Student federations demand release of Sri Lankan Tamils detained in Australia

Members of various student federations on Monday demanded the release of 46 Sri Lankan Tamil prisoners languishing in Australian jails, allegedly arrested while seeking asylum.

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Around ten representatives met Australian Deputy Consul General for South India, Stuart Campbell, and gave him a petition to release 46 Sri Lankan Tamils who have been illegally detained.

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"Immediately release the 46 innocent Tamil people who are kept as life term prisoners in Australia. These 46 people including children and women, very innocent Tamil people, who went to Australia to seek asylum were arrested and they were given life time sentence, indefinite detention was given to them," coordinator of Tamil youths and students federation, Prabhakaran said.

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The leaders said that in past two years Australia has deported thousands of Tamil asylum seekers without proper and comprehensive assessment of their refugee claims.

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Australian authorities have detained about 46 of them, giving them life terms on allegations that they are Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres.