Anyone can visit IDP camps-SrI Lanka

by Sri Lanka Army news | June 19, 2009 at 01:09 am

886 views | 28 Recommendations | 9 comments

Anyone can visit IDP camps but not for own gain

The government would allow any interested party or group to assist and help the internally displaced persons currently located in the welfare centres in the North, but won't let anyone capitalize on their grievances, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena said yesterday (17 June).

Addressing a press conference in Colombo Abeywardena said that there were political parties and NGOs demanding access to these camps with the intention of gaining political mileage and to secure foreign funds for NGOs. They cannot be allowed because their intentions are not genuinely motivated to assist IDPs, he said.

There are several IDP camps in Vavuniya, Jaffna and Mannar accommodating thousands of persons who were displaced by the recently concluded war. The security forces are running the IDP camps with government assistance and the government has announced that it would resettle them soon, he said. "The main Opposition United National Party and some non governmental organizations had requested the government to give them permission to visit the IDP camps. The government allowed some foreign delegations to visit the camps because they will fund the welfare of the IDPs. But the UNP is again spreading false statements," he said.

The <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 />Sri Lanka war is over now and the resettlement process has begun, but the Pro LTTE Propaganda seems determined to sabotage the process and tarnish the government’s image.

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ShriCU

at 01:17 on June 19th, 2009

You're welcome to IDP Villages.......!!!

How nice.

B12N

at 07:18 on June 19th, 2009

I suggest you change the title. It is very misleading and definitely NOT the TRUTH!

" Anyone can visit IDP camps but not for own gain."

They will use this "own gain" excuse to keep everyone out of those camps.

Channel 4 News based on undercover investigation

B12N

at 07:25 on June 19th, 2009

Uwe Paschen

at 02:42 on June 19th, 2009

I think you will have more false statement with censorship in place then with free access and free press reports.

This is a good turn if so, this would mean that Bob Rae and Allan Rock are now allowed in after all and may view all camps and talk to all people.

It would also mean that the BBC, the CBC and TIME would be allowed in and talk to every one and view all camps as well as move freely with in the country to talk to whom ever they need or want to.

If so, then this is good news.

Rob Walker

at 03:06 on June 19th, 2009

So the United Nations, Amnesty International, reporters without borders, the red cross and all those others are allowed in?

I'll believe it when I see it.

Tamiya

at 06:53 on June 19th, 2009

Human Rights Watch said on June 17, 2009:

Sri Lanka: International Investigation Needed, End of Government Commission on Wartime Abuses Puts Justice at Risk June 17, 2009
"The decision to disband the presidential commission shows that President Rajapaksa has little intention of fulfilling his promise to Secretary-General Ban," said Pearson. "It's now up to concerned governments to step in and ensure that justice is done for the victims of abuses in Sri Lanka's long war."

There have been serious ongoing violations of human rights in Sri Lanka and a backlog of cases of enforced disappearance and unlawful killings that run to the tens of thousands, as described for example in the 2008 Human Rights Watch report "Recurring Nightmare." Despite this track record, there have been only a small number of prosecutions.

Tamiya

at 07:06 on June 19th, 2009

Good photos Sri Lankan Army.

Unfortunately, the photos comes from all others sources show a different picture.

Hidden from the world.. innocent captives of terror The News of the World sends award-winning reporter Dan McDougall to reveal truth about Sri Lanka's secret refugee camps

Sure, "Anyone can visit IDP camps-SrI Lanka" as long as they don't speak out for human rights. Scandinavian Foreign Ministers, the Economist magazine, the Mercy ship carried aid to the Tamil IDPs, Jeremy Page - Times UK,Canadian MP Bob Rae, Aid agencies kicked out accused of being "LTTE sympathizers", Journalists, Sri Lanka's opposition party, Tamil National Alliance, the relatives & friends of the Tamil IDPs, and humanitarian groups .... the list goes on.

I think it just might be easier to say "No one can visit the IDP camps-Sri Lanka" and Exceptions will include the Sri Lankan Army, and the paramilitary groups, who have/shall extort the Tamils. See this time, the list is easier to manage. just a suggestion, that's all.

senthil5000

at 07:59 on June 19th, 2009

Anyone can visit ??

This is what is told to the workers of the camp :

"We were all gathered together recently by the government and we were told that if we told the figures of the sick and why people are dying to the foreign NGOs that we will be killed for doing this."

Today's News:

[TamilNet, Friday, 19 June 2009, 11:36 GMT]
“Sri Lanka government has not yet permitted the opposition parliamentarians to see the Tamil civilians held in the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) camps in Vavuniyaa in order to learn of their problems and help them,” Gayantha Karunathilaka, United National Party (UNP) media spokesman, said in a press meet held Wednesday at the office of the leader of the opposition in Colombo.

“Even media reporters are not permitted to visit the civilians held in Vavuniyaa internment camps who face various hardships including lack of basic health and medical facilities. Sixty of them have died during the last few days,” Karunathilaka pointed out.

“We do not want to do politics by exposing the problems of the Tamil detainees but are trying to expose the truth and to say that the government is not looking after them as they should be," he said.

“The detainees are confined to the camps being denied their freedom of movement; they are forced to live in small tents. Parliamentarians in the opposition should be permitted to meet the Tamil detainees,” he added.