MR says IDPs can seek asylum

By Kelum Bandara
President Mahinda Rajapaksa told the Cabinet meeting last evening that he would not mind Canada and the European countries giving asylum to the internally displaced persons.
However, the President said that he could not send IDPs to India anymore because that country was not willing to accommodate them.
“Canada has pledged to accept any number of IDPs. I do not mind these countries putting up visa offices in the welfare camps to facilitate people willing to leave the country,” he said.
The President charged that the foreign diplomatic missions had started making malicious allegations against Sri Lanka now, and some Sri Lankans had even been denied visas.
He pointed out that the US State Department had now put up a news item regarding some Sri Lankan soldiers who were facing charges during their peace keeping mission in Haiti a few months ago.
“I got to know this information from other sources, not from the Foreign Ministry,” he said.
Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Hussein Bhaila who was present at the meeting said that he too had not been informed in this regard properly.
Besides, the President also emphasised the need for all the Ministers to be present in Parliament during important debates. He was referring to the government not being able to pass a supplementary estimate in the House last Friday since there was no quorum.

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