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Wednesday, April 08, 2009 - 04.30 GMT |
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UN expert on IDPs tells LTTE to free all
civilians |
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Following reports that LTTE fighters have
now been pushed entirely into the no-fire
zone, and many more civilians there are at
risk of losing their lives, I urgently
repeat my call to the LTTE to allow all
civilians under its control to leave the
this zone and seek safety elsewhere.
This appeal has been made by Prof. Walter Kaein, UN Secretary-General on the Human
Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, at
the end of a 4-day visit to Sri Lanka.
Noting that more than 52,000 displaced
persons have arrived in Vavuniya since
November [at the time of his visit] the UN
Representative welcomed the Government’s
acknowledgement of its responsibility to
protect and assist these persons, and
recognized measures already taken in this
regard.
Prof. Kaelin welcomed the Government’s
receptivity to relieve the pressure on
Vavuniya’s resources by transferring some
IDPs closer to their homes in other
districts. He was encouraged by assurances
of the Government that it will now take
additional measures to promote family
reunification, including the imminent
opening of family visiting centres at the
camps and the provision of an office to
UNHCR and the Ministry of Social Services at
Omanthai checkpoint. Such facilities and
access will allow them to assess special
needs and vulnerabilities of new arrivals
and to collect information and requests for
family reunification directly from the IDPs,
he observed.
He also called on the Government of Sri
Lanka to scrupulously respect the no-fire
zone for as long as a civilian population
remains within it, and expressed his belief
that a series of humanitarian pauses must be
initiated immediately to allow civilians to
leave and humanitarian actors to provide
life-saving relief to the remaining
population?
The UN expert also welcomed the Government’s
commitment to devise an action plan
endorsing fundamental principles and
indicating clear benchmarks, criteria and
timetables for security screening of IDPs;
registering them in order to enhance their
freedom of movement; and facilitating
return. He looks forward to supporting the
Government and the international community
in developing such a plan of action to
resolve the present displacement crisis and
protect the rights of IDPs in accordance
with international standards. Such a plan
surely will be instrumental in building the
confidence among all Sri Lankan citizens and
restoring the trust among affected Tamil
populations that will be prerequisites to
consolidate a lasting peace, he states.
Here is the text of
the statement issued April 7, 09 by Office
of the UN Office of the High Commissioner
for Human Rights (OHCHR):
I am deeply concerned for the lives of over
100,000 civilians trapped in the 14-square
kilometre area of the Vanni declared by the
Government of Sri Lanka as a no-fire zone.
Large numbers of civilians already have been
killed or wounded. Following reports that
LTTE fighters now have been pushed almost
entirely into this zone, many more are at
risk of losing their lives. I urgently
repeat my call to the LTTE to allow all
civilians under its control to leave this
zone and to seek safety elsewhere. I also
call on the Government of Sri Lanka to
scrupulously respect the no-fire zone for as
long as a civilian population remains within
it. Moreover, I believe that a series of
humanitarian pauses must be initiated
immediately to allow civilians to leave and
humanitarian actors to provide life-saving
relief to the remaining population.
These are the urgent concerns expressed by
the Representative of the UN
Secretary-General on the Human Rights of
Internally Displaced Persons, Mr. Walter
Kälin, at the end of a 4-day visit to Sri
Lanka. He consulted with the Special Advisor
to the President, the HQ Vanni Security
Forces Commander, the Minister of
Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services,
the Minister of Disaster Management and
Human Rights, the Attorney General, the
Secretary General of the Secretariat for
Coordination of the Peace Process, other
civilian and military representatives of the
Government and heads of UN agencies. Outside
Colombo he visited the Omanthai checkpoint
and met IDPs at transit sites and camps in
and around Vavuniya.
Noting that more than 52,000 displaced
persons have arrived in Vavuniya since
November, the Representative welcomed the
Government’s acknowledgement of its
responsibility to protect and assist these
persons, and he recognized measures already
taken in this regard. He concluded, however,
that extraordinary efforts will be required
of the Government, the United Nations,
non-governmental organizations and donors,
acting in cooperation, to successfully meet
the humanitarian needs of this population,
as well as those of the tens of thousands
expected to arrive in the coming weeks and
months. This includes supplementing
Vavuniya’s already over-stretched resources
to meet basic humanitarian needs and
alleviating the overcrowding of the Vavuniya
transit sites. In this regard, he requested
the Government to further facilitate
unhindered
access for humanitarian agencies and
organizations to all IDP sites. He further
stressed that the civilian character of IDP
sites must be respected by removing military
personnel to the periphery and restoring
civilian policing and administration.
The Representative welcomes the Government’s
receptivity to relieve the pressure on
Vavuniya's resources by transferring some
IDPs closer to their homes in other
districts. The Representative was encouraged
by assurances of the Government that it will
now take additional measures to promote
family reunification, including the imminent
opening of family visiting centres at the
camps and the provision of an office to
UNHCR and the Ministry of Social Services at
Omanthai checkpoint. Such facilities and
access will allow them to assess special
needs and vulnerabilities of new arrivals
and to collect information and requests for
family reunification directly from the IDPs.
The Representative recalls that while
civilians may be briefly interned in camps
on general but imperative grounds of
security, soon following an acute emergency
any restrictions remaining upon freedom of
movement must be justified on an individual
rather than group basis. He expressed
concern particularly for IDPs displaced from
the Vanni in March 2008 and yet remaining
interned in two Mannar camps more than one
year later. The Representative observed that
some recently displaced may wish to remain
in the camps for the time-being, but
stressed that a procedure with clear and
objective criteria to allow for freedom of
movement must be developed, communicated to
IDPs and implemented without delay.
The Representative welcomed the Government’s
assurances that it will promptly develop
criteria and procedures to speed the release
of many more IDPs from the camps,
particularly those with vulnerabilities,
such as people with disabilities,
unaccompanied and separated children, and
single or widowed mothers with small
children. Immediate release of persons with
special needs and those posing no security
threat who may seek shelter with host
families will respond to international human
rights standards and help ease congestion in
transit sites. While a few hundred elderly
IDPs (over the age of 60) have been
released, many more remain among the 57,000
in the camps, unaware of procedures by which
they may obtain review and release. Others
need assistance in locating their relatives
outside. The Representative calls on the
Government to immediately release the staff
of United Nations agencies and NGOs, and
their families.
Furthermore the Representative was reassured
by the Government’s commitment that it will
undertake all necessary measures to
facilitate the prompt and sustainable return
of IDPs to their communities of origin.
The Representative welcomes the Government’s
commitment to devise an action plan
endorsing fundamental principles and
indicating clear benchmarks, criteria and
timetables for security screening of IDPs;
registering them in order to enhance their
freedom of movement; and facilitating
return. He looks forward to supporting the
Government and the international community
in developing such a plan of action to
resolve the present displacement crisis and
protect the rights of IDPs in accordance
with international standards. Such a plan
surely will be instrumental in building the
confidence among all Sri Lankan citizens and
restoring the trust among affected Tamil
populations that will be prerequisites to
consolidate a lasting peace.
Walter Kaelin, professor of law at the
University of Bern (Switzerland, has been
the Representative of the Secretary General
on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced
People since 2004.
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