Army will help rebuilding - Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, MP

Like our Army saved the Tamil people from terrorism they will also rebuild their settlements with irrigation tanks , irrigation ducts and roads to a better standard than they ever existed before said Uthuru Vasanthaya Project Chairman and Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa, MP at a ceremony handing over 101 heavy construction equipment to the Army to rebuild the Northern Province infrastructure easing the rapid development and resettlement of IDP's in welfare centres.

The equipment imported from the People's Republic of China under the sponsorship of the Ambassador for the People's Republic of China Yang Xiuping also marked the 60th anniversary of China. The Galle Face Green where the ceremony was held was decked with the yellow star spangled red flags of China. Read more ...

Library facilities for doctors serving IDPs

Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry has made arrangements to provide library facilities to doctors who are now serving the IDPs. The Ministry took this decision after considering their educational requirements, Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said there are around 85 doctors attending on IDPs and most of them are getting ready to sit for their post graduate examinations. Therefore they need to visit Colombo to use libraries. It is very difficult for them to travel to Colombo on a regular basis and there are no library facilities close to their present locations. Read more ...

Sri Lanka: Japan helps welfare centres

The Japanese government will provide assistance for the provision of drinking water supply equipment and a septate treatment plant to welfare centres for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North.

Japanese Ambassador Kunio Takahashi handed over the relevant Note Verbal to Water Supply and Drainage Minister A.L.M. Athaullah.

The Project which has materialized consequent to a request made by the National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWS&DB) to the Japanese Embassy on the instruction of Minister A.L.M. Athaullah, will meet immediate requirements of safe drinking water and improvement of sanitation in welfare centres. Read more...

Sri Lanka releases university students from welfare camps

Sri Lankan authorities have released the university students, living in welfare camps, because they could not pursue their studies in the camps, the Media Center for National Security said today.

The students have been released on Sunday to the transit camps in the University attached hostels of Jaffna University in Kainadi. Some students were handed over to the Vice Chancellor of University of Jaffna, Nagalingam Shammugalingum, and some others to their nearest kin. Read more ...

President opens EU reconstructed Vakarai school in Eastern Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa today ceremoniously opened the reconstructed Vakarai Maha Vidyalaya in Batticaloa District of Eastern Sri Lanka which has been reconstructed with European Union funds.

The school damaged by the 2004 tsunami and the ethnic conflict has been reconstructed under the government's Eastern Awakening Program (Nagenahira Nawodaya) at a cost of Rs. 300 million.

The reconstruction was carried out with the collaboration of the Ministry of Education through its implementing partner, the International Organization for Migration. Read more ...

UN Population Fund opens family health clinics in Manik Farm

UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, in collaboration with the Family Health Bureau of the Ministry of Healthcare and Nutrition and the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka (FPASL), opened five family health clinics in five zones of the Manik Farm camp on 18th September at a ceremony attended by UNFPA Representative, Director of Family Health Bureau, Executive Director of FPASL and other health ministry officials.

The family health clinics will provide antenatal and postnatal exams, voluntary family planning, emergency deliveries by skilled birth attendants and psychosocial counselling, among other services. With an estimated 5,000 pregnant women in the camps, out of whom 400 will give birth within the next 4 weeks, the family health clinics will play a critical role in safeguarding the health of these women. Read more ...

Sri Lanka Fisheries Ministry to introduce non conventional projects to acquire more aquatic resources in the North

The Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Ministry of Sri Lanka is to launch non traditional marine resource development projects under the "Uthuru Vasanthaya" accelerated development drive in the North.

The Ministry plans to undertake four different projects for this purpose at a cost of Rs. 800 million.

The projects aim to uplift the livelihood of the fishermen and get them adapted to fishing activities on new marine resources which are valued high in the foreign markets, sources added. Read more ...

Resettlement of IDPs: West of A9 first 14,000 acres ready to receive civilians by end Oct. Camp population down to 237,000 by end of this week

The government is planning to resettle as many internally displaced persons as possible in the area west of the A9 before tackling resettlement in the Vanni east. The army is of the opinion that all its efforts should be directed at clearing the western part of the Vanni in keeping with the original plan, though some have called for simultaneous resettlement of the displaced on both sides of the A9.

Northern Province Governor Major General (retd) G. A. Chandrasiri yesterday said that the army and five demining agencies had been engaged in mine clearing operations in the Yodawewa area.

In a brief interview with The Island, the former Jaffna Security Forces Commander said the recent deployment of ten mine clearing machines bought from Slovakia and Croatia would help them clear the area (approximately 7,000 acres) north of Yodawewa by the third week of October. Read more ...

