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[Letter]
IDPs: Give Government a chance
The war was declared over on or around May 17, 2009 and I was
therefore surprised to read that a Canadian - funded NGO has instituted
legal action against the government on behalf of a few IDPs to reunite
them with their families. This is scurrilous behaviour on the part of
employees of these INGOs. One wonders why they chose to become lackeys
of a foreign power.
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What the IDPs are enjoying now, however basic they are, they did
not enjoy under Prabhakaran. ANCL file photo |
As Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe pointed out, IDP camps
have been infiltrated by LTTErs. This should not surprise anyone. Who
knows how many of them are LTTE members and sympathizers? I would
personally feel safer if the Government carries on with the cumbersome
process of screening all IDPs, identifying them, carrying out the
background checks, and all the numerous tasks that need to be carried
out to ensure the future security of this country.
It would therefore be prudent for peace-loving and security-conscious
Sri Lankans to allow the Government to do their job, that is to ensure
that all hidden caches of arms and ammunition are found and secured,
that all those LTTErs are housed elsewhere and rehabilitated.
The tedious task of maintaining logistics, providing food, water, and
some decent sanitation has become the arduous job of the Government,
with some help from concerned citizens and corporate bodies. Western
countries should come forward with substantial aid to the Government to
provide permanent housing to those IDPs who do not have homes to go to.
Assistance should go beyond the supply of tents and nutritional
supplements because they are temporary measures.
What the IDPs are enjoying now, however basic they are, they did not
enjoy under the jackboot of Prabhakaran who himself enjoyed a luxurious
lifestyle judging by his very girth, whilst those he dominated and
brainwashed suffered from malnutrition and misery in the sun and rain,
when dozens even died of snakebites. Such was the demonic power this
callous bully had over them, but they did have options as I mentioned
earlier.Give the Government the chance to do their work and rather than
wasting money on litigation, why don't these INGOs use that money to
build homes, playgrounds, schools and the North and East, but that's not
part of their agenda, is it?
Linda van Schagen Mt. Lavinia
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