COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT SRI LANKA 4 SEPTEMBER 2007 Border & Immigration Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 4 SEPTEMBER 2007 SRI LANKA Contents PREFACE Latest News EVENTS IN SRI LANKA, FROM 16 JULY 2007 TO 19 AUGUST 2007 REPORTS ON SRI LANKA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 16 JULY 2007 AND 19 AUGUST 2007 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.06 2. ECONOMY............................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY.............................................................................................. 3.01 The Internal conflict and the peace process.............................. 3.13 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS...................................................................... 4.01 Useful sources.............................................................................. 4.21 5. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES............................................................................... 8.01 Police............................................................................................. 8.02 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 8.13 Cordon and search operations .................................................. 8.16 Disappearances/Abductions ...................................................... 8.32 Torture ....................................................................................... 8.57 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 8.62 Armed forces ................................................................................ 8.72 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 8.76 Torture ....................................................................................... 8.77 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 8.78 Avenues of complaint .................................................................. 8.79 Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) ................... 8.80 Ad hoc commissions of inquiry .................................................. 8.88 Police abuses: investigations and prosecutions ........................ 8.99 Witness protection ..................................................................... 8.114 Position on UN Human Rights Council recommendations ........ 8.117 9. MILITARY SERVICE ............................................................................... 9.01 10. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES .................................. 10.01 Arbitrary arrest and detention..................................................... 10.11 Torture........................................................................................... 10.14 Extra-judicial killings ................................................................... 10.15 Forced conscription..................................................................... 10.33 11. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.02 Independence ............................................................................... 11.05 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as 15 July 2007. 1 Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. SRI LANKA 4 SEPTEMBER 2007 Fair trial ......................................................................................... 11.07 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS............................................ 12.01 Bail/Reporting conditions............................................................ 12.12 Arrest warrants.............................................................................12.13 13. PRISON CONDITIONS............................................................................ 13.01 14. DEATH PENALTY.................................................................................. 14.01 15. POLITICAL AFFILIATION........................................................................ 15.01 Freedom of political expression ................................................. 15.01 Freedom of association and assembly ...................................... 15.05 Opposition groups and political activists.................................. 15.08 16. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ........................................................ 16.01 Journalists .................................................................................... 16.09 Internet freedom ........................................................................... 16.24 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS............ 17.01 18. CORRUPTION....................................................................................... 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION........................................................................ 19.01 Buddhists...................................................................................... 19.05 Hindus ........................................................................................... 19.07 Muslims ......................................................................................... 19.10 Christians...................................................................................... 19.16 20. ETHNIC GROUPS .................................................................................. 20.01 Sinhalese…. .................................................................................. 20.09 Tamils…. ....................................................................................... 20.11 Up-Country Tamils ....................................................................... 20.20 Muslims ......................................................................................... 20.21 Indigenous people........................................................................ 20.23 21. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS....................... 21.01 Legal rights ................................................................................... 21.01 Government attitudes .................................................................. 21.05 Societal ill-treatment or discrimination...................................... 21.08 22. DISABILITY .......................................................................................... 22.01 23. WOMEN............................................................................................... 23.01 Legal rights ................................................................................... 23.01 Political rights............................................................................... 23.05 Social and economic rights......................................................... 23.07 Violence against women.............................................................. 23.11 24. CHILDREN ........................................................................................... 24.01 General information ..................................................................... 24.01 Education ...................................................................................... 24.13 Child care ...................................................................................... 24.16 Child soldiers................................................................................ 24.19 25. TRAFFICKING....................................................................................... 25.01 26. MEDICAL ISSUES ................................................................................. 26.01 Overview of availability of medical treatment and drugs ......... 26.01 HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment ........................................... 26.05 Cancer treatment.......................................................................... 26.10 Kidney dialysis ............................................................................. 26.11 Mental health ................................................................................ 26.12 27. HUMANITARIAN ISSUES ........................................................................ 27.01 28. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ..................................................................... 28.01 29. INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE (IDPS) .............................................. 29.01 30. FOREIGN REFUGEES ............................................................................ 30.01 31. CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY ............................................................ 31.01 Identity cards and travel documents.......................................... 31.05 2 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 15 July 2007. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available