By Colombo Telegraph –
“An 81-year-old Brisbane doctor was locked in a small cell without food, water or toilet access for more than five hours yesterday before being deported back to Australia from Singapore. Dr Brian Senewiratne, a Sri Lankan-born Australian who has been a long-time critic of the Sri Lankan Government over its treatment of Tamils, was on his way to Malaysia and Indonesia to speak at forums on the Tamil refugee issue.” says Tamil Refugee Council.
Dr. Brian Senewiratne
He said yesterday he was locked up during his Singapore airport stop-over after being told he was not permitted to enter Malaysia, or travel to Indonesia. “They told me I was being deported straight back to Australia under a clause on an immigration card that said ‘ineligible for the issue of a pass under current immigration policies’,” he said.Dr Senewiratne said that when he asked what was the current immigration policy that would prevent him from travelling, the security officer said it wasn’t for him to say. “I arrived in Singapore at 5a.m. on Friday and was put in a 10 feet square ‘box’ for five and a half hours with asylum seekers and refugees. There was no food, no water and no toilet. At 81 it was no walk in the park,” said Dr Senewiratne. “Then an armed policeman, with live bullets in his revolver, took me to a waiting plane. My passport was given to the captain to be locked up in a security safe during the flight and released to security staff in Brisbane. I arrived back in Brisbane at 9pm last night.He said he was going to ask his local MP in Brisbane, Kevin Rudd, to take action on his behalf. He will also be writing to Foreign Affairs Minister, Bob Carr. “It is just outrageous, “ he said.
“If an Australian citizen is barred from talking to people in Malaysia and Indonesia about the refugee crisis, which involves them, then we are living in a very bad world. And if the Australian Government doesn’t do something then, as I said on the plane to the staff, an Australian passport isn’t worth the paper it is written on. I would rather have a passport for Guatemala.”
Dr Senewiratne, who is Sinhalese but actively supports the Tamil cause, said he believed he was arrested in Singapore because he was going to speak to an “invitation-only” forum in Malaysia about the humanitarian crisis with refugees. “My speculation is that the Malaysian Government told the Rajapaksa Government in Colombo about my trip and it asked Malaysia to tell Singapore to stop me. Or Malaysia instructed Singapore off its own bat,” he said.
Dr Brian Senewiratne‘s articles on Sri Lanka;
The Death Of A Newspaper – The Sunday Leader
Brian Senewiratne: Deterioration Of Human Rights In Sri Lanka
Psychiatric Disorder: An Analysis Of Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Why Bishop Joseph And His Roman Catholic Clergy Have Been Targeted
An Open Letter To Sri Lankan Anglican Bishop, Shantha Francis, Kurunagala
Dr.Brian Senewiratne’s Public Lecture At Charles Darwin University
The Life Of A Sri Lankan Tamil Bishop In Danger
Channel 4 Videos On Sri Lanka: Background Is Essential
UN Human Rights Council Meeting Another Farce
Independence Day: A Day For Action, Not Mourning
The Critical Situation facing the Tamil People in Sri Lanka
an economic refugee / December 16, 2012
I think it is more likely that Australians were tipped off by a Tamil Diaspora double agent about Brian’s dealings ..
Part of this comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
/
srilal / December 16, 2012
Leela are you crazy ? this time comes as “an economic refugee “
/
Ronny / December 16, 2012
Srilal, you are very much smarter than Leela and very observant. Congrats. She/he/shemale cannot escape from you. Congrats to Colombo Telegraph to have introduced this system of symbols so that “imposters” could be easily recognised.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / December 17, 2012
Leelooo: Whats up? natak natak so thanks to united assistance you learnt to change the rose but uneffecting the icon.
BTW no one like to see you ready to stamp on a milking cow- go away came back soon leeloo, waters edge tide is rising.
/
Oh Danny boy / December 16, 2012
NOW THESE ASSHOLES ARE CONTROLLING OTHER COUNTRIES TOO
/
True / December 16, 2012
At Donky Boy..
What “HOLE” you said???….
/
Bedrock Barney / December 19, 2012
YES, THESES ASSHOLES RECOGNIZE ONE OF THEIR OWN!
/
Oh Danny boy / December 16, 2012
BRIAN SHOULD HAVE TAKEN A DIRECT FLIGHT TO KL FROM AUSTRALIA VIA AIR ASIA AVOIDING SINGAPORE
/
Anuradha Pieris / December 17, 2012
Singapore is beautiful, systematic, disciplined place, but their law enforcement is ruthless, authoritarian and merciless.
