Australian activist deported from Singapore

[BobMarley]

Australian activist deported from Singapore

AFP
Tuesday, Dec 18, 2012

SINGAPORE - An 81-year-old Australian human rights activist has accused Singapore authorities of holding him in a cell without food, drink and toilet facilities for nearly five hours before deporting him.

Brian Senewiratne, a long-time critic of Colombo over its treatment of Tamils, told AFP Tuesday he flew to Singapore on December 14 en route to Malaysia to give talks on the plight of refugees from Sri Lanka, his country of birth.

In terms of distance, Singapore is nearer to the Malaysian town of Johor Bahru where he was to give his first lecture than the closest airport in Malaysia which is in Kuala Lumpur.

Senewiratne said when he reached immigration, he was led to a "10 foot by 10 foot" room where he waited for four and a half hours without basic facilities before being placed on a return flight to Brisbane.

"They (immigration officers) didn't let me use my mobile phone. Then I said let me at least get the number of the people who are waiting for me in Singapore. They said no you can't switch on your computer," Senewiratne said.

"So I had no computer, no passport and no mobile phone," the doctor added.

Senewiratne said an officer had told him before he was led under police escort to the plane, "You came from Brisbane and to Brisbane you will go, you are being deported under armed guard."

A document issued to Senewiratne by Singapore's Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and seen by AFP stated that he was "refused entry into Singapore for... being ineligible for issue of a pass under current immigration policies."

Senewiratne said he had entered Singapore at least 15 times without incident, with the last visit occurring five years ago.

ICA did not immediately respond to AFP queries on details of Senewiratne's deportation.

Senewiratne said he was contemplating legal action against Singapore authorities regarding his treatment and deportation, and would write to Australian foreign minister Bob Carr to complain.

Senewiratne said he had been scheduled to speak about the plight of Sri Lankan refugees who flee from their homeland in flimsy boats only to wash up in Australia and Malaysia, where they are branded as illegal immigrants.

Australia announced Monday plans to boost intelligence sharing with Sri Lanka to try to halt a wave of boatpeople that has seen thousands arrive illegally on its shores this year.

More than 16,770 boatpeople have arrived in Australia in 2012, with Sri Lankans making up the biggest group, accounting for more than 6,360.

Singapore had in November deported another Australian, clergyman James Blundell Minchin, for "interfering in... domestic politics."

Minchin had shortly before his deportation given an interview to a Singapore opposition party where he discussed his book "No Man Is An Island - A Study of Singapore's Lee Kuan Yew" which was published in 1987.

Lee is Singapore's founding father and a veteran politician of the ruling People's Action Party. He served as Singapore's prime minister from 1959 to 1990 and is the father of the current leader Lee Hsien Loong.