Monday 20, July 1998 - News


Positive change in western attitude to refugee issues

The recent change in Italy's attitude to persons from Sri Lanka unsuccessfully claiming refugee status and to the repatriation of such persons to their own country is due to the satisfaction of the Italian government with the significant improvement in the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, a senior Cabinet Minister of Italy said this week.

Dr. Giovanni Maria Flick, Italy's Minister of Justice, made this observation to Prof. G. L. Peiris, Minister of Justice. Constitutional Affairs, Ethnic Affairs and National Integration and Deputy Minister of Finance, during discussions between the two ministers at the Ministry of Justice in Rome.

Prof. Peiris, expressing appreciation of his Italian counterpart's remarks, commented that these charges in attitude are reflected in the approach of Western governments in general to the current situation in Sri Lanka. Prof. Peiris informed the Italian minister that the Swiss authorities, at a discussion last week in Bern, had indicated that they would like Sri Lanka to take back a larger number of persons of Sri Lankan origin unsuccessfully seeking asylum status in Switzerland.

Prof. Peiris told Dr. Flick that this transformation of international perceptions - a matter of deep satisfaction to the government of Sri Lanka - was attributable to three major initiatives by the government of President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

The first of these, the minister explained, was the firm resolve of the government to give all its citizens, without the slightest element of discrimination, the full protection of the law in all matters connected with their rights and dignity. Towards this end, the minister pointed out, President Kumaratunga had insisted on the rigorous application of the criminal law without any semblance of immunity for any branch of the government including the security forces.

The second component of the government's strategy emphasised by Prof. Peiris was the constitutional proposal relating to extensive devolution of power, which entailed greater participation of minority communities in vital aspects of decision making processes of the government.

The third element, to which the minister drew the attention of the Italian authorities, consisted of the guide-lines issued to the armed forces and the police by President Kumaratunga for the purpose of ensuring that security arrangements offer no affront to the dignity and sensitivity of minority ethnic groups.

He briefed the Italian minister in detail about recent action taken by President Kumaratunga in this regard, including the appointment of a high powered committee comprising five Cabinet Ministers and three Members of Parliament to ensure that this objective is effectively accomplished.

The Italian minister assured Prof. Peiris that these developments, in the view of the Italian government, brought about a situation conducive to the security and dignity of those who are repatriated.

The continuing political and constitutional process in Sri Lanka was discussed at length by Prof. Peiris with Professor Carlo Angelici, Rector of the Law Faculty of the University of Rome, Judger Massimo Vari of the Constitutional Court of Italy and Dr. Luca Borgoomeo, President of the Lazio Regional Council.

Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda, Sri Lanka's Ambassador to Italy, was associated with Prof. Peiris at each of these discussions.