COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT SRI LANKA 3 MARCH 2008 Border & Immigration Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE 3 MARCH 2008 SRI LANKA Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN SRI LANKA, FROM 1 FEBRUARY TO 27 FEBRUARY 2008 REPORTS ON SRI LANKA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 1 FEBRUARY AND 27 FEBRUARY 2008 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY........................................................................................ 1.01 Map ................................................................................................ 1.07 2. ECONOMY............................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY.............................................................................................. 3.01 The Internal conflict and the peace process.............................. 3.13 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS...................................................................... 4.01 Useful sources for updates ......................................................... 4.18 5. CONSTITUTION..................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES............................................................................... 8.01 Police............................................................................................. 8.03 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 8.15 Cordon and search operations .................................................. 8.24 Disappearances/Abductions ...................................................... 8.50 Torture ....................................................................................... 8.79 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 8.89 Armed forces ................................................................................ 8.99 Arbitrary arrest and detention .................................................... 8.102 Torture ....................................................................................... 8.103 Extra-judicial killings .................................................................. 8.104 Avenues of complaint .................................................................. 8.105 Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) ................... 8.108 Protective custody ..................................................................... 8.119 Ad hoc commissions of inquiry .................................................. 8.123 Police abuses: investigations and prosecutions ........................ 8.136 Witness protection ..................................................................... 8.150 Position on UN Human Rights Council recommendations ........ 8.153 9. MILITARY SERVICE ............................................................................... 9.01 10. ABUSES BY NON-GOVERNMENT ARMED FORCES .................................. 10.01 Arbitrary arrest and detention..................................................... 10.05 Disappearances/Abductions ....................................................... 10.07 Torture........................................................................................... 10.10 Extra-judicial killings ................................................................... 10.12 Forced conscription..................................................................... 10.21 LTTE .......................................................................................... 10.22 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as 27 February 2008. 1 Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available in more recent documents. SRI LANKA 3 MARCH 2008 Karuna Group ............................................................................ 10.31 11. JUDICIARY........................................................................................... 11.01 Organisation ................................................................................. 11.02 Independence ............................................................................... 11.05 Fair trial ......................................................................................... 11.07 12. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS............................................ 12.01 Bail/Reporting conditions............................................................ 12.13 Arrest warrants.............................................................................12.14 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 .................................................................................... 16.10 Internet freedom ........................................................................... 16.24 17. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS............ 17.01 18. CORRUPTION....................................................................................... 18.01 19. FREEDOM OF RELIGION........................................................................ 19.01 Buddhists...................................................................................... 19.06 Hindus ........................................................................................... 19.07 Muslims ......................................................................................... 19.10 Christians...................................................................................... 19.17 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 ................................................................................... 23.04 Political rights............................................................................... 23.08 Social and economic rights......................................................... 23.11 Violence against women.............................................................. 23.18 24. CHILDREN ........................................................................................... 24.01 General information ..................................................................... 24.01 Education ...................................................................................... 24.13 Child care ...................................................................................... 24.18 Child soldiers................................................................................ 24.22 25. TRAFFICKING....................................................................................... 25.01 26. MEDICAL ISSUES ................................................................................. 26.01 Overview of availability of medical treatment ........................... 26.01 HIV/AIDS – anti-retroviral treatment ........................................... 26.06 Cancer treatment.......................................................................... 26.12 Kidney dialysis ............................................................................. 26.13 Mental health ................................................................................ 26.14 27. HUMANITARIAN ISSUES ........................................................................ 27.01 28. FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT ..................................................................... 28.01 2 This Country of Origin Information Report contains the most up-to-date publicly available information as at 27 February 2008. Older source material has been included where it contains relevant information not available