ISSUE PAPER Security and Human Rights Situation, Entry and Exit Procedures and Personal Documentation Report on joint fact-finding mission to Sri Lanka 1 – 12 OCTOBER 2001 RESEARCH DIRECTORATE IMMIGRATION AND REFUGEE BOARD DANISH IMMIGRATION SERVICE OTTAWA, CANADA COPENHAGEN, DENMARK May 2002 Security and Human Rights Situation, Entry and Exit Procedures and Personal Documentation TABLE OF CONTENTS GLOSSARY........................................................................................................................................4 INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................5 BACKGROUND TO THE MISSION ........................................................................................................5 Methodology.................................................................................................................................5 MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THE ARMED CONFLICT AND THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN SRI LANKA SINCE DECEMBER 1998 .....................................................................................................................6 Developments in the armed conflict 1999-2001 ..........................................................................6 The Political Situation .................................................................................................................7 The Peace Process .......................................................................................................................8 TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE FACT-FINDING MISSION TO SRI LANKA............10 I SECURITY SITUATION.............................................................................................................12 I. 1 SECURITY SITUATION IN STATE-CONTROLLED TERRITORY........................................................12 I. 1.1 Extent of state-controlled territory ...................................................................................12 I. 1.2 Strength of the LTTE and the conflict between the LTTE and the security forces ...........13 I. 1.3 Recruitment by the LTTE..................................................................................................14 I. 1.4 Role of Tamil groups opposed to the LTTE (PLOTE, TELO, EPRLF, EPDP) ...............15 I. 1.5 Treatment of Tamils who speak out publicly in favour of the government or against the LTTE ..........................................................................................................................................17 I. 2 SECURITY SITUATION (FOR TAMILS) IN COLOMBO ...................................................................17 I. 2.1 Registration requirements for Tamils resident in Colombo .............................................18 I. 2.2 Checkpoints and other checks on Tamils resident in Colombo........................................20 I. 2.3 Tamils' risk of arrest while in Colombo ...........................................................................22 II HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION................................................................................................25 II. 1 GENERAL HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION ....................................................................................25 II. 1.1 Situation and Treatment of Particular Social Groups ....................................................25 II. 1.2 Living conditions for Tamils in Colombo........................................................................25 II. 1.3 Educational and Employment Opportunities for Tamils in Colombo.............................26 II. 1.4 Availability of housing for Tamils in Colombo ...............................................................26 II. 2 FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ........................................................................................................27 II. 2.1 Internal movement of Tamils displaced by the conflict...................................................27 II. 2.2 Pass system in force in Vavuniya and Mannar ...............................................................29 II. 2.3 Location and Status of Welfare Centres in Vavuniya and Mannar.................................33 II. 3 LEGAL SAFEGUARDS ...............................................................................................................38 II. 3.1 Conditions for and control of arrests..............................................................................39 II. 3.2 Availability of legal assistance........................................................................................45 2 1 – 12 October 2001 Security and Human Rights Situation, Entry and Exit Procedures and Personal Documentation II. 3.3 The occurrence of physical abuse/torture.......................................................................47 II. 3.4 Official and unofficial detention centres.........................................................................54 II. 3.5 Disappearances...............................................................................................................55 II. 4 GOVERNMENT-APPOINTED COMMITTEES MANDATED TO MONITOR SAFETY AND SECURITY OF TAMILS ...........................................................................................................................................57 II. 4.1 National Human Rights Commission ..............................................................................57 II. 4.2 President’s Committee on Unlawful Arrests and Harassment........................................59 II. 4.3 Inter-Racial Committee on Ethnic Harmony...................................................................61 III ENTRY SITUATION FOR RETURNING TAMILS.............................................................62 III. 1 TREATMENT OF RETURNEES AFTER THEY LEAVE THE AIRPORT...............................................65 IV DEPARTURE SITUATION......................................................................................................67 IV. 1 CONTROL ARRANGEMENTS AT COLOMBO AIRPORT................................................................67 IV. 2 PUNISHMENT FOR ILLEGAL DEPARTURE .................................................................................68 V DOCUMENTATION...................................................................................................................71 V. 1 PASSPORTS..............................................................................................................................71 V. 2 BIRTH CERTIFICATES ..............................................................................................................73 V. 3 DEATH CERTIFICATES .............................................................................................................74 V. 4 MARRIAGE CERTIFICATES.......................................................................................................74 V. 5 CORRECTIONS TO BIRTH, DEATH AND MARRIAGE RECORDS ..................................................75 V. 6 NATIONAL IDENTITY CARDS (NICS).......................................................................................75 V. 7 DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR DOMESTIC AIR TRAVEL ...............................................................77 VI REFERENCES ...........................................................................................................................78 APPENDIX 1: NOTES ON SELECTED SOURCES .........................................................................80 APPENDIX 2: MAP OF SRI LANKA............................................................................................82 APPENDIX 3: PTA, PREVENTION OF TERRORISM REGULATIONS, NO. 2 OF 2001 ....................83 APPENDIX 4: PARLIAMENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA: CONVENTION AGAINST TORTURE AND OTHER CRUEL, INHUMAN OR DEGRADING TREATMENT OR PUNISHMENT ACT, NO. 22 OF 1994.................................................................................................84 APPENDIX 5: PRESIDENT’S COMMITTEE ON UNLAWFUL ARRESTS AND HARASSMENT. 10 OCTOBER 2001. PERFORMANCE REPORT. .......................................................................................88 APPENDIX 6: GOVERNMENT AGENT OF VAVUNIYA. AUGUST 2001. SITUATION REPORT AS OF 31.08.2001: CATEGORIES OF VAVUNIYA PASSES ...........................................................................89 1 – 12 October 2001 3 Security and Human Rights Situation, Entry and Exit Procedures and Personal Documentation Glossary CHRD Centre for Human Rights and Development CID Criminal Investigation Department, Sri Lanka Police EPDP Eelam People's Democratic Party EPRLF Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front FHD Forum for Human Dignity FRC Family Rehabilitation Centre HHR Home for Human Rights ICRC International Committee of the Red Cross IHR Institute of Human Rights LAF Legal Aid Foundation LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam NGO Non-governmental organisation NHRC National Human Rights Commission NIC National Identity Card PCUAH President's Committee on Unlawful Arrests and Harassment (also known as Anti- Harassment Committee) PLOTE People's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam PTA Prevention of Terrorism Act RDF Rural Development Foundation SLA Sri Lankan Army SLP Sri Lanka Police SLR Sri Lankan Rupee TELO Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation TID Terrorist Investigation Department, Sri Lanka Police UNHCR United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees 4 1 – 12 October 2001 Security and Human Rights Situation, Entry and Exit Procedures