When They Choose To Leave
By Maryam Azwer
On Friday August 13, the MV Sun Sea landed at a naval base in Western Canada, with 492 people on board, all of them Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Canadian authorities say they have swung into action and are trying to decide what should be done with yet another batch of refugees.
Commenting on the issue, TNA MP and human rights lawyer M.A. Sumanthiran says that until investigations have been completed, there is no way of determining why — or even when — these people chose to flee the country.
Sri Lankans, development, and the North
Taking a rather pragmatic point of view, Development Economist and Principal Researcher for the Point Pedro Institute for Development, Dr. Muttukrishna Sarvananthan, points out that many Sri Lankans in general, irrespective of their ethnicity, want to go abroad.
“There’s a huge urge to go abroad, around the country, more so in the North and East,” he said, adding that people in these areas find it more lucrative to migrate, given current circumstances.
“It isn’t only matters of safety that create a need to leave, he said, education and employment opportunities also play major roles in making this decision”.
Many people who had been confined to the Wanni with the LTTE, says Dr. Sarvananthan, today face a severe language barrier. This, together with having family and friends in Canada, Australia or the UK, also provides some incentive to leave to these countries.
On the subject of development in the North and East, he is of the opinion that “The government can facilitate an environment conducive for the private sector to move in. Development is not fast enough; people’s expectations are higher than what the government can provide.”
This is, he says, a result of the prevailing situation, concerning both security and finance.
“Over-securitization of the development process is holding back faster development,” says Dr. Sarvananthan, though he adds that, comparatively, the security situation has improved.
He also explains what he calls a ‘rationed economic dividend of peace.’ While in Jaffna, road building has been progressing, he says, “Not much is taking place in Wanni due to financial restrictions.” The state has had to invest in other projects too, for instance in the South, he adds.
Meanwhile, Military Spokesperson Major General Ubaya Medawala told The Sunday Leader that 204, 640 IDPs have been resettled so far.
Regarding development in the North, he claimed that all areas are being given equal attention. “From Vavuniya to Jaffna on the A9 highway, all sectors are being developed. Priority has been given to all major cities in Wanni and the Northern sector,” Major General Medawala said.
Addressing the allegation of militarization in the North, Dr. Sarvananthan points to another example of how security needs give rise to other matters of concern, such as accusations by civilians that the military was occupying their homes.
“In the North, the military did not have many camps and had to occupy private property. In certain cases, they had been paying rents,” though this may not apply to every case, he added.
“The reality is that a lot of them are not in the country,” he said, referring to the original owners of some properties in the North.
They won’t come back
In Canada, the Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) steps forward as the main organisation looking into the situation surrounding the asylum seekers who arrived via the MV Sun Sea. The CTC arranged lawyers for the detained refugees, among other undertakings.
National Spokesperson for the CTC, David Poopalapillai informed The Sunday Leader that Canadian authorities, in their primary investigation, plan to verify the identities of these refugees.
“The priority is to ensure that these people are bona fide Sri Lankans, after which they may be released, with or without conditions,” he said. “We hope they will be released in batches… next week, we are expecting the first release, perhaps of women and children.”
He also said that all 492 people sought to file refugee claims, and when asked if they showed any intention of returning to their homeland, replied, “Not at all.”
Concerning allegations that some of those on board the MV Sun Sea were members of the LTTE and human smugglers, Poopalapillai said that inquiries are still being made.
To this, he added, “The system here has the ability and efficiency to look very deep into the matter, and weed out any undesirable elements, when put through the due processes.”
While details of the asylum seekers’ departure from Sri Lanka remain yet to be confirmed, Poopalapillai says that, of what they have been telling their lawyers, “Most stories are terrible — heartbreaking.” He also said that the refugees claimed they had remained in Sri Lanka up until the last phase of the war. “They say that they had been mistreated in camps, and are too afraid to return.”
In other cases, said Poopalapillai, “When they went back to their villages, they were poorly treated by the military. Some of their homes were occupied by the military. Some women also claim they were assaulted.” He added however, “It’s not clear yet. It will take a while to establish these stories.”
