A Scottish girl dwelling in Sri Lanka, who has been campaigning for activists protesting over the nation’s financial disaster, has had her passport seized by authorities.
Kayleigh Fraser, from St Andrews, stated six immigration officers turned up at her door on Tuesday claiming she had violated her visa situations.
The 34-year-old stated they demanded to have her passport “otherwise they would put me in handcuffs”.
Ms Fraser stated she was then instructed to attend for seven days for “an investigation” to be carried out earlier than she may retrieve her documentation.
Ms Fraser has been often posting photos and reporting in regards to the ongoing unrest in Sri Lanka on her social media pages whereas she is within the nation (Kayleigh Fraser handout for PA)
The day earlier than, she stated she acquired “a panicked” telephone name from an worker on the firm which issued her visa telling her to go away the nation instantly as a result of authorities had been investigating her.
The Scottish citizen has been vocal on social media about ongoing protests in Colombo which, since Ranil Wickremesinghe took cost on 21 July, have been dealt with with “intimidation, surveillance and arbitrary arrests of demonstrators, civil society activists, lawyers and journalists”, in keeping with Human Rights Watch.
Speaking to PA information company about her confrontation with immigration officers, Ms Fraser stated: “They accosted me in the street and were outside my house for about 40 minutes, but they couldn’t even tell me what I had done wrong.
“They kept saying I had violated the terms of my visa, but they didn’t even know what visa I was on until they finally got hold of my passport.
“I didn’t feel safe.”
Ms Fraser video-recorded her interplay with the officers after she claimed two of them tried to barge into her dwelling to get her passport.
She will be heard telling them she appears like she is being harassed for drawing consideration to the continuing points confronted by the Sri Lankan public, reminiscent of inflation and gas shortages.
Since posting the video on her social media pages, Ms Fraser stated activist lawyer Nagananda Kodituwakku, common secretary of the Vinivida Foundation, has been in contact together with her to assist her case.
She stated the pair are on account of meet with officers on the nation’s immigration and emigration division on Monday to hopefully retrieve her passport.
Wickremesinghe renewed the nation’s state of emergency when he took energy on the finish of final month, which he reportedly stated was “in the interest of public security”.
A state of emergency permits troops to arrest and detain suspects, and the president to make rules overriding current legal guidelines to take care of any unrest.
Ms Fraser stated up to now two weeks, she believes between 40 and 50 individuals have been arrested, with about 10 being detained yesterday alone.
“When they threatened to handcuff me it was quite frightening because under emergency law, they can really do anything,” she stated.
Continuing to make her voice heard in regards to the ongoing protests, Ms Fraser added: “What is happening to these people is absolutely appalling.
“There hasn’t been enough attention on the suffering that they are going through.
“The government is using tear gas on peaceful activists, it’s horrific.
“Social media has been powerful at helping keep the people here as safe as they can be by showing more about what’s going on.”
Aberdeen-based, Labour councillor Deena Tissera stated she is working with MSP Foysol Choudhury and the Scottish Government to make an inquiry to the Sri Lankan authorities to make sure Ms Fraser’s security and that her human rights are protected.
“Kayleigh has been getting calls asking her to immediately leave the country because her life could be in danger,” Ms Tissera stated.
“She is a social media activist shedding light on the protests, state of emergency, and human right violations in Sri Lanka.
“Her British passport has been forcefully seized by Sri Lankan authorities with no given reason.”
The Sir Lankan immigration authorities have been contacted for remark.
