New tax puts small rice millers out of business – The Island
The Global Tamil Forum circumvents the problem
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Global Tamil Forum (GTF) would not get involved in the ongoing controversy over the UK’s decision to move Sri Lankans, seeking to settle in the UK, to what the government has called “a third safe country”, unless they return to Sri Lanka. ‘voluntarily’.
Around 120 Sri Lankans are thought to be housed in a fenced encampment in the US-British region of Diego Garcia, part of the Chagos Islands which the United Nations said belonged to Mauritius and are due to be returned by December 2019. The UK calls the Indian Ocean Archipelago the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT). Those who represent the interests of the Sri Lankan group want the UK to allow them to settle in the UK.
The island asked for the GTF’s response to the highly controversial UK decision and also asked whether the issue in question would be raised at the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). GTF spokesperson Suren Surendiran sent us the following response: “The GTF, as an organization that operates internationally and not specifically in a specific country as such, generally does not get involved in country-specific cases, outside of Sri Lanka. The GTF is primarily an international advocacy organization. There are various country-specific Tamil organizations. There are also Tamil institutions/organizations, including law firms, who act and lobby immigration policies in the UK and various other countries.
The United Nations Maritime Law Tribunal, the United Nations General Assembly and the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have ruled that the Chagos Islands belong to Mauritius. Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, as having stated: “The British Government has denied the fundamental rights of Tamil refugees in the Chagos Islands for over a year now. In a ruthless move, it looks like they could deport those same refugees to a third country, similar to Rwanda’s plan.
Hassen was referring to the agreement between the UK and Rwanda to take in people who have been refused UK refugee status. .”
Amid the ongoing controversy, some of those who had been ‘detained’ in the disputed British territory had chosen to ‘voluntarily’ return to Sri Lanka in the recent past. UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Secretary Jesse Norman recently told parliament that more than 60 Sri Lankans had voluntarily returned home. Meanwhile, Australia has reiterated that illegal Sri Lankan immigrants will not be tolerated under any circumstances. In separate statements, Home Secretary Clare O’Neil, Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram and Commander of the Joint Agency Task Force (JATF) of Operation Sovereign Borders (OSB) , Rear Admiral Justin Jones, issued dire warnings that those who violated their laws would be dealt with.
Flanked by Commissioner Outram and Rear Admiral Jones, Minister O’Neil said Australia’s border protection policies had not changed. If you try to reach Australia by boat, you will be intercepted and turned back and you will find yourself in Sri Lanka in a much worse situation than when you embarked. The only way to travel to Australia legally is with a valid visa. “
Rear Admiral Jones said he would detect, intercept and turn away anyone making an illegal boat trip to Australia. The senior official warned that no boat has managed to reach Australia. Australia has released images of a youngster wearing a pair of slippers disembarking from an Australian ship that brought a group of people back months ago, while warning that such attempts would not be tolerated at all.
A few weeks before the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Minister O’Neil met with the President and then Foreign Minister Prof. GLPeiris to reiterate their insistence on OSB boards. In return for Sri Lanka’s cooperation, Australia has stepped up support for cash-strapped Sri Lanka and provided free fuel to its navy and air force to support operations to deter human trafficking. humans.
