JOINT EFFORT CAPSIZES BOAT FOLKS

* Australian FM,GL make announcement

* Human smuggling linked to terrorism

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The Sri Lankan and Australia governments yesterday launched a joint maritime surveillance programme to deter human smuggling and transnational crime. Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr and External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris yesterday announced at a press conference at the Foreign Ministry, Colombo that a joint working committee comprising high ranking officials from the Australian and Sri Lankan governments has been established to prevent and combat human trafficking.

“The first symposium of Sri Lanka-Australia working committee to combat human smuggling was held at the Defence Ministry with the participation of officials from the Defence Ministry, Attorney General’s Department, Sri Lankan Navy and the Inspector General of Police,” External Affairs Minister Prof G L Peiris said.

Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr said the Sri Lanka -Australia joint working group will bring together experts on both sides to intercept and disrupt human smuggling activities. According to reports Australia will host special maritime surveillance training programmes for Sri Lankan Naval officers under the programme.

He said they have sent back 800 illegal migrants from Sri Lanka since August this year.

“Human smuggling is linked to terrorism, illegal arms trade and human slavery.

We are going to wreck the human smuggling business,” the minister said.

“Let me make this very clear.” “Australia is going to be returning people who come to its borders through people smugglers. We are going to return them within 72 hours.” Carr said. “So, I give this warning to anyone in Sri Lanka who might be tempted to give big sums of money to human smugglers,” said Carr. .

“Don’t throw your money away. Don’t risk your lives on the high seas because the new Australian policy is we send you back within 72 hours.”

“We are going to run advertisements in the Sri Lankan media highlighting people being returned and we do so with our cooperation with our colleague, the government of Sri Lanka, “ he added.

Prof Peiris said, although the visit by Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr was a brief one, it was an exceptionally productive and useful visit.

He said their discussion have tackled many areas. One of them was arrangements involving Sri Lanka’s hosting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government’s Meeting (CHOGM) in November next year.

Prof Peiris said another key area they addressed during their discussion was the illegal migrant issue.

“People smuggling activities are distressing not only from a political perspective but also from a humanitarian angle,”he said. .

“This is exploitation of the human beings in the worst possible manner.

This is carried out by persons who have no conscience and care nothing about whether the people whose money they put into their pockets are going to live or die,”he said.

“The government of Australia has taken rigorous initiatives in the recent past, to send out a message loud and clear to those human smugglers, that is ‘you are no going to succeed in your objective’,” he said.

“ The government of Australia has passed the message that they will offer no jobs to illegal entrants. They will not benefit from Australian health or welfare services, “ he explained.

Prof Peiris said Sri lanka is collaborating in every possible way with Australia to deal with this problem effectively as it possibly can.

“We look forward to constructive results regarding the illegal migrant issue with Sri Lanka- Australia joint efforts to combat human smuggling ,”Prof Peiris added.