Haphazard resettlement will endanger IDPs’ lives -- Keheliya

President Mahinda Rajapaksa was not ready to go by the agendas set by foreigners regarding the resettlement of IDPs, Foreign Employment Promotion and Welfare Minister and State Defence Spokesman Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella told the media in Kandy yesterday (13).

The minister said he granted that there were difficulties besetting IDPs in their temporary shelters but everything possible was being done to make their stay comfortable and to resettle them speedily. He said Sri Lanka could do without unsolicited advice from foreigners in carrying out those tasks for her own people. Read more ...

More than 2,000 apply to take in IDP relatives

Vavuniya and Jaffna District Secretariats have received more than 2,000 applications from the relatives of the IDPs, after the Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Ministry informed the general public that the relatives of the IDPs can apply for the release of those residing in camps.

“Many people have been handing forms over to us since September 10 and so far we have received approximately 1,000 applications,” said Vavuniya District Additional Government Agent T. Sampanthan. “These applications are readily available outside the District Secretariat office and in shops. Also, relatives can prepare them even at home,” he added.

Sampanthan said that they will hand over the applications to the security forces, with their observations and recommendations as soon as possible. He could not give a timeline as to when these IDPs can be reunited with their relatives, since a thorough background check has to be carried out first. “After we look at the applications, we do background research and hand over the applications to the Security Forces Headquarters, Vavuniya with our remarks and the security establishment will take the final decision,” he said. Meanwhile, an official of the Jaffna District Secretariat told The Nation that they have also received around 1,000 applications: “There is a lot of enthusiasm about this,” he said. Read more ...

Contentious resettlement issue in the Jaffna HSZ being resolved

One of the most contentious issues in Jaffna, the resettling of civilians in the High Security Zone is finally going to be resolved with civilians now expected to be resettled in the 300 metre buffer zone bordering the HSZ before December as a first step.

Jaffna High Court Judge R.T. Vignarajah who chairs the Committee appointed by the Supreme Court to evaluate the problem and submit a report to court said last night that at their last meeting held the previous weekend, Jaffna GA informed the Committee that all mines had been cleared from the buffer zone and it was now a matter of submitting a list of people who are eligible to resettle there and for the army to check the veracity of the list.

Jaffna Military Commander Maj. Gen. L.B.R. Mark, who is a member of the Committee, according to the High Court Judge, had even remarked that it should be done before December so that resettled people will have time to enter their children to schools in the area for the new school year. Read more ...

Conditions in welfare villages excellent - Alok Prasad

"The conditions in relief villages in Sri Lanka are excellent compared to other countries and the facilities provided by the Sri Lankan Government to the people in relief villages are praiseworthy", said H.E Alok Prasad, Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka addressing a gathering in Colombo recently.

"Such the standard of these villages are outstanding and excellent", High Commissioner Alok Prasad was further quoted as saying at the event held in appreciation of the services provided by the Indian medical team.

The Indian medical team was in the island to uplift the health facilities of the civilians liberated from the terrorists. Read more ...

2,000 more acres cleared of mines in Mannar of Northwestern Sri Lanka

About 2,000 acres of paddy fields in Yodha Wewa area in the Mannar District have been cleared from mines by the Sri Lanka Army.

The Army said that the farmers would now be able to commence cultivations in these lands for the next season.

Army said that measures have been taken to cultivate about 2,000 acres of paddy fields in Jaffna peninsula as well. Read more ...

SRI LANKA: Government to release IDPs to relatives

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in camps in Sri Lanka’s north will be released to their relatives, and the government expects the majority to be resettled by early next year, says a minister.

Sri Lanka’s Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, Rishad Bathiudeen, told IRIN on 10 September that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had made the decision to allow the IDPs to live with their relatives, with effect from this week.

Bathiudeen said the government could not say how many people would be released, but that it would consider all applications from relatives outside the camps.

“If the application comes, we will attend to it,” said Bathiudeen. Read more ..

Official Government Announcement

Freedom at high price

Desperate relatives pay hundreds of thousands of rupees to highly-connected racketeers to get their loved ones released from IDP camps

“Human trafficking is going on from some of the coastal areas like Wattala, Kandana, Pamunugama, Negombo, Kochchikade, Thoduwa, Wennappuwa and Chilaw. The vast majority of those who want to travel abroad are from the Wanni. They have to pay anything between Rs 1.2 to Rs 1.5 million. There
are instances where people, almost all from the North have raised the money after selling their gold or from remittances from relatives abroad.

