The Hon. Presiding Member

¶ 01 Hon. Rauff Hakeem, you have twelve minutes.

¶ 02 Finding solutions for the Rohingya refugee issue by adhering to international law

¶ 03 [3.49 p.m.]

¶ 04 Hon. Presiding Member, I move the following Adjournment Motion of urgent public importance:

¶ 05 “The recent statement by the Minister of Public Security, Hon. Ananda Wijepala, suggesting the deportation of Rohingya refugees who arrived in Mullaitivu, is of deep concern. The Rohingya are among the most persecuted minorities facing systemic violence and displacement in Myanmar. The principle of non-refoulement prohibits returning individuals to a country where they risk persecution or harm.

¶ 06 Article 8 of the UN Declaration on the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance forbids deporting individuals to States where they face substantial risk.

¶ 07 The UNHCR plays a vital role in protecting asylum seekers even in countries like Sri Lanka, which are not signatories to the 1951 Refugee Convention. Sri Lanka must collaborate with UNHCR to ensure the safety and resettlement of these refugees. Deporting them to Myanmar would make Sri Lanka complicit in their persecution.

¶ 08 This House resolves that the Government: 1. halt plans to deport Rohingya refugees and uphold non-refoulement; 2. work with UNHCR to protect and provide for refugees; 3. arrange for their basic needs including healthcare and shelter; 4. consult international partners for resettlement options; and 5. adopt a humane approach to asylum seekers, reflecting compassion and human rights.”

¶ 09 Sir, as reported, these refugees and asylum seekers were found adrift in Sri Lankan waters and were rescued by our Navy. Credit is due to the Navy for life‑saving assistance at a desperate moment—a commendable humanitarian gesture, unlike recent tragedies in other regions where many perished at sea. Our Navy has, on three prior occasions, rescued Rohingya in our waters and handed them to UNHCR for onward solutions. Unfortunately, thereafter the Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry and government leaders have turned this good deed on its head.

¶ 10 The Foreign Ministry appears detached from realities that other foreign services would grasp and address. A single sentence by its spokesman—saying Rohingya would be “deported” to Myanmar—undid the Navy’s humanitarian success and missed an opportunity to project Sri Lanka as responsible, especially under human rights scrutiny. There seems little understanding of the customary international law principle of non‑refoulement, how protection works, or what temporary protection entails.

¶ 11 I believe the Government has now decided that deportation is not an option under customary international law. Yet earlier remarks by leaders, suggesting this was a human‑smuggling operation, risked inflaming public sentiment—dangerous and unnecessary.

¶ 12 Past failures in communication create short‑term narratives that spiral, damaging our image more than any imagined “refugee takeover.” Attributing such narratives to our intelligence agencies risks those agencies’ credibility when claims prove insubstantial internationally. The Foreign and Defence Ministries could have prevented this with sensible, timely, diplomatically persuasive advice.

¶ 13 We handled similar arrivals maturely before, with the Foreign Ministry guiding Defence and others. Where is that capacity now? Though Sri Lanka is not party to the Refugee Convention, we are bound by customary international law to treat asylum seekers humanely and provide maximum feasible assistance. The prior standard must be re‑embraced. I table my remarks and request the House to accept this Motion. Thank you.