Canadian detained by Sri Lanka, MP told

A Canadian “combatant” captured during the final days of Sri Lanka’s conflict is being held at a detention camp on the island, Canada’s Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Secretary said yesterday.
Deepak Obhrai, who arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday for Canada’s first official visit since the war ended in May, said the Canadian was detained at a camp for former Tamil Tigers rebels.
“He is a combatant, according to them,” Obhrai told the National Post in a telephone interview from Colombo. “They told us who he was, we are aware of his identity. We were told he was held at a camp which is for combatants, which is separate, which they classify as a rehabilitation camp. He is held in that camp.”
Government officials had previously said that six foreign nationals were among those held at the camps: three Australians, and one each from Britain, Norway and the Netherlands. But a Toronto lawyer said yesterday four Canadians are also being held.
Gary Anandasangaree said he was assisting the family of one such Canadian but added he was aware of three similar cases.
He said he had not heard of any Canadian combatants having been captured but said that regardless they had the right to consular assistance from the Canadian government.
Obhrai said he had counted only two Canadians so far. In addition to the alleged combatant, he said he met a second Canadian yesterday while visiting a civilian displacement camp.
“We talked to him and he is now in touch with our consular officials, and we will be working towards his release back home,” Obhrai said.
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, spent yesterday visiting three displaced persons camps. In May, Canada announced $3-million in humanitarian assistance to those displaced by the war, bringing Canada’s total aid contribution to $7.5-million this year.
(nationalpost)