Judge stops government from deporting man who worked for Tamil
Tigers as a tax collector
TORONTO — A federal judge has stopped the government from deporting a
Sri Lankan war criminal, ruling the former member of the Tamil Tigers
could be at risk if forced to return to his home country. In a ruling
released on the Federal Court website Friday, Justice Sean Harrington
set aside Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s assessment that the man
did not face any risk in Sri Lanka. The case concerns Puvanesan
Thurairaja, who worked as a tax collector for the Tamil rebels before
traveling to the United Kingdom. After Britain rejected his asylum
claim, he arrived in Canada on a false passport.
Canadian authorities ordered his deportation on the grounds he was a
member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who had collected taxes
imposed by the rebels to finance the country’s long civil war.
He had worked for the LTTE Records Office and Finance Department,
knowing the rebels committed crimes against humanity and that those
solicited for taxes faced harsh reprisals if they didn’t pay up. “He was
one of the persecutors, not one of the persecuted,” Justice Harrington
wrote in his decision. “Nevertheless, he is still entitled to Canada’s
protection if return to Sri Lankan would expose him to danger.”
The judge ruled that CIC’s assessment of the risks of returning him
to Sri Lanka was unreasonable and “he may well be at risk if returned.”
He ordered the department to reevaluate the risk decision.
During the Sri Lankan conflict, Tamil Tigers front organisations
operated a lucrative fundraising network based in Toronto. The war ended
in 2009 when government forces wiped out the Tigers.
Sri Lankans have since elected a new president, Maithripala Sirisena,
who has said he plans to launch a long-awaited probe into allegations of
war crimes and human rights abuses committed during the civil war.
- National Post
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