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Priority for 64,000 in Tamil Nadu : Lanka beckons war refugees

The Government and the LTTE have agreed to take measures to facilitate the return of over one million Lankan war refugees scattered across the globe, with priority accorded to some 64,000 Tamils in 111 refugee camps in Tamil Nadu, India.

The consensus was reached at a UNHCR sponsored workshop attended by senior representatives of the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) headed by Director Peace Secretariat Bernard Goonatilleke of the Government and Dr. Jay Maheshwaran representing the LTTE, at Killinochchi on Tuesday.

The parties noted that these persons have the right to return to their country of origin as set forth in the International Human Rights Charter and the Covenant of Civil and Political Rights.

They expressed their commitment to launch such programmes to facilitate conditions for the return of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants who fled the country during the two decade-old conflict. Both the Government and the LTTE agreed that no sooner the Internally Displaced Persons are resettled in their original homes, steps would be taken to expedite the return of the 64,000 refugees in Tamil Nadu out of the estimated 85,000 Lankan Tamil refugees living in India.

In this regard, both parties undertook to support "to the maximum extent possible within available resources the initial integration of all spontaneous, voluntary returners from India to Sri Lanka, providing them with levels of support which are equitable to that provided to spontaneously returning internally displaces persons, and seeking to ensure their full re-integration into society". They however stressed that further investment was necessary to create conditions conducive to safe and dignified voluntary repatriation. The participants welcomed the priority afforded in the peace negotiations to search for a durable solution for problems faced by victims of the conflict.

The participants discussed and noted that, in order to responsibly create conditions which are more conducive to organised voluntary repatriation of Sri Lankan refugees from India:

* There remains a need to further improve the conditions of physical security through addressing ongoing human rights concerns, ongoing incidents of violence against civilians, and accelerating the reduction of risks from landmines and unexploded ordinance;

* It was also noted that there remains a need to further improve the conditions of legal security through restoring common administrative, independent judicial and democratic policing systems; through ensuring national documentary protection is afforded - including simplified immigration procedures, citizenship and provision of identity cards; through adequate laws to provide for property restitution or assistance and through consideration of appropriate amnesty arrangements where needed.

* The need to address logistic issues - including formal arrangements between the Government of Sri Lanka, the Government of India, the SIHRN, other relevant Ministries of the Government of Sri Lanka, UNHCR and other internationally mandated organisations; and including adequate transportation support, with special attention needed to an early evaluation and costing of restoration of the Talaimannar jetty for use as a principal port of entry was also stressed.

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