/
sujeewa / December 16, 2012
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
/
dicky Bird / December 16, 2012
Oh danny Boy………. why Air Asia for Brian.S ? Has he gone bankrupt or hard days set in??
How speedily the retribution sets in …………..
Kevin Rudd will have to scratch his b.lls with Singaporians.[Edited out]
Part of this comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
/
Leela / December 17, 2012
Dicky, have you lost your bird?
/
Amude / December 16, 2012
Well done Singapore . He was going to talk on behalf of a defeated terrorist organization. If Australia harbors pro terrorist sympathizes that’s their outlook. It’s a country that eats the animal on their national flag . Would like to know which doctorate he claims, as he must have received a large sum of money for his intended pro terrorist speech.
/
Senguttuvan / December 16, 2012
One might agree or disagree with Dr Seneviratne’s political views but refusing his lawful entry into Singapore enroute Malaysia adds to the
argument of the lack of democratic rights in Singapore. If the same rules were applied to Dr LKY, the founder of Singapore, during the time the British ruled Malaya in violation of his rights, he would have ended his life in a Singapore jail. I would use the same argument to defend Mahinda Rajapakse if he was refused entry into Geneva in 1988/89 by the Swiss Govt when he was considered a danger to the Premadasa Govt.
The Australian Govt – due to whose liberalism Julian Assange enabled many Govts to clean up their act – must take appropriate steps with the
Singapore authorities. If Dr Seneviratne so wishes he might be entitled to damages from the Singapore Govt.
By the way, where is young Dr Romesh S, who brightened these pages with his spirited comments.
Senguttuvan
/
Anpu / December 16, 2012
Well said Seguttuvan Sir.
Anpu
/
Bruno Umbato / December 16, 2012
I can not believe that this very old (81 yrs) ’eminent’ Dr was refused even a transit visa to Singapore … My heart is broken hearing he was held without food, toilet and water … I thought that these type of things could ONLY happen in cruel SRI LANKA!. The LTTE rumps should not abandon this gentleman at this crucial moment and should come forward to correct these injustices … There are many they should contact … Obama, UN, Hillay, Crisis Group Human Rights Campios of the world, local MP’s and even councillors in western countries, AI, EU etc if they have forgotten …. They could easily been taken for a ride … LTTE rumps are the masters of the game of ‘taking all powerfuls for a ride’ ….
Dear Dr. Brian, try a visa to SL and I am very confident that you could get it …. Could you remember Wickramabahu K was stopped his talk halfway in India few months back? But, he has never been stopped his sermons in SL and he is making full use of it … I know there is no result at all … But, you could do whatever you want in SL … Brian, go where you hate most and make a difference … I’m sorry you have been treated this way by a country which was highly thought of by the LTTE rumps including you ….
/
gamini / December 17, 2012
Senguttuvan to add to your comment, I find there is a Cartel that operates and decides for countries what to do and for whom. It is this Cartel that was responsible for fixing VP and a section of the LTTE who were with him to surrender. It is the same Cartel that backed MR to be the War Victor, promising VP an escape route, which eventually led to his massacre. This same Cartel is responsible in picking Tamils in the West who were with VP active earlier in LTTE operations now being persecuted for their involvement of funding the LTTE and dealt with. Here again it is the same Cartel that is responsible in getting Singapore not to allow Brian to proceed as they do not want the Tamils as a force to upset the apple cart of their business interest in Asia. They are not intersted in any mother’s son’s cause or Human Rights. It is not difficult to identify who is at the bottom, when pleas for Inquiry for War Crimes is soft peddled when there is glaring evidence from within the Organisations that are meant to Protect same.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / December 17, 2012
Senguttuvan: Quote”where is young Dr Romesh S, who brightened these pages” Unquote
Ho ho that has grammatical gender and case endings ;
r.s.-crazy bounty hunter yes its true in his own script chk link what a sham so it took me long to get him into exposing it but somehow c.t. edited the message I sent you but dr singham was given the full details. Perhaps RS has not spilled you name for nothing anyway ask dr rajasingham for details of the bounty hunter- like father like son but more intrusive like the dayan mess – small world,
BTW who has taken gupta’s place at shanti vihar?
Even donald gave financial details of brian what a mess brian is on -the payrole of the animal itself.giving life a last go.
/
suryagamage nilan / December 16, 2012
Amude! Nice name for you and your brains!
It is not surprising that you resort to foul language since Dr. Brian’s mind is far beyond your intellectual capacity.