Speaking of what’s believed to be happening and what needs to be done, Poopalapillai said, “They say they are being persecuted by the Sri Lankan Government, and had been living under hostile conditions.” He also said that the government must get involved with all political parties, especially Tamil parties, to find a solution, in order to ensure Tamils in Sri Lanka feel safe.
“Sri Lanka should address the root causes. Though the country has a democratically elected government, it is run with a military mentality.”
…or maybe they will
Human rights lawyer, M. A. Sumanthiran, however, believes that there is a chance that some of those who have left in search of asylum abroad, not just to the West, but to India too, will return.
Their return depends on them feeling safe to come back, he says, adding that “they would want to come back to their homes,” and not remain as refugees.
Whether people would continue to flee the island or not depends, says Sumanthiran, on how fast “resettlement is completed, and they get their lands back… (and) are provided with proper means to restart their lives with dignity.”
MP Mano Ganesan, when contacted regarding this issue, said, “As the leader of the DPF and Convener of the human rights Civil Monitoring Commission I do not welcome and encourage Tamils to flee the country and seek asylum in the West or India.” However, he went on to say that two issues had to be taken into account here.
First, he said, there is less progress in the resettlement process and human rights conditions than the government claimed.
On the other hand, he says, “The conditions here, especially human rights conditions, are not as bad as the asylum seekers want the world to believe. Here it has to be stressed that I am referring to the ‘right to life’.”
Nevertheless, he also believes that, “Today there are special cases, those who face threats and challenges to life. They will have to flee. I support them to seek a living outside the country until the situation returns to normal here. But we cannot generalise these threats and challenges today. We cannot allow human smugglers and traffickers to take advantage of the situation to make their bucks.”
Ganesan calls upon Tamils who had fled the country in the past to return and help bring the situation back to normal. “We have space here now for a democratic struggle.”
“Thousands have been killed during the last phase of the war. Thousands have gone missing during and before the war. We need to know what has happened to them. The government is not the terror group. It is a legitimate entity. It has to answer.”
He also said, “Then again, thousands are detained without trial and against natural justice in prisons and detention centers. Another set of thousands are detained as ‘former LTTE cadres’ without any transparency. Resettlement activity of the government is nothing but sham and bogus. Thieves are in action there. The administration of the Wanni is handed over to the military. The state is trying to change the demography of the north by systematic colonization.”
Ganesan says he believes it is time the government made attempts to “win over the Tamil minds and the world.” In order to do this, he says, the state should hold elections for the Northern Provincial Council and handover resettlement and rehabilitation in the Wanni, Mullaithivu, Kilinochchi and Mannar districts to the provincial council. Only if this is done, he says, “The credibility and legitimacy of the ‘asylum seekers’ can be challenged.”
Taking a point of view similar to that of Ganesan’s on certain aspects of the matter, Dr. Sarvananthan believes there are many ways the Tamil diaspora can contribute to improving the situation here.
As for the possibility of people feeling safe again, Dr. Sarvananthan says he does hope it becomes a reality in 3-5 years time, as security eventually improves.
It should not be, When they Choose to Leave, it should be ‘ Why they Choose to Leave’
They choose to leave because SL is a failed state with no law or order, still plagued by the early morning White Van and other disapearances and any percieved opposition to the government is considered a traitorous action. I am told that there are a couple of Singhalese and Indian origin seeking asylum, so this is not an exclusive Tamil enterprice.
My wish is ‘Good luck’ to them.
