COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office

SRI LANKA 7 MARCH 2012
practice it was only Tamil who were compelled to register themselves. This was
accompanied by reports of search operations also taking place.‖
25.07 On 22 August 2011 TamilNet 496 reported that: ―Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have
been engaged in registering Tamil youths of both sexes who are staying Colombo with
their relatives and friends and lodges in Colombo city and its suburbs. This has caused
fear among Tamils living in the South. But the SLA says that this ethnic and selective
registration is a ‗routine affair‘ and not an especially implemented assignment, a new
kind of explanation aimed at escaping criticism.‖ On 29 October 2011 the same
source 497 noted that: ―Fear and tension prevail among residents of Batticaloa district
following the re-introduction of registration of persons by the Sri Lankan Police. The SL
police personnel, predominantly Sinhalese, have been collecting the details of residents
living permanently and temporarily in Batticaloa.‖ On 31 October 2011 TamilNet 498
reported that Police in Trincomalee had started registering residents in Trincomalee city
and its suburbs. ―SL Police personnel were seen visiting households in Trincomalee city
Sunday [30 October 2011] handing over printed forms to the chief occupant and asking
him or her to write names of persons residing in the house. The forms are printed in
three languages with the title ―Declaration under Police Ordinance-Section 76‖.
Check-points
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25.08 The USSD 2010 report 499 observed that: ―The additional police and military checkpoints
on travelers from the north and the east and on movement to and in Colombo remained
in effect. The number of formal, stationary checkpoints declined from the previous year,
in particular in Colombo. Many observers noted an increase in temporary, roving
checkpoints, however, especially at night in Colombo.‖
25.09 A BHC letter dated 13 August 2010 500 reported that:
―A Senior Military Official in Jaffna said that within Jaffna District all of the checkpoints
had been removed and the Navy had removed all checkpoints to the islands.
―A Human Rights spokesman based in Jaffna told us that checkpoints still exist,
although they are not in fixed positions. The army just tend to stop vehicles and check
driving licences. After 30 years of fearing the LTTE they have nothing to fear now. Many
officers have nothing to do but harass the locals, making sexual innuendos to women
and throwing stones at passers-by.
―The team from the High Commission noted during their visit that there were no
checkpoints in Jaffna town. The drive along the A9 from Jaffna to Vavuniya revealed
496 TamilNet, SL Army begins registering Tamils in Colombo, 22 August 2011
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34331, date accessed 5 February 2012
497 TamilNet, SL Police registering people in Batticaloa causes fear among residents, 29 October 2011
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34572, date accessed 5 February 2012
498 TamilNet, SL Police registers details of residents in Trincomalee city, 29 October 2011
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34578, date accessed 5 February 2012
499 US State Department 2010 Human Rights Report: Sri Lanka (USSD 2010), released on 8 April 2011,
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2010/sca/154486.htm, date accessed 11 May 2011, Section 2d
500 British High Commission, Colombo, letter dated 13 August 2010, available upon request
192 The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 3 February 2012.
Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section
to 2 March 2012.