The Tamil Refugee Council (TRC) condemned the Australian government's handing back of 38 asylum seekers to Sri Lanka this week, after 37 were arrested by authorities.
"The Australian government knows what is happening there, yet it remains willfully blind to all these crimes. Only two years ago the Australian government representative at the UN Human Rights Council asked Sri Lanka to stop torturing and disappearing its own citizens. Yet it remains happy to send back people fleeing this torture and murder," said the TRC spokesperson, Trevor Grant.
"This entire operation further enhances Australia's growing global reputation as a selfish country that couldn't care less about its international obligations, as defined by its signature on the Refugee Convention," he added.
See here for TRC's full statement, published on Saturday.
On Friday, Sri Lanka's police spokesperson, Ajith Rohana, said the asylum seekers, which include 6 children, have been handed over on Thursday after being caught by Australia's coast guard by the Indonesian coast.
'Investigations are being conducted by the anti-people smuggling unit of the CID (Criminal Investigation Department),' Rohana said.
"The Australian government knows what is happening there, yet it remains willfully blind to all these crimes. Only two years ago the Australian government representative at the UN Human Rights Council asked Sri Lanka to stop torturing and disappearing its own citizens. Yet it remains happy to send back people fleeing this torture and murder," said the TRC spokesperson, Trevor Grant.
"This entire operation further enhances Australia's growing global reputation as a selfish country that couldn't care less about its international obligations, as defined by its signature on the Refugee Convention," he added.
See here for TRC's full statement, published on Saturday.
On Friday, Sri Lanka's police spokesperson, Ajith Rohana, said the asylum seekers, which include 6 children, have been handed over on Thursday after being caught by Australia's coast guard by the Indonesian coast.
'Investigations are being conducted by the anti-people smuggling unit of the CID (Criminal Investigation Department),' Rohana said.