Sri Lanka captured Canadian

Deepak Obhrai, who arrived in Sri Lanka on Sunday for Canada's first official visit since the civil war ended in May, said the Canadian was detained at a camp for former Tamil Tigers rebels.

"He is a combatant, according to them," Mr. Obhrai told the National Post in a telephone interview from Colombo. "They told us who he was, we are aware of his identity. We were told he was held at a camp which is for combatants, which is separate, which they classify as a rehabilitation camp. He is held in that camp."

David Poopalapillai, spokesman for the Canadian Tamil Congress, said the claim should be viewed with skepticism because it could be the product of torture.

"Anything that comes from a Sri Lankan government statement, we want people to be cautious."

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the Canadian Tamil Congress called their detention a "violation of international humanitarian law" and urged Mr. Obhrai to push for their release.

Government officials had previously said that six foreign nationals were among those held at the camps: three Australians, and one each from Britain, Norway and the Netherlands. But a Toronto lawyer said yesterday four Canadians are also being held.

Gary Anandasangaree said he was assisting the family of one such Canadian but added he was aware of three similar cases.

He said he had not heard of any Canadian combatants having been captured but said that regardless they had the right to consular assistance from the Canadian government.

Mr. Obhrai said he had counted only two Canadians so far. In addition to the alleged combatant, he said he met a second Canadian yesterday while visiting a civilian displacement camp. "We talked to him and he is now in touch with our consular officials, and we will be working towards his release back home," Mr. Obhrai said.

He said Canada believes the best solution is to return the civilians to their homes as soon as possible. Sri Lanka says that will happen, but that it needs time to clear land-mines and rebuild towns destroyed by the fighting. Mr. Obhrai said he was told the government intends to have 80% of the war refugees back in their homes within 180 days.

The Conservative MP's visit to Sri Lanka is the first since Liberal MP Bob Rae was turned back at the Colombo airport last month. Although Mr. Rae was issued a visa, Sri Lankan authorities deported him on the grounds he was sympathetic to the rebels -- an accusation the Canadian government called absurd.