IDPs breathe free

by Shanika SRIYANANDA

They are free. They leave the camps in numbers to smell the true meaning of freedom. They also return to the camps, when they feel living in camps is more secure and comfortable than living alone.

Kethishvari, Raja and his two children left the welfare camp as soon as the government declared 'freedom of movement' from December 1. The couple just left the camp with empty hands leaving bags full of things - rations and kitchen utensils - in the tent.

"We just wanted to go and see our house. It is better to stay in the camp until the government resettles us properly", they said.

The family, which had returned to the camp on the second day, said that though they were happy to touch the ground after many months, they were sad about what the LTTE had done to them.

"There were only debris and no house at all", said Raja, who was displaced several times and ran with his family upto to Puthumathalan. During the last days of the battle, they were saved by the soldiers.

The family was provided shelter among 280,000 IDPs at the Manikfarm welfare villages.

They were kept under tough security to protect them from 'sleeping LTTE cadres' until the screening process was completed. With greater difficulties, the government with the support of INGOs and NGOs fed, sheltered and medically treated the unexpected mass exodus of IDPs whom the LTTE had used as the human shields.

While criticisms are mounting from all corners of the globe, especially from Western nations which tried to tie the noose by threatening to impose certain restrictions, the government, tolerating them, had a steady and meaningful 'match' in resettling IDPs. De-mining, which was the main obstacle to sending people home, was expedited purchasing more de-mining machines and deploying over 800 soldiers to de-mine the former LTTE lands which were mined haphazardly.

The IDPs were given facilities - electricity, clean water and medicine.

There cannot be a better living than one's `home sweet home', but no doubt majority of IDPs are relatively having better living conditions in the welfare centres than earlier.

After signing two documents - one with their personnel details and the other the place of visit - Rajaratnam and family was waiting outside to catch public transport to Vavuniya to go to his sister's place. Hundreds of others too waited to board a bus.

"I have sold the rations and other things that the government gave us to a family that was waiting to be resettled", he said.

Uncertain about how long they are going to stay in his sister's house, Rajaratnam does not want to be a burden to her.

Majority of IDPs wanted to leave the camps just to visit their relatives, to see the conditions of their houses and to attend to private matters.

"We were thrilled to be outside the camp. We all thank the government for making us feel free", he said.

From December 1, the government granted all the IDPs freedom of movement which was one of the main demands of the international community. According to United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, from the first day of the declaration people are leaving the camps in numbers.

"We are encouraged by the Sri Lankan government's long-awaited decision this week to allow increased freedom of movement for some 135,000 internally displaced people," an UNHCR statement reads.

Human Rights Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe at a media briefing, said that over 70 per cent of the displaced people, who accounted for 280,000, are now living outside the welfare centres.

With the granting of freedom of movement, over 22,443 IDPs have left the camps, but 9,773 displaced people have returned to camps during the three days.

"They are allowed to go anywhere they want. If they do not want to come they can stay at a place of their choice", he said.

Less than 20 per cent of the Tamil war refugees kept in camps in the North have availed themselves of the freedom of movement granted by the government since December 1", the Minister for Human Rights, Mahinda Samarasinghe, said here on Friday.

Samarasinghe told the media that over the past three days, only 22,443 of the 112,062 refugees resident in camps had availed themselves of the facility. Of them, 9, 717 had come back, he added.

He said that over 20 per cent of IDPs availed themselves the freedom of movement. " "This is a good proof that they don't want to leave the camps as they have all the facilities", he said recalling how certain international media had described the situation in these camps.

"They tried to show the world a negative picture and said that these people were under detention. Today, these allegations have been disproved with IDPs, who had gone out of camps, coming back", he said.

Minister Samarasinghe said that the entire credit of giving freedom to these people, should go to President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was keen from the beginning to release people soon. He said that the prevailing security situation soon after the defeat of the LTTE had compelled the authorities to keep the people until screening of each and every person was completed.

Refuting the allegation that the IDPs were asked to return within 15 days reported in certain media, he said that the allegation was "utter rubbish".

"We regret about the mischievous behaviour of these media", he said adding that the media should be more responsible in their reporting.

The 180-days is the target given by the government to resettle the IDPs and some quarters - locally and internationally - having doubts about the deadline said that the time frame would not be feasible.

But expeding to reach the set target, the government said that the IDPs would go home before January 31, 2010. " We are confident that all the IDPs will be resettled in their areas before January 31 next year. The de-mining activities have been expedited", Minister Samarasinghe said.

"According to information, people are rushing out of camps in numbers, but coming back. Some just walked around and came back", he said.

Though the IDPs were allowed to move freely, their movement were strictly restricted in former LTTE areas where the terrorists had buried a huge swathe of land mines.

Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara, Military spokesman said that over 70 per cent of the de-mining activities demarcated for resettlement have completed and over 7,000 mines cleared so far.

He said that priority was given to de-mine the demarcated areas for resettlement, roads and buildings. The A-9 that connects the North and South, A-32, the Rice Bowl Mannar and Pooneryn, are cleared of mines.

Over 800 Army soldiers are now deployed to remove mines and 22 de-mining machines are in the field. Minister Samarasinghe said that the government had purchased 17 de-mining machines and this showed the commitment of the government to speed up the resettlement process.

V. Kanagalingam of Vivekananda Nagar, Kilinochchi had left the Kadiragamar Village with his wife and two daughters on December 2. After enrolling his two children to the Vavuniya school, he returned to the Camp to attend to the administrative work in connection with the resettlement process.

"We left the camp as we thought we would lose the opportunity to go out. But living here is better than outside as we are provided with all the facilities", he said.

Manilamani Kishorkhan is another who left the camp and returned. They all want to be in camps until they are resettled.

He hopes to find a job outside as he has to build his house in Kilinochchi which was badly damaged.

People, who are resettled, are given dry rations, roofing sheets, Rs. 20,000 cash and bank deposit of Rs. 50,000 and kitchen utensils.

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Welfare camps converted into open camps

December 1 
No of IDPs left the camps 		-  9,143 
No of IDPs returned  			-  5,120 

December 2 
No of IDPs left the camps 		-  6,900 
No of IDPs returned  			-  1,992 

December 3 
No of IDPs left the camps 		-  6,399 
No of IDPs returned  			-  2,766 

Total No of IDPs left the camps 	- 22,443 
Total No of IDPs returned the camps  	-  9,778

The Competent Authority and the Security Forces (SF) Commander Vanni Major General Kamal Gunaratne said that the welfare camps have been converted into open camps where people's movement was not restricted.

"They are very happy as they were allowed to move to places they want. The choice is left with them and they can come back to the camps on the date that they mentioned in the form", he said.

According to Maj. Gen. Gunaratne, the displaced people were asked to fill two forms and to mention the date of arrival.

"They should return on the mentioned date and this is to make the administration easy. We can keep a track on the number of IDPs gone out, returned and disappeared", he said adding that the security forces have to find out the whereabout of the disappeared.

The SF Commander said that the freedom of movement is just a temporary measure taken to grant these people freedom to visit their relatives and attend their private affairs before they are resettled in their own habitats.

"If they wish to work outside the camp to earn some money before they are resettled, they can go out. If they want to attend a wedding of a relative they can go. But they are not allowed to bring visitors into the camp", he cautioned.

He said that now no one can point the finger at the government that the government is running detention camps and our intention is to improve conditions of these camps more to make their lives more comfortable until they are resettled.