News
Forty one more Lankans deported from Australia
…total deportation over 1,300 since 2012
Navy headquarters yesterday (10) said that since 2012, 1314 Sri Lankans had been deported by Australia for illegally entering its territory.
The disclosure was made in the wake of the latest deportation. The deported group consisted of 41 persons, including children.
The following is the text of the Navy headquarters statement, issued yesterday: “The Australian Border Force, on 02nd May, 2023, held 41 Sri Lankan nationals at the Australia’s maritime border, while they were attempting to illegally migrate to Australia via sea. A special flight, carrying the group of 41 Sri Lankans, deported by Australian authorities, arrived at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on 09th May 2023.
The Sri Lankan Navy, partnering with other stakeholders who use the Indian Ocean Region, conducts regular patrols and operations to prevent human smuggling to foreign countries, via sea routes.
Reportedly, the group of illegal immigrants set off on the sea voyage from Valaichchenai, Batticaloa, on 10th April, 2023, by a multiday fishing trawler and had been held by Australian Border Force on 02nd May. The apprehended individuals are residents of Colombo, Valaichchenai, Batticaloa, Ottamawadi, and Kalawanchikudi areas. The group of deportees consists of 34 males and three females as well as four individuals, below 18 years of age. Onward investigation into the incident will be conducted by the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
Including this group of people, deported back to Sri Lanka on 09th May, a total of 43 illegal immigrants were returned to Sri Lanka by Australian authorities in 2023. In the same vein, 1314 persons, who attempted to cross the maritime borders of Australia, from 2012 to 2022, had been deported, upon being held by Australian authorities.
As the Sri Lanka Navy and the Sri Lanka Coast Guard make a valiant effort to thwart illegal immigration to Australia by boats, in close coordination with the Australian Border Force, there is no room for illegal migration to Australia by sea. Therefore, the Navy urges people not to be involved in such sea voyages, and to be victims of people smugglers.”
The Pakistan Naval Ship (PNS) Shahjahan which arrived in Colombo on 02nd June 2023 on a two-day official visit, departed the island on 04th June 2023.
By Priyan de Silva
The Election Commission (ECSL) has opposed a move by the government to appoint representatives of the Chairpersons of the Regional Development Committee to monitor local government institutions.
ECSL Chairman Nimal G. Punchihewa told The Island that the government had informed the ECSL of its plan to appoint representatives of the Chairpersons of the Regional Development Committee to monitor the local government bodies and the ECSL had decided to write to the Ministry of Local Government opposing the move, he said. A Chairman of a regional development committee ESD a representative of a particular political party and it would be unfair by other parties for such appointments to be made, the EC Chairman said.
Punchihewa said that the administration of local government institutions could be done through Municipal Commissioners and Divisional Secretaries.Many political parties had complained against the government move, he said.
By Saman Indrajith
The JVP would file a fresh application before the Supreme Court against the government for not holding the local council polls, JVP MP Vijitha Herath said yesterday.Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Pelawatte, Herath said that his party had ascertained fresh information by invoking the Right to Information Act about the funds needed for the holding of the elections and his party would file another fundamental rights case against those responsible for conducting elections.
“The LG polls were to be held on 09 March. They were postponed until 25 April, and later they were put off indefinitely. The President appoints Governors to the provinces and the local councils are under them. Now, he says no party commands the support of 50 percent of voters.
Is this reason why he is not holding elections? His claim that there are no funds for elections is not acceptable. The Election Commission (EC) has, in a letter to the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, asked for Rs 1,100 million in installments for conducting local government elections. The Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, on 07 March, informed
the EC that the latter’s request had been referred to the Minister of Finance on the same day. But so far the money has not been released. As per a report released by the Treasury, the government revenue was Rs 177,900 million in January this year alone. Of that amount, Rs 156,760 was allocated to government institutions. The Treasury has Rs 21,410 million. In February, the government revenue was at Rs. 271,750 million and of that Rs. 208,620 million was spent. The balance was Rs 63,130 million. In January and February, the Treasury had Rs 84,270 million. These figures have been officially confirmed by a Deputy Treasury Secretary. The EC is seeking only Rs 2,460 million for elections. So, the claim that there is no money for elections is false as per official records. We will submit this information to the Supreme Court when we file a fresh application. We will prove that the government has lied to people,” Herath said.
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