Recent visit to sri lanka: summary report by tamil expats

We saw remarkable improvements in the IDP camps, though conditions cannot be described as perfect. The United Nations agencies insist these camps be of a temporary nature and this dictate the housing and other infra-structure facilities be such. However, it was observed the housing and toilets constructed by the Sri Lankan authorities were more durable and climate friendly than those constructed by the UN agencies. The UN agencies were obviously constrained by their definition of the word ‘Temporary’ and the material for housing that are standard issue the world over. The IDP camps have become functional communities with schools, temples, shops, banks, reading rooms and medical centres. The limitations existing in these camps largely arise from the fact that they are temporary. The outer perimeter barbed wire fences exist and the IDPs are not permitted move in and out of the camps, unless taken out to the Vavuniya hospital for medical reasons. We did not hear any complaints about these restrictions from the residents of these camps. The security concerns and safety of the refugees are yet paramount and the restrictions are acceptable to the inmates.

Discussions with the residents in these camps revealed they were relieved to be in safe havens, after their near-death and other harrowing experiences in the war front. Their main concerns were about split family units and about their missing relatives. Many were yet near tears in memory of the loved ones who died in the exchanges of fire in the war front or those who were killed by the LTTE while trying to escape. We heard heart rending tales on how the LTTE brutally conscripted their young children and the equally heart rending measures they took to protect their children. The black marketing of essential foods and the incineration of food stocks when evacuating areas, by the LTTE were frequently mentioned with extreme resentment. The residents we spoke to were resentful of the LTTE behaviour during the fourth Eelam war and were quite open in condemning the Tamil Diaspora, for having blindly supported the LTTE. Read more ...