He has consistently supported fairness in Sri Lanka and therefore is the only true patriot. While Amude and MARA gang like Weerawansa are only fit to mingle among Amude circle! They will destroy this beautiful country and any semblance of true Buddhism in this land.
Singapore which is another Chinese country and what it is doing is not surprising. Althoought dubbed as the wonder of Asia. I would call it the Amude of Asia! It is more a shopping mall than a country which is collecting all the Amude’s of Whites.
/
Native Vedda / December 16, 2012
suryagamage nilan
I am highly offended by your comments on our Amudey. It is our life style and fashion statement. Therefore please hands off our amudey since it is the only heritage we can now call ours.
/
True / December 16, 2012
Good for you (DR) LTTE Brian (Brain Less)
“If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.”
Hahaaa
/
Jim Softy / December 16, 2012
Now Brian Senevirathne is very old ..
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
/
K.A Sumanasekera / December 16, 2012
Didn’t the Tamils in Malaysia threatened the Srilankan President not set foot there, resulting in the cancellation of his visit?.
/
Jayantha / December 16, 2012
God always send Prophets and Deity to nations or the world before destroying them and they come in many different forms.
It is upto those nations to listen to them…..and be corrected.
Time is up for Sri Lanka.
/
Mark / December 16, 2012
Dr Seneviratne is a member of the Bandaranaike family. It is shameful that this respectable gentleman who has nothing but good intentions and decency was harassed in this manner by obviously our GOV run by thugs who basically usurped the SLFP of the Bandaranaike’s. It is also shameful that the GOV of Singapore and Malaysia saw it fit the take the word of a bunch of uneducated murderers with zero credibility and act in this manner toward a private citizen of Australia.
/
Saro / December 16, 2012
The Australian government, prompted by its opposition, play politics and spend millions to prevent boat people many of whom are genuinely frightened and ill treated by the mono-ethnic military deployed in large numbers in Tamil speaking areas. The money given or lent to Sri Lankan government to educate the people to be employable and hence stop people leaving for safer countries is wasted as most of it will find its way into the pockets of mono-ethnic bureaucrats who also indulged in double game of encouraging and arresting the persecuted.
Only Sri Lankan government can descend to the lowest level of barring people who speak the truth about the plight of oppressed and enslaved in the country. Dr Brian Senewiratne is one of few intellectuals who criticise the government of the ethnic majority elected by it for itself.
/
Chandra / December 17, 2012
Why he says “…I was kept for 5 hours with refugees and asylum seekers…” as if he was above them. Ironically he was going to a summit to speak about such people.
It looks like he likes to talk about them but wouldn’t like to sit with them. A one man NGO.
/
Saro / December 18, 2012
“…I was kept for 5 hours with refugees and asylum seekers…” is a statement of fact, how could he say it otherwise?
/
Chandra / December 19, 2012
It sounds like part of his grievance list against Singaporean authorities. As if he is entitled to VIP detainee treatment.
If genuine, Brian could have depicted it as a one good out of the incident giving him ‘an opportunity’ to experience what ‘those’ refugees and asylum seekers have to go through.
The truth is those people are his merchandise. He doesn’t have to travel in the cargo bay in order to talk about his merchandise.
/
Saman Fernando / December 17, 2012
May I ask why the Forum Seneviratne was going to speak ïnvitation only”.
We who speak for transparency and rule of law need to practice what we preach.
As a human rights campaigner in Europe, I always make any discussion we engage in open so that we cant be accused of operating for foreign intelligence agencies.
S.Fernando
/
Jayagath Perera / December 17, 2012
In my opinion it is not the denial by Singapore to enter that caught my eye but the comment of Dr. Brian ” …an Australian passport isn’t worth the paper it is written on. I would rather have a passport for Guatemala.”
Now that is of bad taste. So Dr. Brian indirectly admits that he changed his nationality for better prospects like any other economic refugee. If he adopted a new nationality he must be loyal to it after swearing allegiance perhaps before a judge or an administrator of oaths. One is likely to ask Dr. Brian whether he has thrown the Queen of Australia into the waste paper basket.
What happened to Dr. Brian can happen to any body in any country. But nevertheless however undesirable Dr. Brian can be to his country of deportation he should have been treated humanely considering his age, if as he says he was not provided with the basics.
/
Jayantha / December 17, 2012
Yes, this is a great beginning if Dr. Senewiratne could start an Air, landing and Visa war campaign against our Parliament members.
We sri lankans could save an enormous valuable foreign exchange, thanks to your effect if you could advertise this throughout the Globe.
