Category: Legal

SYDNEY, August 2, 2014 (AFP) – Some 157 asylum-seekers who were detained at sea for weeks by Australia have been sent to the Pacific island of Nauru after rejecting a return to India, officials said Saturday.The group, thought to be mostly ethnic Tamils from Sri Lanka and including 50 children, left the Indian port of […]

SYDNEY, July 28, 2014 (AFP) – A group of 157 asylum-seekers held for weeks on the high seas on an Australian customs vessel were likely economic migrants from India, Immigration Minister Scott Morrison said Monday.“The indications are… that there are a very large number of people on this ship that had been resident in India […]

SYDNEY, July 25, 2014 (AFP) – A group of 157 asylum-seekers in custody on the high seas for weeks will be taken to Australia and held until consular officials confirm their nationalities, ending a long stand-off, authorities said Friday.The development follows lawyers acting for about one-third of those on board — thought to be mostly […]

COLOMBO, July 22, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police were Tuesday investigating the gang-rape of an 11-year-old girl allegedly by seven sailors in the island’s former war zone, a spokesman said. The victim, who cannot be identified according to Sri Lankan laws, had been repeatedly raped by more than one man, police spokesman Ajith Rohana […]

COLOMBO, July 18, 2014 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan ruling party politician and three accomplices were Friday sentenced to 20 years in jai for murdering a British holidaymaker on Christmas Eve and raping his Russian partner. The case was initially heard in the southern town of Tangalle, the hometown of the main accused, but shifted […]

GALLE, July 8, 2014 (AFP) – A Sri Lankan court Tuesday granted bail to 27 of 41 migrants who were returned to the country by Australia after a controversial mid-sea transfer, with one of them slamming Canberra for its lack of human rights.As anxious relatives waited outside the colonial-era court building in the southern city […]

SYDNEY, July 8, 2014 (AFP) – Australian government lawyers said Tuesday 153 Sri Lankan asylum-seekers were in custody on the high seas and agreed to give three days’ notice before handing any back to Colombo, as criticism mounted. A late-night interim injunction Monday temporarily halted the transfer of the would-be refugees from the boat, whose […]

KUALA LUMPUR, July 4, 2014 (AFP) – Malaysian police on Friday said they have arrested four more suspected Tamil Tiger separatists, including a man allegedly involved in the attempted assassination of a former Sri Lankan president. In May, the agency said it was “deeply concerned” that three men registered with the agency were deported to […]

COLOMBO, June 28, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s police arrested key suspects involved in fuelling religious riots and looting, an official said Saturday as minority Muslims expressed fears of more unrest ahead of Ramadan.Muslims as well as a majority of moderate Buddhists have pressed for action against the Buddhist Force, or BBS, which is seen […]

COLOMBO, June 22, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police announced Sunday they were tightening security in the capital after local media, in a rare show of unity, condemned them for failing to control Buddhist extremists behind deadly anti-Muslim riots. The UNP has accused the country’s powerful defence secretary and president’s younger brother, Gotabhaya Rajapakse, of […]

COLOMBO, June 21, 2014 (AFP) – Sri Lankan police were investigating a fire which Saturday destroyed a Muslim-owned clothing store in a district where religious tensions have been heightened after anti-Muslim riots killed four people and wounded 80.Authorities have not ruled out arson at the upmarket No-Limit store in Panadura, 25 kilometres (16 miles) south […]

June 18, 2014 (LBO) – HSBC Sri Lanka has warned that there is a text message scam seeking campaign and has asked customers or non-customers not to call back and reveal their identity, passwords or account details.“HSBC would like to remind that the Bank has not sent these text messages to customers and non-customers and […]