Ethnic details out in householder registration

COLOMBO: All future registrations of household members with the Police will exclude reference to such aspects as nationality, ethnic origin, religion or language etc, the Human Rights Ministry said.

Henceforth the only information required to be furnished will be confined to Chief occupant’s name, Identity card and address, names and ages of family members together with their ID numbers, relationship to the chief occupant.

The chief occupant will also be required to provide details pertaining to temporary residents including domestic aides, purpose of duration of stay (of temporary residents to the police).

Local Government officials will assist in the collection of these data and amendments to the details provided may be sent under registered cover to the OIC of the Police station.

The IGP has issued a circular to his Department’s Officers, detailing the procedures to be followed.

The change comes in the wake of representations made to the Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry by civil society groups relating to divergent practices adopted in the registration of householders under Emergency Regulation 23.

The Ministry thereafter initiated steps in consultation with the Attorney-General’s and Police Department to enable the issuance of directions that will ensure a uniform system of registration is implemented islandwide.

According to a Ministry media release the civil society representatives pointed out certain concerns in the current system of registration under the Emergency Regulations.

According to Emergency Regulation 23 (as amended in June 2006)

(1) Every Officer-in-Charge of a Police Station may direct every householder residing within his Police Station area to furnish him with a list of names of all the persons residing with him in his household, distinguishing the members of his family from other residents, whose stay may be of a temporary or permanent nature, and servants. Further, if he is so directed by the aforesaid Police Officer, he shall from time to time, report any increase or diminution or change in the list furnished by him.

(2) No householder who has received a direction under paragraph (1) shall harbour a stranger in his household without informing the aforesaid Officer-in-charge of such fact.

(3) Every householder directed to furnish information under paragraphs (1) and (2) who fails to comply with such direction, shall be guilty of an offence.

Pursuant to Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe placing this matter before his Advisory Body as well as before the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Human Rights (IMCHR), both of which he chairs, measures were taken by the representatives of the Police on these Committee to initiate action to alter the previous procedure, the release added.

Accordingly advice was sought and obtained in this regard from the Attorney-General’s Department which tendered advice on the constitutionality and legality of the measures proposed.

The Minister commended the Inspector General of Police for his rapid response in addressing the anomalies under the earlier system and conveyed his appreciation for the cooperation extended to the IMCHR by the IGP and the Attorney General’s Department.

Samarasinghe has directed Disaster Management and Human Rights Ministry officials to give the widest publicity to the new procedures by launching a nationwide public awareness campaign to disseminate this information.