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| Friday, 16 January 2004 |
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The oppression of the internally displaced by W. T. J. S. Kaviratne, Ambalangoda special correspondent
During my recent visit to Jaffna on a fact finding mission on the human rights situation in refugee camps, I got an opportunity to visit a war orphanage in Kilinochchi, and refugee camps in Jaffna and Vavuniya. Poonthottam Refugee Camp of Vavuniya is comprised 1200 families and these families have been displaced since 1996 from their villages in Jaffna, Kilinochchi, Mannar and Puttalam. Ms. Ruth Mahadevan of FORUT - Vavuniya acted as my interpreter during the interviews with the inmates of the refugee camp. Ruth revealed that during her frequent visits to the refugee camp, female inmates used to complain of child abuse in Poonthottam camp premises. She said fearing consequences, some parents used to ignore the nefarious activities taking place in this refugee camp. At the moment there are 1399 children and the adult population is around 5,000. Due to the over-crowded nature of the refugee camp, small children could become easy prey of sex perverts. Inside totally dark, one room shanty-like makeshift dwellings built in a row and separated by clothes, whole families live in suffocation. A female inmate of Poonthottam refugee camp, K. Sugatharani, (34) said that she was the mother of 5 children. She said families having grown up children found it extremely difficult and embarrassing to live in these one - room ill-lit shanties. As there were no proper doors, no security for older girls was found she said. The inmates came out with numerous grievances related to infrastructure facilities, health and social issues requiring immediate attention. During the rainy season, as the roofs were not repaired for years the inmates used to live in constant fear. Untidy toilets were found minus doors, and neither electricity nor the water supply was provided on regular basis. Schoolgoing children found it impossible to do their studies these dark suffocating rooms. Early marriages were very common and the newly married also continued to live in the refugee camp. Referring to the non-availability of land, the inmates said numerous Officials of the Government since the opening of the refugee camp, gathered the statistics but to no avail. Even if LTTE provided land for them in Kilinochchi, some of the internally displaced persons said that they preferred to stay in the government controlled areas. LTTE and the Government of Sri Lanka who were the key actors were not so active in reconstruction, reconciliation and reintegration measures after the ceasefire. During the war each party wasted massive resources on winning the war but the fate of internally displaced persons was not addressed, was the opinion of the people living in these refugee camps. Day by day, the unsettled political crisis of the South had increased their fear and uncertainty they said. Internally displaced persons who had come to Vavuniya from Kilinochchi preferred to live in the Government controlled areas they said referring to the traumatic experiences they had during the war. The 'Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement' formulated by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) stressed the importance of internally displaced persons being allowed to enjoy the same rights and freedoms as other persons in the country under national as well as international law. Principles 1 to 4 stress that internally displaced persons shall enjoy these rights in full, without any form of discrimination based on race, colour, sex, language, religion or belief, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, legal or social status, age, disability, property, birth or any other similar criteria. Unfortunately, according to my personal observations and what was revealed by the inmates of refugee camps on my numerous visits, it is questionable whether the above-mentioned principles are in force. According to UNHCR, statistics fifty per cent of the internally displaced persons are children who remain in Government welfare centres with poor prospects of return and resettlement. This is sad proof of the harmful long-term impact of the conflict. The obvious solution of the problem of internal displacement in Sri Lanka is ending the conflict and the establishment of peace. UNHCR in Sri Lanka believes that remembering the displaced enhances awareness of the plight of the displaced among policy-makers, donors, NGOs and the public. Addressing a meeting in New York on 'Protecting People on the Move', on July 21, 2000, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata said; "We all recognise that the problem of internal displacement is complex and the needs are huge. But placing the spotlight on the plight of the internally displaced is only a first step... without more serious attention to the broader context of forced displacement and a stronger, more determined political and financial commitment, the spotlight currently focused on the plight of internally displaced people will soon dissipate into darkness once again." |
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