COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office

7 MARCH 2012 SRI LANKA
Eastern Provinces, in a land area of 3,939 square kilometres, Military Spokesman Major
General Ubaya Medawala said.
―These clearing operations were conducted in Jaffna, Mannar, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee,
Batticaloa, Polonnaruwa and Vavuniya districts, he said.‖
―Presently the de-mining process is underway in Mannar, Kokavil, Muhamalai to
Paranthan and also in areas of Kilinochchi.‖
25.15 On 18 January 2012 the official website of the Government of Sri Lanka 506 announced
that:
―An area exceeding 1,934 out of 2,061 square kilometres of lands in the North which
were dotted with land mines and booby traps have been cleared by the end of 2011.‖
―According to [Economic Development] Minister [Basil] Rajapaksa, a contingent of 3,600
persons who are trained in mine clearing are involved in the clearance of remaining
lands and they are mainly from the humanitarian demining unit of the Sri Lanka Army
and other foreign and local organizations.
―Mine clearance activities are closely monitored by the Humanitarian Mines Clearance
Centre which is functioning under the Economic Development Ministry.
―More than 759,138 landmines, booby traps and unexploded devices have been
recovered by the deminers so far.‖
25.16 The latest updates on mine action are available from this weblink to a specific section of
the Reliefweb website. Additional information is available from this weblink to the
website of MAG (Mine Advisory Group). See also Latest News
EXTERNAL MOVEMENT
25.17 The USSD 2010 report 507 noted that the government ―… allowed citizens to leave the
country under self-exile unless they were accused of breaking the law. More than a
dozen journalists, having received physical threats, were in self-exile due to safety
fears.‖
Exit procedures
25.18 A letter from the British High Commission (BHC), Colombo, dated 5 January 2012, 508
reported on the exit procedures at the Colombo Bandaranaike Airport:
―For departing passengers, staff and visitors to the airport there is a permanent
checkpoint manned by the Sri Lankan Air Force, positioned on the airport road leading
506
Official website of the Government of Sri Lanka, Over 1,930 sq. kms landmines free in North, 18
January 2012
http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca201201/20120118landmines_free_north.htm date
accessed 5 February 2012
507
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
508
British High Commission Colombo, letter dated 5 January 2012
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.
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