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Sri Lanka bars entry to Canadian lawmaker
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — Sri Lanka denied entry Wednesday to a Canadian lawmaker who was outspoken in his criticism of the military's war against the Tamil Tiger rebels, an official said.
Immigration Commissioner P. B. Abeykoon said Bob Rae of Canada's Liberal Party was briefly detained upon his arrival in the country and then forced to leave.
"We got information from the intelligence services that his visit to the country was not suitable," Abeykoon said.
Rae had called on Canada to be more outspoken in its criticism of Sri Lanka's recent offensive against the rebels, which left more than 7,000 civilians killed in the last months of fighting, according to the United Nations.
Rae said his treatment showed the Sri Lanka was "afraid of dialogue, afraid of discussion, afraid of engagement. All I can say is shame on them."
Canada has objected to Sri Lanka's move and called allegations against Rae "absurd."
"We have registered to the Sri Lankan Government our dismay and displeasure concerning this unacceptable treatment of a Canadian parliamentarian," said Emma Welford, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Affairs department.
Canadian Conservative lawmaker Deepak Obhrai said he was supposed to travel to Sri Lanka this week to check on displacement camps, but his visa application was denied by the Sri Lankan High Commission in Ottawa.
"Their excuse was that they could not accommodate me," Obhrai said.
Sri Lanka has been accused of recently barring at least one other top foreign diplomat, although others, including U.N Secretary General Ban Ki-moon have been allowed to come.
In April, Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt said he was denied a visa to visit as part of European delegation pressing for a cease-fire in the war. Sri Lanka said Bildt had not told the government he was coming.