My name is Paul Mathews, live in British Columbia I know the true story of these fake asylum seekers like other Canadians here. They were sponsored by their relatives in Canada. Relatives here want to bring them by paying whatever amount the smugglers asking for. This is a circular process. Fake asylum seekers have left Sri Lanka through Colombo airport using tourist visas to Thailand. Then smugglers or LTTE businessmen in Thailand have collected them and sent in a ship to Canada. One portion of the money paid by fake asylum seekers will go to the smugglers. The other portion goes to pre arranged Tamil legal advisory NGO’s like TRO. There is many more such NGO’s working for them now. This is a pre arrangement. They are appearing behalf of fake asylum seekers. The money is circulated among Tamils but at the end of the day hardworking Canadians like us have to bear the cost. Not the Canadian government, finally hard working Canadian taxpayer is the real victims of this smuggling. To maintain a single refugee government spends $60000 annually. Government recently imposed HST tax on services and other essentials. Unfortunately we are the real victims of this type of human smuggling. We are warmly welcome whoever genuinely looking for protection. I remember in 2004 tsunami, Canadians donated a lot of money to various NGO’s with a warm heart. Therefore please do not exploit the kindness of warmhearted hard working Canadians. This is my message to all related members of this mafia.
I looked at Tamilnet right now and I see no reports of people disappearing. How do you know these white vans still exist?
There has been injustice done to tamil administratively as well as via violence since 1948. The English being foxy always had secret agenda when they gave the countries to people in larger proportion. In the case of India they supported the Pakistanis and later the Americans filled the coffers of the elites in Pakistan. Just go to Islamabad and one can see the villas bult row after row and with which money-American tax payers money. In the case of Ceylon, it is this miserable govt who is making the people to be white and blue collar coolies world over and the Rajapakse’s family is filling their coffers. This govt should be banished from Ceylon and the IC should encourage the formation of federal govt and all ethnic groups must be treated equally. To do this they must first change the constitution. Cure the root the diease will disappear.
Muslims seem not to be bothered if systemic discrimination has existed in Sri Lanka since 1948. Why is this discrimination only felt by Tamils and no other minorities?
Lingam you are a singala racist
You should have interviewed Karuna and Douglas Devananda and included their intellectual point of view in this article. Don’t forget, they are major league c**k suckers to the Sinhalese and they would say/do anything to make you happy. Betrayal is their least of concerns. So the next time you write some garbage about the Tamils in Sri Lanka, don’t be ill-informed.
The Tamils chose to leave Sri Lanka for the same reasons they chose to fight for during the last 6 decades. Can your small minds comprehend that????
The primary reason of Tamils is to leave Sri Lanka as they have experienced the discrimination, state terrorism and violence for over six decades and it is getting worse and there is no improvement.
Tigers are no longer in Tamil areas to protect the Tamils to a certain extent from State terrorism and Sinhala chavunism. Now without the LTTE, the Tamils fear that the Rajapakse regime will do everything possible in ethnic cleansing of Tamils including colonization of the Sinhalese in Tamil areas.
Dr. Sarvananthan has failed to provide the reasons as to why large scale Sinhalese are seeking asylum in Canada. Tamil Diaspora is in full force rallying behind the International Community and is unlikely to support the Sri Lankan regime or any Indian initiaves. Time will tell whether Tamils can achieve anything or not …
Muslims seem not to be bothered if systemic discrimination has existed in Sri Lanka since 1948. Why is this discrimination only felt by Tamils and no other minorities?
So Tamils are leaving because there are no Tamil Tigers to protect them? I guess that’s why no Tamil left Sri Lanka from 1983 to 2009 when the LTTE dominated certain areas of the country.
Can you show me one single example of ethnic cleansing of Tamils? Trincomalee and Ampara was settled by Sinhalese by clearing forests where no people lived (no Tamils). Tamils do occupy large extents of Sinhala areas in Colombo (Wellawatte) and Kandy.. Why is the evil Sinhala ethnic cleansers not after these people?
Support nothing.. Get nothing. Being stubborn is not a wise way to deal politically. Open your eyes and look at both sides and work with the opposition if you ever hope to achive anything.
I am living in sri lanka Batticaloa but I can be killed any time by Army or other groups ..
