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| Wednesday, 6 August 2003 |
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Clifford Landers from Australia Australian Minister for Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs Phillip Ruddock commended the Sri Lankan government for extending its commitment, determination and cooperation after a major breakthrough was made last week when the mastermind behind the people smuggling racket was arrested in Sri Lanka. The arrest of the suspect Jayaruwan Nanayappa Hewage Munasinghe of Wellampitiya by the Criminal Investigation Bureau was made just three days after Minister Ruddock visited Colombo and held talks with senior Ministers and officials. Dismissing the possibility that the Sri Lankan government and authorities had ignored making such arrests in the past, Minister Ruddock told the Daily News yesterday: We exchanged agreements which provide for exchange of information about people of concern and any information we are aware of and to exchange these information and vice versa. It is evidence of the close relationship that Australia and Sri Lanka have," he said. Minister Ruddock's commendation was followed by praise in the 2003 Report in Trafficking in Persons released by the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons in the United States claiming that the Sri Lanka Government is making significant efforts to combat human trafficking. The report said that as a country of origin and destination for trafficking Sri Lanka specifically criminalises trafficking in persons in its Penal Code, and law enforcement authorities have undertaken investigations into traffickers. Sri Lanka has a Labour Mediation Board and the Government also helps in investigating fraudulent employment agencies and contracts. The US Government has also urged Sri Lanka to improve its anti-trafficking performance by stepping up law enforcement efforts, particularly against sex tourists, and ensure the protection of children recruited as child soldiers by the LTTE as peace negotiations continue. |
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