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 attached "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 attached "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