BACKGROUND PAPER ON REFUGEES AND ASYLUM-SEEKERS FROM SRI LANKA United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) April 2004 THIS INFORMATION PAPER WAS PREPARED BY UNHCR IN SRI LANKA AND CLEARED BY UNHCR HEADQUARTERS ON THE BASIS OF THE ORGANISATIONS WORK IN THE COUNTRY AND AT HEADQUARTERS. WHEN OTHER INFORMATION, SUCH AS INFORMATION FROM OTHER AGENCIES, NATIONAL IMMIGRATION SERVICES AND REPUTABLE HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS HAVE BEEN USED, THEY HAVE BEEN CITED. ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED WITHIN THE DOCUMENT IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE. THIS PAPER IS NOT, AND DOES NOT, PURPORT TO BE, FULLY EXHAUSTIVE WITH REGARD TO CONDITIONS IN THE COUNTRY, OR CONCLUSIVE AS TO THE MERITS OF ANY PARTICULAR CLAIM TO REFUGEE STATUS OR ASYLUM. 1 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................................ 5 A. GEOGRAPHY, POPULATION, AND LANGUAGE ................................................................................................ 5 B. SOCIO-ECONOMIC SITUATION ....................................................................................................................... 6 C. INSTITUTIONS OF THE STATE AND GOVERNMENT .......................................................................................... 7 1. The Police and Security Forces................................................................................................................. 8 D. MAIN POLITICAL PARTIES ............................................................................................................................. 9 E. THE LIBERATION TIGERS OF TAMIL EELAM (LTTE).................................................................................... 11 II. POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS................................................................................................................ 13 A. MAJOR POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS LEADING UP TO THE PEACE AGREEMENT ............................................ 13 B. THE PEACE PROCESS ................................................................................................................................... 17 C. THE CURRENT POLITICAL CONTEXT............................................................................................................. 21 D. RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS IN APRIL 2004 ................................................................................................ 23 III. LEGAL CONTEXT .................................................................................................................................... 25 A. INTERNATIONAL LEGAL CONTEXT .............................................................................................................. 25 B. NATIONAL LEGAL CONTEXT ........................................................................................................................ 27 1. The Constitution ...................................................................................................................................... 27 2. The Judiciary System............................................................................................................................... 28 3. Human Rights Commission ..................................................................................................................... 29 4. Committee to Inquire into Undue Arrest and Harassment ..................................................................... 30 A. GENERAL RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS...................................................................................................... 30 B. RIGHT TO LIFE, PERSONAL SECURITY AND PHYSICAL INTEGRITY ................................................................ 32 1. Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions and Disappearances .................................................. 33 2. Death Penalty .......................................................................................................................................... 35 3. Conditions in Prison................................................................................................................................ 35 4. Recruitment Into the Armed Forces........................................................................................................ 35 5. Recruitment by the LTTE........................................................................................................................ 36 C. TORTURE AND OTHER INHUMAN AND DEGRADING TREATMENT AND PUNISHMENT .................................... 36 D. RIGHT TO FAIR TRIAL.................................................................................................................................. 38 E. RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF RELIGION................................................................................................................ 39 F. RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION............................................................................................................ 40 G. RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION ......................................................................................................... 41 H. RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT............................................................................................................ 42 1. Changes after the cease-fire agreement ................................................................................................. 43 2. Possibility of using the Internal Flight Option ....................................................................................... 44 3. Possibilities to Depart From Places Other Than Colombo.................................................................... 44 4. Returning Refugees................................................................................................................................. 44 1. Education................................................................................................................................................ 45 2. Food........................................................................................................................................................ 45 3. Health ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 V. VULNERABLE GROUPS .......................................................................................................................... 46 A. ETHNIC MINORITIES .................................................................................................................................... 46 1. Veddhas .................................................................................................................................................. 46 2. Tamils ..................................................................................................................................................... 46 3. Tamils of Recent Indian Origin and Stateless Persons........................................................................... 47 4. Muslims .................................................................................................................................................. 47 B. RELIGIOUS MINORITIES ............................................................................................................................... 47 1. Muslims .................................................................................................................................................. 48 2. Christians ............................................................................................................................................... 49 3. Others ...................................................................................................................................................... 49 C. INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS .............................................................................................................. 50 D. WOMEN........................................................................................................................................................ 51 E. CHILDREN .................................................................................................................................................... 52 2 1. Child Abuse, Child Prostitution and Sale of Children............................................................................ 53 2. Child Soldiers ......................................................................................................................................... 54 VI. UNHCR’S IDP OPERATION ..................................................................................................................... 55 A. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................................ 55 B. STRATEGY FOR 2004.................................................................................................................................... 56 1. Objectives ............................................................................................................................................... 56 2. Main Activities........................................................................................................................................ 56 3. Management Structure ..........................................................................................................................