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UNHCR drops Sinhala representation to discuss displaced persons
An NGO has protested against the non-inclusion of a Sinhala representative in the proposed tribunal on land and housing in the UNHCR's proposals for comprehensively addressing these issues in the context of internally displaced persons in Sri Lanka.

In a letter addressed to the UNHCR, the Director Operations of the Thawalama Development Foundation Lt.Col.A.S.Amarasekera has said that many Sinhalese families have been displaced from the Northern and Eastern provinces and questioned why a judge from this majority community has not been recommended for the proposed tribunal.

The UNHCR has suggested that the tribunal which should be created to give returnees access to an independent and impartial body to provide judicial solutions to outstanding issues, should comprise five members including two international judges nominated by the United Nations, one judge each nominated by the government, the LTTE and the Muslim community.

The Thawalama Development Foundation in its letter dated June 14, 2003 states "It is evident that some suggestions in this forty-one page Draft for Discussion, are biased towards the descendants of the immigrant population, and are discriminatory towards the majority indigenous population."

"The Draft for Discussion is based to a great extent on extensive experiences gained by UNHCR in the area of refugee and IDP housing, land and property rights, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Croatia, Guatemala, Georgia, Tajikistan and many other countries undergoing post-conflict reconstruction. Though such experiences may be helpful, it would be inexpedient to rely entirely on such experiences, without giving due consideration to the cause of the conflict in this country."

"For conflict resolution to be successful in the long-term, just and fair solutions accepted internationally have to be found and implemented, without which post conflict reconstruction would be similar to building sand castles on the beach, since they get washed out to sea at high tide" the Thawalama Development Foundation said.

There are nearly two million internally and externally displaced Sri Lankans as a result of the war in the north and east and the UNHCR has drawn up the set of proposals with recommendations to include land, housing and property rights in the final peace agreement between the parties to the conflict.

UNHCR's Executive Officer in Colombo Catharine Fitch told The Sunday Times that these were a set of proposals that the two parties to the conflict need to address when the talks recommence.

"We are hopeful they will be taken up for discussions as soon as possible and the issues addressed by UNHCR will be recognised as an integral part of the issues to be resolved," Ms.Fitch said.

Are Lankans workers among 40,000 arrested in UAE?
By Nilika Kasturisinghe
Officials of the the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment have said were unaware whether any Sri Lankans were among the 40,000 persons who have been arrested by UAE authorities for working in the UAE without valid permits.

An official of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Sri Lanka said he was unaware whether any Sri Lankans were among those arrested. "We have not received any information in this regard," Akram, a Visa Officer in the UAE Embassy in Colombo told The Sunday Times. He added that the Embassy does not issue visas to Sri Lankans for employment in the UAE. The parties who sponsor Sri Lankans for employment in the UAE obtain the necessary visas, he said. Bangladeshis, Filipinos, Indians, Iranians, Pakistanis and Sri Lankans account for the bulk of expatriate workers in the UAE.

Agency reports said that UAE authorities had arrested about 40,000 illegal expatriate workers in recent months. During this period about 100,000 illegal workers had left the UAE under an amnesty. In an effort to induce more than 400,000 illegal workers to leave the country a six-month amnesty from January 1 to June 30 was granted by UAE immigration authorities.

The UAE's Interior Ministry has announced that illegal workers if apprehended face a jail term of 10 years and a 10,00 dirham fine.

Abducted policemen freed by LTTE in Batticoloa
The two policemen who had been abducted by the LTTE last month were handed over to SSP Lasantha de Silva on Friday in Batticoloa, police sources said. Traffic Police Constable A.G.N. Senadheera and Reserve Police Constable D.S. Nihal Somasiri were abducted while on duty at Chenkaladi on June 10.

The LTTE had demanded the release of one of their area leaders, Sathyaraj, who was taken into custody by the police on June 6 in connection with the killing of Kadirgamarthamby Navasooriam, a member of the Razeek group, in exchange for the release of the two abducted policemen, the police source said.

The SSP told The Sunday Times, that although the SLMM was informed about the release they were unable to meet the LTTE at Chenkaladi when the hostages were released.

Meanwhile, Sathyaraj was granted bail on Friday by the Trincomalee High Court Judge, S. Paramarajah, and ordered not to leave the island.

Bail after 12yrs
By Sinniah Gurunathan
After twelve years in remand two accused in a murder case filed under the Emergency Regulations were allowed bail by the East High Court Judge S. Paramarajah on Friday.

The Attorney General has indicted the two accused S. Lingaratnam and T. Sivakantharajah for causing deaths of six persons by a bomb blast in 1992. Defence counsel K. Sivapalan moved court to release the accused on bail.

State Counsel S.M. Halimdeen agreed for the release on stringent conditions.The Judge then allowed both accused surety bail. They were ordered to report to China Bay Police every Sunday.

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