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Kamal Raj Sigdel attended Thomson Reuters Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Reporting course in Nairobi 2-6 November 2009
A group of Sri Lankan nationals who worked closely with former Gen. and Commander of Sri Lankan Army Sarath Fonseka during Sri Lanka’s 2010 presidential and general elections have been seeking asylum in Nepal for the last few months. The government, however, has denied the request.
The Sri Lankans, who are currently semi-underground in Kathmandu, said they fled their country along with their families and sneaked into Nepal during the second half of the last year. They said they fled to save their lives from the ‘repressive’ regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa who beat Fonseka in the 2010 presidential elections. “We are seeking a secure place to live and express our feeling until a point in future when we can go back and speak out,” said Santha Karunaratne, Coordinator of the “Politically Affected Families of Gen. Fonseka in Nepal.” “Following the elections, many people had to flee the country when the police started cracking down on those who they thought were anti-establishment.”
They are seeking the status of political refugees in Nepal, which however, has been denied by the government. Government officials said they “could be arrested anytime”.
The Sri Lankans fear that if they are held and handed over to Sri Lanka they would be treated as terrorists. Their documents showed they have a case pending at a court in Sri Lanka where they were tried under a ‘stringent’ terrorist act. Their return to Sri Lanka at this time, as they said, would mean a life term or death sentence to all of them as they are “falsely charged with supporting Fonseka in hatching a plot to illegally overthrow the current regime by means of violence.”
The asylum seekers entered Nepal via India. They thought that Nepal was the ‘easiest’ place for asylum seekers. Of the 14 who were staying in Nepal reportedly under “unofficial protection” of UNHCR for the last few months, one died of heart attack, one managed to fly to Canada and five other disappeared. Remaining seven are seeking asylum. UN sources confirmed that the asylum seekers have received unofficial protection but because of their illegal status they would not be called refugees unless Nepal approves so.