“The kingpin operates through a string of contacts. The latter passes information about boat movements to trusted job agents. They also inform some of the lodge owners in Colombo. After payments are made, the kingpin arranges accommodation for would be travellers for one night. The next night, they are moved to the high seas in smaller boats.

“After they get into the boats, they are in God’s hands. We have known instances where people have died of disease, hunger and dehydration. There are instances where sea pirates have robbed them. Boats have capsized due to bad weather. Usually, about 35 persons travel in a multi day fishing trawler. Food, water and fuel sufficient for three weeks are carried. In addition, they carry basic medical needs like aspirin, bandage, surgical tape and pain killers. Read more ...

30,000 IDPs to be resettled in 35 villages in Vavuniya

All arrangements are in place to resettle 30,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in 35 villages in the Vavuniya District, Northern Province Governor G.A Chandrasiri said.
The Governor, who was on an inspection tour in those villages pointed out that, 7,795 families will be resettled in 35 villages on the directions of the Chairman of the Uthuru Vasanthaya Task Force, Senior Presidential Advisor MP Basil Rajapaksa.

The Governor inspected the Grama Niladari divisions in Maruthankulam, Norochchchimodei, Pranddikal, Salampaikulam, Pampemadu and Salampaikulam village and addressed the officials on the needs of the people. Read more ...

UK supports rehabilitation of ex-combatants

British High Commissioner Dr. Peter Hayes and the Head of the International Organization for Migration Mohammed Abdiker yesterday signed an agreement for approximately Rs.17 million of UK’s support towards the Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Ex-combatants in the presence of the Minister of Justice, Milinda Moragoda.

Minister welcomed the support provided by the British High Commission to the Government of Sri Lanka.

The Ministry of Justice and in particular the Commissioner General for Rehabilitation has been working closely with the International Organization for Migration to develop a community oriented demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration programme. The program focuses on strengthening capacity, support to receptor communities and an active involvement of the private sector to build sustainable solutions. Read more ...

Sri Lanka imports machines to clear mines

Sri Lanka has imported equipment to speed up mine clearing in the former war zone in the island's north, the defence ministry said on Saturday.

The mine-clearing machines imported from Slovakia would be used to accelerate resettlement of people driven out of the area during the height of fighting, the ministry said in a statement.

Sri Lanka's army and eight other organisations were involved in removing thousands of mines, but most of the work was done manually, K. Kumarasiri, secretary to the Nation Building Ministry, told AFP.

"Only 10 square metres (about 100 square feet) can be de-mined daily (by one mine clearer) through manual work," added Major General D.M.D. Alwis, coordinator of the Sri Lanka Humanitarian Demining Project.

"But these machines can clear 5,000 square metres," he said. Read more ...

Photo Caption: Five Bozena Flail machines costing Sri Lanka Rs. 250m bought from Slovakia to remove land mines buried in the North and East arrived in the island on a special Chinese Airways airline yesterday. They were handed over to the Sri Lanka Army at the Airport by Ministers Sarath Gunaratne and Rishard Bathiudeen. Picture by Saman Sri Wedage. Source: Daily News

Former LTTE child soldiers given overseas visas in Sri Lanka

A group of former LTTE child soldiers, who have undergone rehabilitation and vocational training after laying down arms, were presented with overseas work visas by Sri Lankan authorities at a ceremony held at a temple here.

Amidst chanting of religious hymns, seven young ex- LTTE cadres, in their late teens or early 20's, accepted the work permits and documents for Malaysia and received blessings from the temple priest ahead of a new beginning in their lives. Attired in jeans and sporting neat hair-cuts, the former rebels were watched by the other devotees with interest at the Vinayagar Tamil temple yesterday. Read more ...

Sri Lankan government to provide more facilities to the fishing industry in the North

Sri Lankan government has taken extensive measures to promote the fishing industry in the North to uplift the lives of the fisher community in the former war-torn areas.

Under the Uthuru Wasanthaya development programs of the North, the government plans to restart the ice production plant and the canned fish production factory at Pesalai in Mannar. Read more ...

Sri Lanka to send older IDPs to elderly homes

Sri Lankan government is making arrangements to setup elderly homes to resettle the older Internally Displaced Persons now housed in the welfare camps.

According to the Ministry of Resettlement and Relief Services over 550 senior citizens living in welfare camps in Vavuniya will be sent to Elders' Homes in Mannar and Vavuniya at their wish. Read more ...