People are being displaced following armed conflicts in the north-east. 4,50,000 people have been displaced during the last few months and they live in camps with friends or with relatives.

As far as the refugees are concerned, it is the refugees in the east that have been badly affected. It is worse in the case of refugees in Batticaloa.

According to the statistics released by the government last week, 158,451people belonging to 41,604 families have been displaced and they are accommodated in 95 refugee camps.

We earlier pointed out that the government underestimates the needs of the refugees and that appropriate steps have not been taken to meet the needs of the displaced people. There are also reports by humanitarian aid groups that steps are taken to resettle the displaced people under compulsion.

These international organizations attached to the UN report that the displaced people have told them that they are reluctant to go back to their original places due to security reasons and that thy have complained that they have been forced to return to their original places.

The report also states that some of the displaced people had returned to their places fearing that relief by the government will be stopped if they continue to remain in the refugee camps.

The displaced people really long to return to their original homes but the problem is that the present atmosphere is not congenial for their return or resettlement. Therefore any move to forcibly resettle them in their own villages in a context of conflict is not a humanitarian approach.

It is no doubt that the concern of the international community over the displacement of people in the east has caused embarrassment to the government. Therefore the government is trying to show the world that there isn’t a great crisis in the east.

The displaced people must be able to return to their original homes only on their own accord safely and with honour. The government must address to the reasonable concern of the refugees.

An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed