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Thai Pongal celebrations this year included a relaxation of the economic embargo and civilian movement to and from Vanni. The number of days on which people will be allowed to travel between government-held (cleared) and LTTE-held (un-cleared) areas has increase from two to five. With the new set up, civilians travelling between cleared and un-cleared areas will be issued a 10-day pass at the main checkpoint at Piramanalankulam, which can also be used for the return journey. However, one of the main problems pertaining to civilian movement remains to be the pass system in Vavuniya. Two types of pass systems function in Vavuniya – residential and travel. “The residential pass is for temporary residents to remain in Vavuniya,” explained GA of Vavuniya K. Ganesh. Similar to obtaining a visa, any temporary resident of Vavuniya must obtain a travel pass for travelling to the south. Ganesh said, “Only permanent residents can travel to the south by showing (only) their identity cards.” All temporary residents are required to undergo a security check prior to travel. Ganesh described the process. “They make an application. [They] give their address in Colombo; that will be checked by the police within 24 hours. If the particulars are correct, they will be issued a pass.” All passes must bear the following details: national identity card number, date of issue, official seal of the place of issue and the validity period. While the movement between cleared and un-cleared areas, in general, have been relaxed, these pass systems will continue. Vavuniya being the northern most and significant town closest to the frontlines, the pass system has been implemented as a security measure. However, Vavuniya still remains the only place in Sri Lanka to utilise this system casting some doubt on its practicality. “We are trying to abolish it,” said Ganesh. In addition to the hardships caused to the people, Ganesh said, “this leaves room for people to make money.” The civil officers and sureties involved in validating a person’s travel are known to charge large sums of money. Consequently, travelling to the south for a person in Vavuniya is an exceptionally costly affair. While the stage is being set for peace talks, the Government’s decision to relax civilian movement to and from un-cleared areas is seen as a confidence building measure. However, on the ground, this measure is one step towards returning to normal way of life. As Ganesh said, “they (people) will get the feeling that there is some sort of a free movement between the cleared and the un-cleared areas.”
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