/
Wuliangguobinjiu / December 17, 2012
Good luck wishful thinking?
14.12.2010
Australia says NO – Second Time she has done this!
Prime Minister Julia Gillard – Australia does it again!! She’s done it again.
She sure isn’t backing down on her hard line stance and one has to
appreciate her belief in the rights of her native countrymen.
‘IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT.. Take It Or Leave It.
I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some
“individual or their culture”. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.
‘This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom’
‘We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.’
This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this.
But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life,
I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom, ‘THE RIGHT TO LEAVE’.’
‘If you aren’t happy here then LEAVE. We didn’t force you to come here.
You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.’
Even a white UN officer from down under cannot move the mountain how can this TRO paid troll(a local could have been purchased for the occassion with external thumbs up to mark the day.)
/
Sulary / December 17, 2012
Who’s Next?????
/
chuti / December 17, 2012
Come in Please…
/
Ramy / December 17, 2012
As per his son’s ….
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
/
Ramy / December 17, 2012
I am showing the comments which appeared about Brian in ……
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
http://colombotelegraph.com/comments-policy/
/
sach / December 17, 2012
who the hell would want to keep this man inside a cell. This man thinks of him too much. I dont think SLG care him for a rat’s a**. Either it is a pretense with the assistance of TD or a mistake. He is the least important for the gov here.
/
Nimal / December 17, 2012
Hey Amude,
You don’t know nothing about Dr Brian Seneviratne. That’s why you ask what doctorate. He is a medical doctor who even lectured in Sri Lanka. More importantly he is a patriot by deed, He concern about the fellow Sri Lankans, not about the Sinhalese only.
/
Nimal / December 17, 2012
Hey Amude,
You know nothing about Dr Brian Seneviratne. That’s why you ask what doctorate. He is a medical doctor who even lectured in Sri Lanka. More importantly he is a patriot by deed, He concern about the fellow Sri Lankans, not about the Sinhalese only.
/
subra jayahanthan / December 17, 2012
It is very unfortunate that Brian should have been treated in this manner.Singapore must have acted on the information relayed to them.Best wishes to Brian in taking this matter up with the Australian government.Subra
/
Selva / December 17, 2012
Now Australia must cancel his citizenship and deport to Guatemala for him to spend his rest of life in even a smaller cell! He betrays one country, cheats another country, insults one more country and tries to mislead two other countries!!
/
Native Vedda / December 18, 2012
Selva says:
“Now Australia must cancel his citizenship and deport to Guatemala”
If you want him to suffer please ask Australia to send him back to Sri Lanka.
You say:
“He betrays one country, cheats another country, insults one more country and tries to mislead two other countries!!”
How so?
Assuming what you say is true, all Sri Lankies living abroad are guilty as charged. What are you going to do about it?
/
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran / December 17, 2012
He has been recently nominated to a senior position in the TGTE. This was probably the cause for the Singapore government decision. Incidentally, Dr.Brian Seneviratne was a Senior lecturer at the Medical faculty at Peradeniya and was a much sought after physician.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran
/
Kumudini / December 17, 2012
Every Country has to excercise thier right to allow who to be allowed into thier country at their discretion .How many genuine people have been refused visa;s to western countries and Australia even to attend family funtions,like weddings , I ca n name a dozen . WhAT is all the fuss about an 81 year old ? Maybe they were more concerned about his falling ill and having to treat him in hospital . Maybe he was refused on Medical grounds . No 81year old from SL will be allowed in Australia purely on medical grounds . This is a fact.
/
Native Vedda / December 18, 2012
Kumudini says:
“Every Country has to excercise thier right to allow who to be allowed into thier country at their discretion”
Yes I hate to agree with you. You should not allow anti social, subversive, ….criminals into the country.
In that respect my ancestors made a costly mistake by allowing the Kallathoni Criminal Vijaya and his 700 thugs to set foot in my ancestral land.
We are still paying the price.
/
Dominique / December 17, 2012
Asshole Senewiratne, got his treatment.
/
Native Vedda / December 18, 2012
Dominique
“Asshole Senewiratne, got his treatment.”
What does Asshole mean?
I believe you too have an asshole ( anus; arsehole; arse;)
Do you think yours is different from his, and why?
Since he is a physician he knows how to treat a pain in the a.se like you.
/
Anti-boru / December 17, 2012
Moderator:
You are very free with your editorial red pencil. How, then does a comment like Dominique’ merit being published?
“Different strokes for different folks it seems!” Perhaps, going on this kind of performance, the MaRa regime should seriously consider hiring you!
/