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Monday Sep 30, 2024
Friday, 29 September 2017 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Dharisha Bastians
Police have made no arrests yet in the monk-led attack on a United Nations safe house on Tuesday, which forced authorities to relocate 31 Rohingya refugees, mainly women and children who had fled persecution in Myanmar, into the high security detention centre in Boosa for their protection.
The mob calling itself Sinhale Jathika Balamuluwa streamed the storming of the safe house run by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Mount Lavinia live on the social media network Facebook.
Speaking to Daily FT, Police Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunesekera said no arrests have been made so far, despite video footage of the attack being widely available, because police were still “conducting investigations”.
The refugees were transferred to Boosa, a controversial detention centre in Galle, for their protection on the request of the UNHCR, the Police Spokesman said. “This is because Boosa is a high security facility,” Gunesekera added.
Secretary for the Law and Order Ministry Jagath P. Wijeweera, who issued a press release yesterday, confirmed that the refugees had been moved to Boosa on the UNHCR request for their safety. Three police teams had been deployed to investigate the attack on the refugee safe house in Mount Lavinia, Wijeweera’s media release noted, adding that police were reporting on investigations to the Mount Lavinia magistrate’s court.
Daily FT learns from authoritative sources that UNHCR officials will have regular access to the Myanmar nationals at Boosa and will liaise continuously with staff at the detention centre to ensure their safety. Aid workers and activists say the detention centre “may not be ideal” but it was the only option since police could not ensure their safety elsewhere.
Officials say detention was a last resort to protect the 31 refugees with a demonstration by hardline Sinhalese groups planned for Saturday against sheltering Rohingyas in Sri Lanka and police personnel unlikely to be able to control the protestors.
Minister for Finance and Media Mangala Samaraweera denounced Tuesday’s safe house attack as a “shameful act” by “so-called priests”. “I condemn these actions not only as the Minister in charge of Media. I am also condemning it as a Buddhist, a Buddhist who is very proud of the fact that Buddhism is a religion of non-violence and compassion.”
Calling the protestors “thugs in robes”, Minister Samaraweera urged the police to take the strongest possible action against perpetrators of these crimes against refugees. In a video statement issued on Wednesday, the Media Minister noted that the refugees were under the care of the UNHCR, waiting to be resettled in a third country, either the US or Canada. Sri Lanka had previously sheltered such refugees in 2008 and 2012 and they were subsequently resettled in the US, Samaraweera added.
The JVP has also condemned Tuesday’s attack, saying attacking innocent refugees fleeing violence and persecution was inhumane and uncivilised.
Issuing a statement on Wednesday, the UNHCR said refugees were victims of violence and persecution who needed international protection and assistance. “In Sri Lanka, the presence of refugees and asylum-seekers is authorised by the Government. In consultation with the authorities, UNHCR provides assistance to refugees until longer-term solutions can be found,” the statement from the UN agency noted.
The Colombo Crimes Division (CCD) has been ordered to investigate the incident in Mount Lavinia involving Rohingya refugees.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had said yesterday it was alarmed and concerned by the incident at a refugee shelter housing mostly women and children.
On Tuesday, a group protested outside the shelter housing 31 refugees – most of them women and children – who had been rescued by the Sri Lankan Navy from a boat in Sri Lankan waters in April this year.
The refugees were eventually evacuated to safety by the authorities to whom UNHCR is grateful for support and protection extended to refugees.
UNHCR is equally concerned for the safety and security of its partner’s staff present during the incident who were providing humanitarian assistance to the refugees.
UNHCR emphasises that refugees are victims of violence and persecution who need international protection and assistance. UNHCR urges the public and all those concerned with refugees to continue extending protection and to show empathy for civilians fleeing persecution and violence.
In Sri Lanka, the presence of refugees and asylum-seekers is authorised by the Government. In consultation with the authorities, UNHCR provides assistance to refugees until longer-term solutions can be found. (Colombo Gazette)
