http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/04/16/news01.asp


‘Identities of LTTErs seeking refuge abroad protected’
‘SL denied opportunity to target organised
criminal gangs responsible for sending people abroad’
The identities of those arriving illegally in Australia and other countries
seeking political refuge are protected, thereby denying Sri Lanka an opportunity
to target organised criminal gangs responsible for sending people abroad,
Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa said.
Defence SecretaryGotabhaya
Rajapaksa
“Many listed missing during the war could have obtained new identities
courtesy foreign governments. The recent Gunaratnam affair revealed how
Australia had issued a passport (N 1016123) to the leader of the newly formed
Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) under a different name in spite of knowing his
real identity,” the Defence Secretary said in an interview with a Sunday
newspaper.
Asked whether he could prove complicity on the part of Australia in helping
Gunaratnam to slip into the country, the Defence Secretary said Australian High
Commissioner in Colombo Robyn Mudie identified the missing Gunaratnam as Noel
Mudalige, while acknowledging his Australian citizenship.
“Don’t forget the Australian HC also revealed that Gunaratnam arrived at the
Bandaranaike International Airport on September 4, 2011,” he said. The Defence
Secretary said foreign governments, including Australia, had refused to assist
Sri Lanka in investigations aimed at locating missing persons now living
overseas under new identities.
Thousands of Sri Lankans had received new identities, particularly in Europe,
he said.
The Defence Secretary said he had told the Colombo-based diplomatic community
of LTTE cadres, including those tasked with suicide missions, taking refuge in
new identities both here and abroad. According to him, the recent recovery of a
suicide jacket at a rest house in Kataragama led to the arrest of an LTTE
suicide cadre, who lived in
Galle as a Muslim, while his parents had reported him missing.
The Defence Secretary said the suicide cadre, under interrogation, had
admitted that he was tasked with assassinating President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Defence Secretary Rajapaksa said the Police recorded Mudalige’s statement in
the presence of Australian HC Mudie at the CCD headquarters, at Dematagoda.
Mudalige could have made that allegation in the Australian HC’s presence, the
Defence Secretary said adding that the Immigration and Emigration imposed a fine
on the Australian national for overstaying his visa, though he didn’t pay the
fine claiming he didn’t have money. “In fact, we never deported him.
He wanted to leave the country. He could have stayed back after paying the
fine but he decided to leave the country.” The Defence Secretary said that the
FSP took almost 12 hours to report Mudalige’s disappearance, while Dimuthu
Attygalle’s alleged abduction was brought to the notice of the law enforcement
agencies about 24 hours later.
He pointed out that as the FSP had claimed that Dimuthu Attygalle had
disappeared 8 pm on April 6, the party should explain why Mudalige was left
alone at a partially built house. Any political party conscious of security
wouldn’t have acted the way the FSP did, the Defence Secretary said, alleging a
conspiracy to embarrass the government.
In their complaint, the missing person was identified as Premkumar Gunaratnam
and there was no mention of Australian national Noel Mudalige being abducted,
the Defence Secretary said.
The Defence Secretary said that it would be interesting to know at what stage
the Australian HC in Colombo was informed of the alleged disappearance of
Mudalige, when Australia provided the Sri Lankan a new identity and whether he
would now seek another identity from Australia or some other country as his
Australian identity was exposed.
Courtesy; defence.lk