COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT SRI LANKA 11 MAY 2007 Border & Immigration Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 11 MAY 2007 SRI LANKA Contents PREFACE Latest News EVENTS IN SRI LANKA, FROM 1 APRIL 2007 TO 30 APRIL 2007 REPORTS ON SRI LANKA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 1 AND 30 APRIL 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 .................................................... 8.12 Cordon and search operations .................................................. 8.15 Disappearances/Abductions ...................................................... 8.29 Torture ....................................................................................... 8.50 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 8.54 Armed forces ................................................................................ 8.62 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 8.66 Torture ....................................................................................... 8.67 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 8.68 Avenues of complaint .................................................................. 8.69 Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) ................... 8.75 Other issues............................................................................... 8.83 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..................................................................... 10.32 11. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.02 Independence ............................................................................... 11.06 Fair trial ......................................................................................... 11.08 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS............................................ 12.01 Bail/Reporting conditions............................................................ 12.09 Arrest warrants.............................................................................12.10 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 30 April 2007. 1 Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. SRI LANKA 11 MAY 2007 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 .................................................................................... 16.06 Internet freedom ........................................................................... 16.14 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 ....................................................................... 20.15 Muslims ......................................................................................... 20.16 Indigenous people........................................................................ 20.19 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 ................................................................................... 23.02 Political rights............................................................................... 23.06 Social and economic rights......................................................... 23.08 Violence against women.............................................................. 23.11 24. CHILDREN ........................................................................................... 24.01 General information ..................................................................... 24.01 Education ...................................................................................... 24.11 Child care ...................................................................................... 24.14 Child soldiers................................................................................ 24.16 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 32. EXIT – ENTRY PROCEDURES................................................................. 32.01 Treatment of returned failed asylum seekers............................ 32.08 33. EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS.......................................................................... 33.01 2 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 30 April 2007. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant