by Shamindra Ferdinando

The Australian government has told the breakaway JVP faction, the Front-line Socialist Party (FAP) that it could revoke its leader Kumar Gunaratnam’s Australian citizenship only if Sri Lanka guaranteed he would be given Sri Lankan citizenship again

FSP spokesperson Pubudu Jagoda said that their leader wanted to revert to Sri Lankan citizenship though he obtained Australian citizenship during the previous administration. Jagoda was responding to a query by The Island at a media briefing at Rajagiriya on Friday.

Jagoda said that Australia required an assurance in writing from the government of Sri Lanka to proceed.

The Australian High Commission said it didn’t comment on consular matters.

Jagoda alleged that the yahapalana government had ignored their repeated plea to issue a letter. Responding to another query, Jagoda said that Australian authorities had explained that in accordance with international law citizenship offered to a foreigner couldn’t be rescinded unless that person had received a guarantee from another country he would be accepted.

Jagoda said that Internal Affairs, Wayamba Development and Cultural Affairs Minister S.B. Navinna had ignored completely their repeated requests to issue a letter on behalf of Gunaratnam. The FSP spokesperson alleged that they hadn’t been successful in moving the Supreme Court against Minister Navinna. The Supreme Court held the view that it had no jurisdiction in the matter, Jagoda said, adding that he couldn’t comprehend why those who had assured restoration of political rights deprived a person right to engage in politics.

Jagoda said Gunaratnam fled the country for fear of his life.

The yahapalana government arrested Gunaratnam on Nov 4, 2015 and subsequently had him convicted for overstaying visa. Gunaratnam is serving a prison term.

According to the Immigration and Emigration Department, Gunaratnam, had obtained an Australian passport (N 1016123) bearing the name, Noel Mudalige, to return to Sri Lanka in early September, 2011. The previous government deported him though he returned again in the run up to the last parliamentary polls in January 2015.

Mudalige told The Island that the ball is now in Sri Lanka’s court. “We don’t want Australia to intervene on Gunaratnam’s behalf. Our leader’s intention is not to return to Australia but regain Sri Lankan citizenship.”

The FSP spokesperson said that the party understood Australia’s stand on this matter. Obviously, Australia couldn’t annul the passport issued to Gunaratnam, thereby making him a stateless person.

During the conflict thousands of Sri Lankans received citizenship from various countries, including Australia.

The issuance of Australian passport to Gunaratnam under a different name came to light when former Australian HIC in Colombo Robyn Mudie sought the then Defence Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s intervention to locate Gunaratnam allegedly abducted by intelligence services.

Courtesy:The Island