Rohingya people rescued in SL victims of human trafficking: Minister

7 January 2025 06:59 am Views - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}} 15 Bookmark

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The Public Security Ministry believes that over 100 Rohingya rescued while adrift on a fishing trawler are victims of a human trafficking scandal, bound for another destination

Sri Lanka Navy rescued 102 people, including 25 children, and they were taken to Sri Lanka’s eastern port of Trincomalee.

Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told Daily Mirror that these people had been taken into custody for the violation of Sri Lanka’s immigration law, and twelve of them had been remanded. The Minister said the government is yet to name them refugees.

“This is nothing but human trafficking. There should be someone from Sri Lanka behind it. It is suspected that these people were heading for a destination in Europe via this region,” he said.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which is known as the refugee agency of the United Nations is also looking into the matter at the moment.

The Muslim-majority ethnic Rohingya are heavily persecuted in Myanmar and thousands risk their lives each year on long sea journeys, the majority heading southeast to Malaysia or Indonesia.

Asked about various organisations coming forward to extend humanitarian assistance to these people, the Minister said, “it can be allowed only if they are named refugees.”

The Foreign Affairs Ministry is currently in touch with the Myanmar authorities in this regard.

According to an informed source, repatriation of these people is challenging because Myanmar is not ready to accept them.

Comments - 15

Spartacus Tuesday, 07 January 2025 07:11 AM

The attitude of the Burmese Govt towards these destitute says a lot. The attitude of the Sri Lanka Govt needs to be humanitarian than arrogant, after all droves of Sinhalese clamoured to leave this country during the bankruptcy where once upon a time they spat at Jaffna Tamils leaving the country as refugees during the ethnic persecution.

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Pusa Tuesday, 07 January 2025 08:16 AM

If the gov does let them settle here, the opposition will make it an issue. Do not let them settle here! Take care of Sri Lankans first!!!

17 14

Citizen A Tuesday, 07 January 2025 08:18 AM

What's yet to name as refugees. You will open the flood gates if declared as refugees and allowed to settle in. Pack them back to their country of citizenship.

12 15

Jaffna Born Tuesday, 07 January 2025 08:23 AM

I can bet this security minister never went to university nor he comes from a good family background. That is why he thinks like a "police sergeant " and has no empathy at all .

12 10

Deepthi Tuesday, 07 January 2025 08:54 AM

Government should immediately take action to send them back to their country.

23 24

Sokrates Tuesday, 07 January 2025 11:43 AM

Sri Lanka has a moral duty to accept these refugees who are threatened with torture and death in their home country. As their home country now refuses to take them back, Sri Lanka can no longer deport them anyway, which would have been a disgrace. It is also unbelievable that Sri Lanka has still not acceded to the UN Refugee Convention. During the war with the LTTE, hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankans were taken in by other countries around the world because they were threatened with imprisonment, torture and death. But most people in this country don't want to think about that. Furthermore, the Rohingyas must be released from detention in a military camp and transferred to private accommodation and provided with the necessary financial resources.

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Citizen Tuesday, 07 January 2025 08:57 AM

They are most possibly refugees. Please take time to understand the atrocities faced by the Rohingya community and provide them the refuge they urgently need on a humanitarian ground.

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Yoga Tuesday, 07 January 2025 09:03 AM

They wouldn't be seeking refugee status from a poverty stricken country like Sri Lanka. Send them off ASAP, please.

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Sam Tuesday, 07 January 2025 09:41 AM

Treat them with respect we should not behave like European countries. Big talking UN and Human rights Organisations should be given responsibility of looking after them.

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Lk Tuesday, 07 January 2025 12:18 PM

The best option is to hand over them to UNRC so that they can deal with them: they will feed them and they will send them to any country they want : Sri Lanka must be smart enough to hand over them to UNRC so that it will be freel from its legal and moral obligation and responsibility? It shows that lack of leadership on this matter : it shows that Sri Lanka is still learning on this matter and don’t know what to do and how to deal with them? Yes : it is a human trafficking but how do we deal with them? Can we send me all back ? Who is going to spend money? Who is going to feed them? The best option is to hand over them to UNRC :

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Grace Tuesday, 07 January 2025 01:27 PM

@Jaffna born! In the In the Middle East countries deserts are being turned into greens. There are vast lands. Why can't those countries accommodate the refugees? All those countries don't want to take risks. We took should play safe. Our past governments and people had enough.

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Samsudeen S Tuesday, 07 January 2025 02:24 PM

We should accommodate them, the muslim population is only 4% and helping this people is a good thing. They will boost the economy and we will get more aid from middle east. The north east is depopulated and they can be settled there.

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Pathmaranjan Tuesday, 07 January 2025 02:51 PM

Does anyone remembers Hundreds of Thousand Tamils flee Sri Lanka in 1980's to western countries. Those countries treated them as Humans. Why can't Sri Lanka treat these people like Humans too.

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geralt of rivia Tuesday, 07 January 2025 11:45 PM

It would be best to send them back to where they came from or hand them over to another country that’s willing to accept them, though I doubt any country would.

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navaratna bandara willamune Wednesday, 08 January 2025 12:10 PM

They should be sent back after food and fuel are provided. people trafficking is a business. no surprise one ethnic group welcomes their arrival.they are playing for longterm gains by increasing their stock hear

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