Hon. M. Nizam Kariapper, PC

¶ 01 Hon. Presiding Member, I rise today to second the Adjournment Motion moved by the Hon. Rauff Hakeem under the title “Ensuring Protection for Rohingya Refugees in Sri Lanka”.

¶ 02 Hon. Rauff Hakeem has already outlined the background. The key issue is this: according to the Hansard of 08 January 2025, when the Hon. Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Ananda Wijepala responded to a point raised by Hon. Rauff Hakeem, he stated that 1,160 unauthorized immigrants from Myanmar had entered Sri Lanka.

¶ 03 Hon. Presiding Member, that characterization is problematic. “Refugees” are, by definition, persons who have fled and entered due to persecution and fear; they are not ordinary visa-overstayers. Yes, they may have entered without authorization, but to repeatedly present them merely as “illegal immigrants” and then justify severe measures on that basis is to create a wrong public perception. The Navy rescued them; we are grateful for that. But then the Minister suggested police investigations into alleged organized smuggling and that these people had paid LKR 500,000–800,000 each. That may be so in many such journeys, but those payments reflect desperation. People facing serious threats in their villages sell everything they have to escape. Take the strongest measures against traffickers, especially any Sri Lankans involved, including through international cooperation. But do not treat the trafficking victims—the migrants—as perpetrators. Every single “illegal immigrant” in such a boat is, in fact, a victim of trafficking.

¶ 04 The real question is whether the Rohingya are persecuted in their own country. We must look to the United Nations. The UN has repeatedly recognized the Rohingya as among the most persecuted minorities in the world. Problems arise when this is framed domestically through a religious lens—most Rohingya are Muslim and the majority in Myanmar is Buddhist—leading to misguided narratives and even pressure campaigns urging leaders not to speak up.

¶ 05 We must protect social harmony in our country. We too face economic hardship and cannot accept refugees in large numbers. There was also unfounded alarm about “100,000 people” imminently arriving. If such a risk truly exists, we have capable armed forces to manage our borders. But do not stir panic. The driver of these alarms seems to be that most Rohingya are Muslims—that is unfair. Note that about 1,000 Christian asylum seekers from Pakistan are already in Sri Lanka with UNHCR support; we did not hound them as “illegal immigrants” or “traffickers”.

¶ 06 If we label these people simply as “illegal immigrants”, are we to call even Vijaya’s landing an illegal migration? The Mahavamsa, Chapter 6 (Vijaya’s arrival), records that Prince Vijaya and his followers, after misconduct and banishment, set sail and landed in Lanka on the day of the Buddha’s Parinirvana. History records arrivals; we need not be ahistorical now.

¶ 07 Scripture and ethics guide us too. The Exodus instructs deliverance from bondage; in the Qur’an the Hijra to Madinah established a tradition of migration and protection. Beyond that, the non-refoulement principle is clear: those who flee fearing persecution must not be returned to face harm. We need not borrow “Western” traditions—the ethos exists in our own moral heritage. The new administration’s Clean Sri Lanka platform names morality as a pillar; by that standard, sending these people back is wrong.

¶ 08 The UNHCR should be allowed access to assess and assist. Misinformation about imminent waves of refugees must be dispelled. The Navy rescued them first; the hesitation to recognize them as Rohingya appears to stem from erroneous advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. That should be corrected. I support the Motion and urge the Government to adopt its measures.

¶ 09 Finally, tradition says the Buddha sought a boon for Vijaya’s safe passage. Today, instead of divine boons, I seek from our President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and from the Minister of Defence a commitment: ensure these Rohingya refugees are protected, their situation examined, and that they are not returned to face death or persecution. I conclude.

¶ 10 Thank you.