Australian “Safe” After Reported Missing

Premakumar Gunaratnam, an Australian from New South Wales, is safe. Gunaratnam was reported missing a couple of days ago and was allegedly kidnapped by Sri Lanka’s “secret police.” 

The Australian is a political activist associated with the People’s Struggle Movement in Sri Lanka. Reports said he and his colleague Dimithy Attygalle went missing. Prior to the disappearance, the two were scheduled to appear in their party’s launch and press conference. 

Champa Somaratna, Gunaratnam’s wife, reported that her husband was abducted. She also asked Australia’s federal government to intervene and help locate her husband. 

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade immediately launched a meeting with the Australian High Commissioner in Colombo. 

Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to Australia, denied that the political activist was kidnapped. He also told media that the Sri Lankan government does not kidnap anyone. 

Samarasinghe also revealed that there is no record of Gunaratnam entering the country. He asked whether Gunaratnam entered the country illegally. 

This morning, DFAT has confirmed that Gunaratnam is safe. The agency, however, declined to give further comments about the details of the incidence. 

Samarasinghe said that Gunaratnam went to a Colombo police station to identify himself. 

Unofficial reports indicated that Gunaratnam used a fake name when he entered Sri Lanka in Sept. 4, 2011. He used the name Noel Mudalige. 

Gunaratnam allegedly uses different passports and aliases. Samarasinghe said that because of Sri Lanka’s good relations with Australia, Gunaratnam will likely be deported to Australia as soon as possible.

Tagged Sri Lanka