IDPs given freedom to move out with day pass - Human Rights Minister

Manjula Fernando

Countering attempts by various groups to identify the IDP centers in the North as ‘internment camps’, Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said the IDPs, despite strict security measures, have the freedom to move out for a short period of time through a day pass system,

“This is not typical of the treatment of persons in so-called internment camps,” he argued.

Addressing the 60th session of the Executive Committee of UNHCR in Geneva on Monday Minister Samarasinghe said there were trained and formerly active members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam who have not given up their cause among the IDPs.

He said these persons do not pose a threat to the IDPs but could create chaos in the other parts of the country if released without being properly rehabilitated.

“Allowing freedom of movement to LTTE cadres who have masqueraded as ordinary displaced citizens, could pose a great threat to the people in the rest of the country.”

He said this was the reason why the full freedom of movement had to be restricted for the IDPs.

“This does not mean that attempts to characterise the welfare centers and relief villages as ‘ internment camps’ are in any way justified,” the Minister said. The authorities looking after the IDPs have put in place a day pass system where the displaced can go out for a limited time period either to attend a family function like a wedding, or visit the banks in the near by town, etc.

The Minister also briefed the UNHCR on the programs to send away the people who have been cleared of any suspicious links with the Tigers. Already 23,000 such people have been resettled in six districts including Jaffna, Vavuniya and Manner. A further 9000 including orphaned children, clergy with family members, the pregnant, public servants, university students, elderly and the disabled have been released to live with their relatives.

To make way for the resettlement a total of 445,400,000 sq metres have been cleared of land mines at a cost of US$ 64 million as at end August. Of this the Army has shouldered the bulk load clearing 336,000,000 sq metres at a cost of US$ 10 million.

According to initial surveys it was estimated about 1.5 million land mines and unexploded ordnance contaminate an area of 402 sq kilometres.