Concern Over Sri Lankan Camp Conditions

By Hyo-Jin Paik
Impunity Watch Reporter, Asia

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka – With the monsoon season approaching in about a month, the UN and other humanitarian agencies are expressing concerns over the overcrowded, unsanitary camps where Tamil civilians are being housed.

Human rights groups have argued that holding these civilians in the military-run camps is an “illegal form of collective punishment,” but the Sri Lankan government is claiming that the camps are conducting screenings for potential rebel fighters. 

Tamils in camps.  Courtesy of AFP.

However, the UN has said that the screening process is progressing too slowly, and those who have gone through the screening have not yet been released unless the person is under 10 or over 60 years old.

Mark Cutts of the UN was told by Sri Lanka’s senior military officials that probably less than 20% of the Tamils currently in the camps will be able to resettle despite Sri Lankan government’s initial decision to resettle most Tamils by end of this year. 

“We need to look into this issue of how long are they going to be kept in these places, will they be given proper freedom of movement…,” said Cutts.

The camps are housing twice as many people as originally intended, and activists are worried that monsoon rains, which is likely to cause flooding, will worsen the sanitary conditions by bringing fecal matter to the surface and subjecting people to diseases.  Moreover, the camps were averaging about 40 people per latrine while the UN standard is 20.

In addition, Sri Lanka has expelled James Elder of UNICEF, accusing him of siding with the Tamil Tigers.  Elder has spoken out against the sufferings of children in Sri Lanka, and UNICEF “unequivocally rejects any allegations of bias” since Elder’s statements were based on “concrete information that the [UN] attained and verified.”

UN Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon strongly denounced Elder’s expulsion saying he has “full confidence in the work of the [UN] in Sri Lanka, which includes making public statements when necessary in an effort to save lives and prevent grave humanitarian problems.” 

Furthermore, human rights organizations claim that the Sri Lankan government has failed to investigate the rights abuses and war crimes which occurred during the fighting. 

For more information, please see:

BBC – UN concern over Sri Lanka camps – 11 September 2009

CNN – Concern over conditions in Sri Lankan camps – 11 September 2009

Inter Press Services – SRI LANKA: Gov’t to Resettle Displaced Tamils Ahead of Monsoon – 12 September 2009

Radio Canada – Sri Lankan refugee camps try UN patience - 11 September 2009

Comments

[Evan DeSantola]

It is concerning that the Sri Lanken situation was so carefully covered by the government that even the human rights organizations and news sites do not know the full extent of the damage. My friend, a lower caste man who is working in America on a Visa and was originally from India received a message from someone in Sri Lanka who was a Tamil. The email explained how all the Tamil's, most who were completely unconnected with the Tamil Tigers, were abused and in some cases rounded up and shot. The pictures include many things including one with a woman with her head removed and another with a pile of bodies. The Government had showed previous frustration at the lower caste Tamil's migrating from the parts of India up north. My friend received these in April and didn't realize the news organizations were not aware. It is not very outlandish though that the Sri Lankan government could cover it up. Most of America thinks Ghandi was a hero. He actually was strongly against the creation of an dalit free state. It was Dr. BR Ambedkar who actually helped the dalits. He was in opposition to Gandhi. Still, the upper castes have some how managed to trick many Americans into thinking Gandhi was a majestic image. Ever wonder why he didn't win the noble peace prize. Wow I've gone on a tangent.