Australia to aid Sri Lankan provinces

The two nations signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen legal co-operation to "increase opportunities for investigating and prosecuting people smugglers".

But Foreign Minister Stephen Smith and his counterpart Rohitha Bogollagama also vowed to work together to improve conditions in Sri Lanka so people won't need to seek refuge in Australia.

"Australia welcomes the end of the conflict situation that prevailed for over two-and-a-half decades in some parts of Sri Lanka," the ministers said in a joint statement after meeting in
Colombo.

"Our two countries will actively work for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Sri Lanka's northern and eastern provinces, to facilitate the return of displaced civilians to their homes in conditions of dignity, peace and freedom.

"Australia therefore pledges to strongly support the resettlement and reconstruction programs being led by the Sri Lankan government."
   
About a third of those displaced during the conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers have returned home in the past three months, the UN's refugee agency said late last week.

Some 274,000 people were displaced during the civil war and following the recent returns, 163,000 people still remain in state-run camps where conditions are said to be deteriorating.
   
In their joint statement, the Australian and Sri Lankan foreign ministers also agreed to "undertake a public information campaign to alert Sri Lankan citizens to the dangers of maritime people smuggling".
   
They pledged to further enhance co-operation "against the criminal organisers of the people smuggling trade".

The memorandum of understanding will strengthen extradition arrangements for people involved in people smuggling and allow for the seizure of the proceeds of their criminal activity.
   
Some 78 Sri Lankan asylum seekers aboard the Australian customs vessels the Oceanic Viking are currently refusing to disembark in Indonesia.

A further 250 Tamils who were intercepted by the Indonesian navy en route to Australia in October have now spent four weeks aboard their rickety wooden boat moored in the Javanese port city of Merak.