The UN is said to be ‘devoting special energy to the displaced Tamils, most still interned in camps, because the issue was critical for the country’s future.’ Assessing the condition that the internally-displaced Tamils are in, the UN believes that the Tamil refugees’ situation is ‘putting reconciliation at risk.’ This is because the sordid reality that displaced Tamils are facing may breed ‘resentment that would undermine the prospects for political reconciliation.’

The UN, warning over the displaced Tamils, offers mitigating measures such as ‘giving displaced Tamils day passes from camps so they could go to work outside.’ There would also be ‘a mechanism for addressing claims of human rights breaches during the civil war, despite Sri Lanka’s repeated dismissal of such suggestions.’

The Sri Lankan government, dealing with criticism over its treatment of the Tamil IDPs, reiterates the government’s target that at least 70 percent of the Tamil IDPs would be out by late November. President Rajapaksa said he expected the resettlement to be complete by the January deadline. UN estimates that ‘nearly 265,000 people remain in camps, most of them at one huge site, and fewer than 15,000 have so far left.’

Tamil refugees in camps have been put under severe security checks and surveillance due to the Sri Lankan government’s suspicion that some of the refugees were and still are connected to the defeated militant insurgency separatist group Tamil Tigers.

Image

Via BBC