MALAYSIAN MP’S PLEA NOT TO SEND BACK LANKAN REFUGEES

P. Ramasamy Deputy Chief Minister of Penang, Malaysia hopes that the Indonesian government will not send back the 89 Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka who were detained in Indonesia.

The 89 Tamil refugees from Sri Lanka were detained by the Indonesian authorities in the waters of New Galan as the refugees were attempting to reach New Zealand.

“While Indonesia has the right to protect its territorial integrity, it is hoped that the government would exercise humanitarian care in dealing with these refugees,” Ramasamy said today.

“There is fear in the humanitarian circles principaly from the Tamil Diaspora that they might be possibly sent back to Sri Lanka by the Indonesian government.

“Thousands of Tamils are still languishing in camps under very depressing social, economic and health conditions (in Sri Lanka),” claims Ramasamy.

Tamil humanitarian bodies dealing with the Tamil refugees’ problem are also urging Indonesia not to send back the 89 refugees to Sri Lanka.

“They are advising the government to place the refugees in a special place where they will have access to food, water and medical care,” said Ramasamy who is also Batu Kawan MP.

In a related development, staff from Ramasamy’s office sent a memorandum to the Indonesian consular office in Penang asking them to give the Tamil refugees humanitarian treatment, Free Malaysia Today reported.