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CCD hunts for more Rohingya refugee shelter attackers
View(s):The Colombo Crime Division (CCD) is hunting for more suspects allegedly involved in the violence that took place opposite a Mt Lavinia house which served as a shelter for Rohingya asylum seekers from Myanmar. Two suspects, a male and a female, had been taken into custody in connection with the incident, as of yesterday (30).
The CCD arrested 34-year-old Weerasekarage Deshantha Chamiruwan Rodrigo of Rawathawatte, Moratuwa, on Friday evening. Police said he was a defeated candidate who contested the last General Election from the Bodujana Peramuna. He was remanded till Oct.9 when produced before the Mt Lavinia Magistrate.
Police identified the female suspect as Hapugamana Gamaralalage Kalyani Podimanike (42), a resident of Sri Dharmarama Road, Ratmalana, Mt Lavinia. She was arrested by the Mt Lavinia Police yesterday morning. The arrests came after Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) D.C. Wickramaratne handed over investigations into the incident to the CCD on Thursday (28).
While police hunt for more suspects, the 31 Rohingya asylum seekers continue to be be housed at the Boossa Detention Camp. The Galle Magistrate issued an order preventing a protest opposite the camp yesterday, allegedly being planned by several groups. The order was obtained by the Rathgama Police and applied to Ven Akmeemana Dayarathana Thera, Buddhist Monks belonging to the Sinhala Jathika Balamuluwa and other monks, persons and vehicles coming for the protest. Those mentioned under the order were prohibited from forcibly entering the Boossa Prison and surrounding roads and the Galle-Colombo Road from Gintota Bridge to Temple Junction. Tight security prevailed in the area yesterday, but there was no protest.
Tuesday’s (26) violent protest targeting the Rohingya refugees, grabbed international headlines. The refugees were first taken to the Mt Lavinia police station and, when attempts to return them to the house failed due to more protests, the group, who are under the care of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), was relocated to the Boossa Detention Camp.
The 31 refugees had been rescued by the Sri Lanka Navy on April 30, this year, when their boat was in peril at sea. The group consists of 17 children, seven males and seven females. They were handed over to the UNHCR after completing court proceedings at the Jaffna Magistrate’s Court, and were being housed in Mt Lavinia under UNHCR care at the time of Tuesday’s incident.
Speaking on grounds of anonymity, an authoritative source told the Sunday Times the refugees are safer at the detention camp, although they faced restrictions. “They are being looked after and feel safer there. However, their freedom of movement has been restricted. They have only been allowed to interact with a limited number of people and moreover, the children are deprived of their education,” the source said.
The source further said the refugees would not be relocated from the camp anytime soon, as the situation outside is not conducive for them to live. The refugees are still under the care of UNHCR, the only group allowed to visit them in the camp. Some of the protesters had taken issue with reports that some refugee children had been admitted to local schools.
The UNHCR told the Sunday Times, they sponsor primary education of refugee children at selected institutions using English language medium, but these institutions change from time to time, based on assessments UNHCR conducts with its partners on available cost effective schools providing good education.
However, according to UNHCR, there are already some refugee and asylum seeking children who do not have access to education in Sri Lanka. There is serious concern over this, as education is essential for children and adolescents during the formative years of their lives.
“UNHCR covers costs of primary education for all recognized refugee children, including those originating from Myanmar”, the agency said.
Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka has commenced its own inquiry into Tuesday’s incident. A Commission official said they expect to bring down the refugees to the Commission sometime next week.