JDSLanka

'Return war criminal diplomat, not Tamils': Australian Senator

A top Australian Senator on Tuesday urged the Government of Julia Gillard  not to return the victimized Tamil refugees, but to send back immediately the Sri Lanka's High Commissioner Thisara Samarasinghe, charging that he was official of the regime that has committed war crime.

Australian Green senator, Rhiannon Lee made these remarks when responding to a recent statement made by High Commissioner Samarasinghe, calling Australian government to return the Tamil refugees who come to Australia by boats.

'Disgraceful'

“Even though the war has ended in Sri Lanka, the Tamils continue to suffer from discrimination, brutality and ethnic persecution at the hands of the Sri Lankan Government," Senator Lee said.

“It is disgraceful but not surprising that Mr Samarasinghe has endorsed the Coalitions inhumane willingness to ‘turn the boats back’", she said in a written statement.

Coming hard on High Commissioner Samarasinghe and the Rajapaksa regime, Senator stressed that "Mr Samarasinghe is an official of a regime that has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity against the Tamil people of Sri Lanka".

“It is important to ask why a former Sri Lankan Naval Admiral still holds the position of High Commissioner in Australia while allegations against him are being evaluated," she asked.

'Demand to recall or expel'

The Green Firebrand Senator also revealed that through recent questioning in Senate Estimates she was able to "confirm that reported allegations against Mr Samarasinghe in a brief provided to the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions are being evaluated by the Australian Federal Police".

“If the Prime Minister has information which clears the High Commissioner of any complicity in the war crimes that were committed in Sri Lanka, then she should share this with the Australian people," she asked.

“If not, Prime Minister Gillard should immediately ask the Sri Lankan Government to recall its High Commissioner, or move to expel him," Senator Lee demanded.

It was only last month that  Canada and its judiciary officially rejected an asylum application by a top Sri Lankan naval official on the grounds that he was an official of the Sri Lankan security forces that have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the bloody war that ended in May 2009.

© JDS