Human rights body hits out at Malaysia for repatriating 3 suspected Tamil Tigers

Investigations on granting UNHRC refugee status to LTTE suspects

[ Wednesday, 28 May 2014, 04:08.23 AM GMT +05:30 ]

Malaysian Police arrested three suspected key leaders of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) terrorist group, including its former intelligence services deputy director, in Petaling Jaya and Klang recently.

The suspects, aged between 39 and 45, who had masked their activities with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees’ (UNHCR) status. Officers have seized the passport of Kushanthan. Kushanthan searched by the Interpol said that he is a normal civilian. Head of the Malaysian separatist group has supported to these suspects, Sinhala newspaper reports. http://eng.lankasri.com/view.php?22AOlv2acp5YAe4e4eMMc02aAmB3dd3PBmc30366AY2e4UY550ca2lOId3 Human rights body hits out at Malaysia for repatriating 3 suspected Tamil Tigers [ Wednesday, 28 May 2014, 03:05.27 AM GMT +05:30 ] Global rights advocate Human Rights Watch has hit out at Malaysia for violating international laws in "forcibly" repatriating three men to Sri Lanka, whom a top police official had claimed were suspected Tamil Tigers out to revive the separatist group. The international non-governmental organisation claimed the trio, who were under the protection of United Nations refugee agency UNHCR, were returned to Sri Lanka without any evidence being presented to substantiate the terrorism allegations. It said the men faced "grave risk" back in Sri Lanka and called on the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure their safety. It said although Malaysia is not party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, customary international refugee and human rights laws require it to respect the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits countries from sending anyone back to a country where his life or freedom would be threatened or where he would face a real risk of torture or other ill-treatment. "Sri Lanka’s treatment of these three men who have been forcibly returned by Malaysia is now in the international spotlight," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "Malaysia should now do all it can to stop further abuses for which it might be complicit." He said the forced return of the men was no free pass for torture and mistreatment, which Human Rights Watch had previously documented over the Sri Lankan authorities’ use of torture against people suspected of having links to the now defunct Tamil Tigers. "Governments can’t just pick and choose when to protect refugees. Malaysia seemed more interested in burnishing its ties with Sri Lanka than honouring its obligation to protect refugees from possible persecution and torture," he added. Malaysian authorities first arrested the three men, all ethnic Tamils on May 15 and detained them for 14 days for offences under the immigration act. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar (pic) had said the trio, who had been in the country since 2004, had used Malaysia as a base to collect funds, spread their propaganda, and were attempting to revive the Tamil Tigers group at international level. Police also seized propaganda material of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and various foreign currencies. Sri Lankan's government media sites had reported that the men were now detained by the police's Terrorist Investigation Division in the northern town of Kilinochchi. The official website of Sri Lanka’s Defence Ministry posted an article denouncing the three men as supporters of LTTE, heightening concerns for their safety. There is a small but affluent Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora living in Malaysia after migrating from their homeland many decades ago. Sri Lanka's military killed Tiger supremo Velupillai Prabhakaran on May 18, 2009 and declared an end to 37 years of armed conflict. – May 28, 2014. http://eng.lankasri.com/view.php?22AOlv2acL5YAe4e4eMMc02aAmB2dd3PBmc30366AY2e4UY550ca2lOId3 UNHCR to examine all facts following arrest of LTTE suspects [ Tuesday, 27 May 2014, 05:10.07 AM GMT +05:30 ] The United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) vows to perform a close and full examination of all facts following the detention of suspected LTTE members bearing the commission’s cards in Malaysia. UNHCR spokesperson Yante Ismail said in principle, refugee protection was for those who are in genuine need of international protection when they have been forced to flee their countries due to armed conflict, persecution and serious human rights abuses. “Refugee protection is not extended to individuals who have committed very serious crimes, or acts contrary to the purposes of the United Nations. “Given the seriousness of these issues, a close and full examination of all facts would need to be undertaken,” she said when contacted on Monday. She was commenting on the arrests of three Sri Lankan men, believed to be members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) also known as Tamil Tigers in Selangor, Malaysia. The men were also found to have been issued UNHCR cards. “We can’t comment specifically on this case as it is our policy everywhere in the world not to publicly discuss individual cases. “If there are allegations of crimes committed in Malaysia by refugees or asylum-seekers, UNHCR would expect that they would be subject to the full due process under law like any other person,” she said. http://eng.lankasri.com/view.php?22AOlv2acL5YAe4e4eMMc02aAmB2dd3PBmc30366AY2e4AY550ca2lOyd3 LTTE suspects deported from Malaysia handed over intelligence unit officials [ Tuesday, 27 May 2014, 11:50.17 AM GMT +05:30 ] Malaysian police recently arrested 3 Leading LTTE suspects maintains close relationship with the international financial network . These three suspects would be handed over to SriLanka intelligence unit at the airport yesterday. Lankan intelligence unit officials visited Malaysia yesterday and conduct further investigations against these suspects. Since 2004 these suspects collects funds for LTTE movement. http://eng.lankasri.com/view.php?22AOlv2acB5YAe4e4eMMc02aAmB2dd3PBmc30366AY2e4KY550ca2lOyd3