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| Photograph: Sunday Times |
A Sri Lankan court in Puttalam has remanded a group of asylum seekers who attempted to flee the island last month.
The group of at least 22 people were arrested last month, following a tip off to police.
The Sunday Times reports the group are all residents of Jaffna, Mannar, Puthukkudiyiruppu and Trincomalee. They were attempting to flee to Australia or Canada.
The latest arrest of asylum seekers by the Sri Lankan government takes place after a report by the Associated Press last month detailed ongoing allegations of rape and torture of Tamil men by Sri Lankan security forces. The men interviewed were all seeking political asylum in Europe.