2ND LEAD

SL Supreme Court issues stay order on expelling Tamils from Colombo lodges

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 June 2007, 07:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka's Supreme Court Friday accepted a fundamental rights application filed by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) against the expulsion of Tamil civilians from Colombo lodges for proper inquiry. Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunge after preliminary inquiry into the FR application issued an interim injunction on the law enforcement authority to stop expelling Tamil civilians until the inquiry is completed, legal sources said.

The Supreme Court termporay ruling made an "interim order" directing the respondents not to take any steps to evacuate Tamil persons from Colombo or to prevent Tamil persons from entering and/or staying in any part of Colombo until the hearing and final determination of the application.

The ruling directed the 1st (Police DIG) and 9th respondents (Defence Secretary) to take steps to direct and/or order all Officers in Charge (OIC) of all Police Stations including the 2nd to 5th and 6th to 8th respondents not to take any further steps to evacuate Tamil persons from Colombo and/or staying in any part of Colombo until the hearing and final determination of this application.

The petition was filed by the Executive Director of Center For Policy Alternatives (CPA) Mr. Pakkyasothi Sarawanamuththu.

The Inspector General of Police, Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Commander of the Sri Lanka Air Force, Defence Secretary, Officers-In Charge of the Wellawatte, Kotahena, Pettah (Peaddai) and Wattala police divisions and the Attorney General have been cited as respondents in the FR application, legal sources said.

Senior Counsel M.S.Sumanthiran supported the CPA application.

Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunge stated in his order that the court has reason to intervene in this affair as it has violated the fundamental rights of citizens and directed his registrar to issue notices on the respondents to appear in court on the next date.

The two other judges of the three member panel were Justice N. E. Dissanayake and Justice Andrew Somawanse.

Chronology: