Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Colombo (Agenzia Fides) – The international community has shown its widespread approval of the Colombo government's decision to allow freedom of movement of at least 136,000 Tamil refugees, victims of the civil conflict that ended in the past months, still confined in 20 camps in the north, particularly in town Vavuniya, Mannar, Jaffna and Trincomalee.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has welcomed the decision, as have many governments of Western and European countries, and all the NGOs operating in the region. Even the Catholic Church, committed to reconciliation and humanitarian service to society, expressed its prayers and hopes for its success.
IDPs who wish to leave the camps are now have a pass issued by local authorities. The pass is also a form of identification for those who have no national identity card. The authorities claim that there are no time-limits on freedom of the movement granted, but some reports have emphasized that IDPs are only allowed to leave the camps for up to ten days. It is also being arranged so that many of them will have to return to their home areas in the coming days and weeks, according to the plan for organized repatriation from the Government.
The UNHCR volunteers in the area have also reported that, in general, people are happy to return to their places of origin where basic services, such as clinics and schools, are reopening. Everyone hopes that over the weeks bureaucratic obstacles can be removed, so as to ensure all internally displaced persons the opportunity to exercise their right to full freedom of movement.
Following the announcement of this decision, the Church has expressed a well-founded concern that freedom does not become a "way to quick death." In fact, there is the perennial problem of minefields remaining from the years of civil strife, so it is necessary that the de-mining process keep up with the high rate of return and that IDPs be brought back only in mine-free land or where the mine risk areas are clearly demarcated.
Archbishop Malcolm Ranjith of Colombo has warned that the refugees could be "on an explosive path to freedom", noting that "in some areas where the Tamils are going, especially near Elephant Pass, it is heavily mined. Their safety needs to be guaranteed," remarked the Archbishop. "The international community must help Sri Lanka to quickly remove landmines and rebuild infrastructures."
The freedom of movement, in fact, constitutes a first step towards the final return to their homes, to resume a normal life, in which they should receive dignity, security, employment, and social services. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 5/12/2009)