It is pity that Dr. Sarvananthan has failed to analyse the following:
a. I am confident that him, the rest of the family members must be living overseas.
b. Has Dr. Sarvananthan received hid University or higher studies in Sri Lanka? probably not.
c. Sri Lankan Tamils has been settling down overseas for the reasons such as:
It is pity that Dr. Sarvananthan has failed to analyse the following:
a. I am confident that except him, the rest of the family members must be living overseas.
b. Has Dr. Sarvananthan received his University or higher studies in Sri Lanka? probably not.
c. Sri Lankan Tamils has been settling down overseas for the reasons such as:
a. No Rule of Law in Sri Lanka
b. Politicians are chauvinistic, corrupt and racially motivated and not for the benefit of the nation. Even the good Sinhalese people are suffering.
c. Ethnic riots and state terrorism
d. No transparency and no independent media / Journalism
e. Sri Lanka’s economic situation deteriorates each day and the political masters are begging for foreign Aid
Tamil Diaspora has prospered well in Western nations economically, politically, academically and professionally. Some of those who remained in Sri Lanka for some reason have suffered and their families and properties destroyed.
It is human nature that they want to live in peace, harmony, with security, equal opportunity for progress, prosperity and for their family.
[cit]a. No Rule of Law in Sri Lanka[/cit]
Wrong — there is law even if it not applied strictly to the army. If you steal something you will be prosecuted and if you murder somebody as a civilian you will be tried in most cases (exceptions being incidents like Black July).
[cit]b. Politicians are chauvinistic, corrupt and racially motivated and not for the benefit of the nation.[/cit]
This is so in most countries. It’s more apparent in Sri Lanka only because the politicians here are amateurs and this is a third-world country.
Are you telling me Tamil Nadu politicans like Sivaji Ganesan were not racially motivated?
[cit]c. Ethnic riots and state terrorism[/cit]
4 ethnic riots (1956,1958, 1977 and 1983) and NONE since 1983.
You call state terrorism fighting a rebel organization that started out by robbing banks and killing police. I don’t see this so-called state terrorism in areas where I am like Colombo where people follow the law. Bombing rebel areas which may use civilians as human shields is not state terrorism.
[cit]no independent media / Journalism[/cit]
Are you aware you are commenting on Sunday Leader, an independent newspaper in Sri Lanka? You’re disproving your own point by coming here.
[cit]e. Sri Lanka’s economic situation deteriorates each day and the political masters are begging for foreign Aid[/cit]
Sri Lanka’s economy is rising. I don’t know what the hell you are talking about. The only foreign aid begged for is to help the Northern Tamils as the Tamil Diaspora shows no interest in helping them with their vast LTTE money.
[cit]Tamil Diaspora has prospered well in Western nations economically, politically, academically and professionally.[/cit]
So did the Tamils in Sri Lanka until this war. Most of the Movie studios were owned and run by Tamils, most businesses were owned by Tamils, etc..
[cit]Some of those who remained in Sri Lanka for some reason have suffered and their families and properties destroyed. [/cit]
Like Mutaiah Muralitharan and Chandran Rutnam? Or like the thousands of Tamils in the South?
all these bogus asylum seekers lived in sri lanka during the war and survived. what is their problem now ? canada, give them asylum and wait for the next shipment of the same next month. human smugglers are in the process of making billions thanks to canada.
Can one expect an asylum seeker to tell anything less shocking ? More shocking , terrible and heart breaking stories will have to be told for them to win sympathy and get in to Canada. After all their relatives have paid for the smugglers for this trip and once on canadian soil they will tell anything just to stay there. How did they get on the ship ? They use Sri Lankan government issued passports and identity papers to apply and get visas to Thailand and Indonesia. after they fly to Thailand and Indonesia travel documents are destroyed and they are put on these ships. These are run by human smugglers, mostly tamil themselves..Does anybody talk about millions of tamils doing businesses, who are proffessionals and live and work in southern Sri Lanka ? Most are dual citizens and permanent residents abroad but choose to live in Sri Lanka. Canada can decide whether they want any more criminals on their soil or not.
Paul Matthews and Mohamed Asfar are right. This is all bogus and an easy way to get into Canada. If they can afford to pay $50,000 or more money, how on earth can they be reguees fleeing. Refugees do not have that kind of cash. Well done Canada, now wait for the next 10 boatloads that will come in and take them all too, then Canada can be prepared to have an Eelam war too!!!! Hooray!! Maybe they can give all of Toronto to the LTTE!