Throughout the last year, three Sri Lankan men have been physically and mentally tortured in prison, two of them beaten so badly that they were taken to hospital.

While shocking, this is not an uncommon occurrence in Sri Lanka.

But what is especially concerning about the case of these particular men is that they were returned to Sri Lanka by the Australian Government after having had their claims for protection rejected.

Despite the end of the civil war, human rights abuses are common in Sri Lanka, especially for people - such as journalists and political dissidents - who dare to question the current government. In this case, Sumith, Indika and Lasantha were picked up by Sri Lankan security forces after being returned to Sri Lanka from Australia.

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Email or write a letter to Sri Lankan authorities demanding protection for these men and an independent investigation into their treatment - download our urgent action instructions now (pdf 72kb)

The men had asked Australia to protect them, claiming that if returned they would be at risk from politicians in Sri Lanka as well as the owner of the boat they came across on.

The severe abuse of Sumith, Indika and Lasantha upon their return reflects the country information provided by Amnesty International, and proves false the Australian Government’s claims that returned asylum seekers will not subjected to torture and other forms of abuse.

Amnesty International has repeatedly highlighted the danger facing people in this situation. Sri Lanka remains a highly volatile and dangerous place. In May this year, we stated that "in the past 12 months the Sri Lankan Government has jailed critics and clamped down on dissent."

Despite the fact that the claims of Sumith, Indika and Lasantha mirrored the advice from Amnesty International, as well as other reputable organisations, the Australian Immigration Department deemed them to be in no real danger if returned.

“Evidently this was a mistake, and one which has had terrible consequences - arrest, detention and torture.”

Evidently this was a mistake, and one which has had terrible consequences - arrest, detention and torture.

Obviously it is impossible to get every decision right, but as long as asylum seekers are processed offshore and in remote desert detention centres, the chances of making such an error increase significantly.

Why? Because it is extremely hard for Australian immigration officials to properly process claims of people detained on Christmas Island - thousands of kilometres from the Australian mainland.

Remote, offshore detention restricts access to migration agents, lawyers and other independent oversight bodies who may have been able to prevent the men being wrongfully returned.

As a signatory to the Convention against Torture, Australia has agreed to never send people back to a country where they would face torture or death. However the focus on border protection at the expense of the protection of individuals has undermined Australia’s commitment to its international obligations. What this case dramatically demonstrates is that when creating asylum seeker policy, the priority must be the protection of people fleeing torture, arbitrary detention, torture and death.

“The fate of these three men highlights how hard it is for Australian immigration officials to properly process claims of people detained on Christmas Island - thousands of kilometres from the Australian mainland.”

Given that Australia has only received 4,600 asylum seekers by boat this year (about two per cent of our total immigration), there really is no valid argument for prioritising the protection of Australia’s borders over the protection of people’s lives.

On Friday, Amnesty International wrote to both major parties in Australia highlighting the case of Sumith, Indika and Lasantha. Since then we have learned that the Australian High Commission in Sri Lanka is investigating the fate of the three men.

While Amnesty International welcomes this development, we will continue to pressure the Australian Government to improve the efficiency and transparency of their refugee assessment process by moving all asylum seekers to mainland Australia.

For now, Sumith, Indika and Lasantha remain in severe danger in Sri Lanka. They risk further torture at the hands of Sri Lankan security forces, and other prisoners who are connected to the owner of the boat they came across on. We need your help to call on the Sri Lankan authorities to ensure the humane and just treatment of the three men while in prison.

Please email or write a letter to Sri Lankan authorities - download our urgent action instructions now (pdf 72kb)