Physical appearance of passes issued by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) in November 2000 for travel between Vavuniya and Colombo, including their colour and type of information included on them; whether the appearance of such passes has changed since November 2000 [LKA37422.E]

No information on the physical appearance of passes issued by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) for travel between Vavuniya and Colombo could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

According to the Toronto newspaper The World Mirror, citing an unidentified individual who had "recently" been in Vavuniya, there are as many as 14 types of passes issued in the Vavuniya region. These encompass one day passes; paper passes; one month card passes; three month card passes; one year passes; one year open passes; temporary passes issued for emergency travelling; elder passes; travel passes; passes issued to remain outside of one's camp; passes issued in camps for school children; passes valid for four days; passes issued to government officers who are in the welfare centres; and permanent passes (ibid.).

Theses passes are reportedly issued in the following locations throughout the Vavuniya region: the Police Population Relation Unit; Cooperative Building No. 1; Cooperative Building No. 2; Brown and Company; the railway station; Eratperiyakulam; Eratperiyakulam railway station; Nelukulam; Poovarasankulam; Piramanalankulam; Madukanda; Neriyakulam; Ulukulam; Avaranthulava; Minor Offensive Unit Vavuniya; Divisional Secretariats; Mannar; Welfare Centres; Brigade No. 211 headquarters; Vavuniya; and Murunkan (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Reference


The World Mirror [Toronto]. 28 February-13 March 2001. S.S. Singham. "The Plight of Displaced Tamils - Part I." http://www.theworldmirror.f2s.com/m1v5/features/displaced.html [Accessed 13 July 2001]

Sources Consulted


Forum for Human Dignity.

IRB databases.

Unsuccessful attempts to contact two oral sources.

Internet sites including:

Association of Tamils of Eelam and Sri Lanka in the US.

Danish Immigration Service. July 1999. Report on Fact-Finding Mission to Sri Lanka.

EelamNation. June 2000-June 2001.

Global IDP Database.

Jesuit Refugee Service.

Organisation for Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation (OFERR)

Spotlight on Sri Lanka. Nov. 2000-July 2001.

Sri Lanka Department of Information. News Update. Sept. 2000-July 2001.

Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. 2000-2001.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate. Sri Lanka Assessment.

Society for Peace, Unity and Human Rights for Sri Lanka (SPUR)

Sri Lanka Peace Net.

Tamil Canadian.

Tamil Information Centre.

TamilNet.

World News Connection (WNC)