Ponniah Uthayakumar, Uthayakumar Saroja Devi, and Uthayakumar Kawsika are a Tamil family from Sri Lanka who have been active members of Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR). On Wednesday 5th September were snatched from their home in Newcastle and taken to Yarl's Wood detention centre. They have been given removal directions to Sri Lanka for 2.35 pm on Sunday 9th September on flight UL506.

The family are suspected by the Sri Lankan government of connections to the LTTE (Tamil Tigers), and would be in extreme danger if deported.

On August 6th 2007 the Asylum and Immigration Tribunal issued a judgement allowing the asylum claim of "LP", also a Tamil Sri Lankan and also with suspected connections to the LTTE. The Sri Lankan authorities had suffocated LP with a petrol soaked polythene bag, hung him up side down and beat him with canes, sticks and plastic pipes filled with sand.

LP's case was heard as a "country guidance" case which is intended to give guidance to Immigration Judges in assessing all asylum claims by people fearing persecution by the Sri Lankan government.  The Tribunal identified a number of principal risk factors that should be considered, including "Tamil ethnicity" and "Previous record as a suspected or actual LTTE member or supporter".

There have been no shortages of reports from "authoritative" sources about Sri Lanka ;

"The Sri Lankan government has apparently given its security forces a green light to use 'dirty war' tactics. ... Security forces have subjected civilians to indiscriminate attacks and impeded the delivery of humanitarian aid. Some 315,000 people have had to flee their homes due to fighting since August 2006, the vast majority Tamils and Muslims. About 100,000 were displaced in March alone. Government authorities have forced some to return to areas that remained insecure." 
Human Rights Watch, 6th August 2007

"Harassment, intimidation, arrest, detention, torture, abduction and killing at the hands of government forces, the LTTE and paramilitary or armed groups are frequently reported to be inflicted on Tamils from the North and East. Individuals suspected of having LTTE affiliations are at risk of human rights abuses by the authorities or allegedly government sponsored paramilitary groups. In the same manner, those who refuse to support the LTTE and those who are perceived as supporters or sympathisers of the Government, risk serious violations of human rights from the LTTE."
UNHCR, December 2006

Indeed, the British Government are fully aware of the targeted civilian killings, the extortion, the use of child soldiers, and the mass-displacement in Sri Lanka. The UK 'Foreign Office' suspended aid payments to Sri Lanka and put Sri Lanka on the 'don't go to' list of countries in its travel advice for British travellers.

The Uthayakumar family have been in Britain just under seven years and have strong links with the local community. On the day they were snatched, the daughter of the family, Kawsika, was due to start Year 10 at St. Mary's Comprehensive School in Newcastle.

"Kowsika joined our school in September 2004 and is a valuable and well liked member of our school community. She is extremely hard working and conscientious and she has an excellent attendance record. It would be a travesty if Kowsika were forced to leave at this stage of her education. She is certainly an asset to our school and this country."
Deputy head St. Mary's Comprehensive School

Tyneside Community Action for Refugees (TCAR) and supporters of the Uthayakumar family are holding a demonstration today in Newcastle against the forced deportation of the family. 

What you can do ;

1.) Please send urgent faxes immediately to Rt. Hon. Jacqui Smith, Secretary of State for the Home Office asking that the Uthayakumar family's removal be deferred pending their asylum claim being reassessed in light of the LP "country guidance" case. Please use the "model letter" UthayakumarMinister.doc and/or you can copy/amend/write your own version (if you do so, please remember to include the Home Office ref. no. P1046770).

Fax: 020 7035 3262 (00 44 20 7035 3262 if you are faxing from outside UK)

2.) Please fax J. Wijesinghe Manager UK & Ireland, Sri Lankan Airlines using use the "model letter" UthayakumarAirline.doc and/or you can copy/amend/write your own version (if you do so, please remember to include the families removal flight details:  Sri Lankan Airlines Flight UL506 From Heathrow To Sri Lanka at 14.30hrs on Sunday 9th September)

Fax: 020 8572 0808 (00 44 20 8572 0808 if you are faxing from outside UK)

Please email copies of any faxes sent to TCAR at tynesidecarn@yahoo.co.uk

Source for this Message:
Tyneside Community Action for Refugees