\/a1d5635e-520c-11e9-8617-6babbcfb60eb_1320x770_155941.JPG\" alt=\"US whistle-blower Edward Snowden now lives in Russia. Photo: Nora Tam\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>US whistle-blower Edward Snowden now lives in Russia. Photo: Nora Tam<strong>Share:<\/strong><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Shared%20from%20South%20China%20Morning%20Post&amp;body=As%20%E2%80%98Snowden%20angels%E2%80%99%20start%20new%20life%20in%20Canada,%20other%20asylum%20seekers%20in%20Hong%20Kong%20are%20filled%20with%20greater%20anxiety,%20hope%0D%0Ahttps:\/\/www.scmp.com\/week-asia\/people\/article\/3003920\/snowden-angels-start-new-life-canada-other-asylum-seekers-hong\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snowden landed in Moscow from Hong Kong in 2013. He ended up stranded in Russia \u2013 where he still lives \u2013 while he was in transit to Latin America, after the US revoked his passport.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The lives of the asylum seekers and their children dramatically changed in 2016, when their role in helping the former CIA analyst was revealed to the media.Their names and photos were plastered all over the world press shortly before the release of filmmaker Oliver Stone\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/hong-kong\/law-crime\/article\/2025406\/release-snowden-film-hong-kong-may-illuminate-situation\">Snowden biopic<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Tibbo, who advised Snowden while he was in Hong Kong, argued that their identities were revealed to ensure their safety \u2013 but some lawyers and experts criticised the move.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Stone wrote this week on Twitter: Two of the Snowden Refugees (Vanessa and Keana) are now safe in Canada. But the remaining five are still in danger in Hong Kong. It\u2019s time for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring them home.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Snowden also made a similar appeal on his account. After so many years, the first of the families who helped me is free and has a future,\u201d he wrote in French. But the work is not over \u2013 with solidarity and compassion, Canada can save them all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pushpakumara talked on the phone with Rodel just before her plane took off on Monday. I told her to be happy and take care. \u2018You are now a free bird, you can do your own things\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He hopes that such a day will come for him too \u2013 so he can enjoy freedom, provide for his daughter and help others, he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every day, I dream about this. \u2018Maybe they will call me tomorrow\u2019. Then, I see the phone: no call, no messages.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Raquel Carvalho\u00a0 Courtesy SCMP.com Former soldier Ajith Pushpakumara and a family of four from Sri Lanka hope to regain their freedom soon They had all sheltered Edward Snowden when he was in Hong Kong Ajith Pushpakumara, a Sri Lankan refugee who sheltered Edward Snowden. Photo: Edward WongWhen Ajith Pushpakumara, an asylum seeker from&nbsp;Sri Lanka&nbsp;in Hong [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-86860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86860","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=86860"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/86860\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=86860"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=86860"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lankaweb.com\/news\/items\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=86860"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}