Comments on: The IDP situation in Sri Lanka: Let’s keep things real and a response to Rohini Hensman

By: Tmama

Tmama — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 15:42:53 +0000

I think Rohini should ask what would be the position ifin London armed school boys start coming in the nights to massacre folks old aand young alike. We had a situation where these cyanide wearing gangs did that.

Did she meet any former producers of cyanide tablets, tainers ofguerillas, yet managed to remain under cover. Suchfolks living under fear from exposure pause danger – they will be ready to murder anyone who knows their story. Itis the task of the Truth and Reconciliation committee to come out with the facts.

I saw a BBC programme where South African Scientists cameoutto confess their complicity with germ warfare, and actual exercises carried out. We too would like to know how the democracy was thwarted, ethnic cleansing carried out in greater detail.

By: Rohini Hensman

Rohini Hensman — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 11:46:02 +0000

I agree with Dayan: do unto others what you would have them do unto you, and do not do unto others what you would not want them to do unto you. Anandasangaree, who has in the past lived among many of the people in the camps, made a heart-rending appeal to the President on behalf of one family. The man had had his left leg amputated and was in Pulmoddai. His wife had had her right leg amputated with a multiple fracture of the left leg and was in Vavuniya. Their one-year-old child was in the camp in the care of the man’s mother, aged 61, who would presumably be allowed to leave if she wanted to, being a senior citizen. But the authorities refused to release the child. I put myself in the place of this granny, who desperately wants to be with her injured son and daughter-in-law, but cannot abandon her baby grandchild in the camp. What sense does this situation make? Does Malinda or anyone with an iota of sense really believe that this one-year-old infant is a brainwashed LTTE cadre who is going to blow up a bus? Why are these people being prevented from being together and comforting one another? How can people in a country that prides itself on its Buddhist values treat human beings with such cruelty?

By: Observer

Observer — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 11:31:40 +0000

Udaya, besides the fact that it’s in no way a “gitmo” for Sri Lanka, I always understood that people are the economy! You can’t build an economy and release people into it. That’s absurd thinking. Only by providing opportunities to these people we have the hopes of building a successful economy in NE. I have no doubt that Tamils will excel beyond our wildest imagination and rise up! If I’m not mistaken the entrepreneurial among them would have already started their journey.

By: Udaya Liyanage

Udaya Liyanage — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 01:11:41 +0000

Malinda,
I think Sri Lanka has discovered its ‘Guantanomo’ problem. You can argue until you are blue in the face that IDP camps are far better than any other refugee camp in the world, just like US officials argue that Guantanomo is by far a better prison than any other. But the problem is, both SL and US governments lost the media war waged against them. Neither Guantanomo, nor IDP camps pass the smell test. For this reason, trying to make IDP camps less crowded, more open, more humane etc is just putting whip cream on a shit pie. Pay phones are just the cherries on top. Nothing will satisfy HRW, ICG and UNHCR.

Malinda, I think you are just being your romantic self when you hope for IDP camps to be gone in short order(You should have done your degree in political science instead of sociology; you might have engaged in less wishful thinking). It is true that both US and Sl governments want the prison and IDP camps gone. Obama administration is now discovering how hard it is to wish Guantanomo away. SL government will soon discover what a thorn on its side IDP camps will be. It will be very difficult to resettle all IDPs without rebuilding the whole NE economy. Doing that while ankle biting I/NGOs bitterly seeking their piece of the pie will be very difficult. Opening whole NE for development work by I/NGOs is a huge security risk that the government cannot take. Without letting them in, the government cannot get the money it needs for reconstruction. Only silver lining in this black cloud is the outside chance that India might play a constructive role in helping SL with this task. I will believe it when I see it.

By: Colbert Report

Colbert Report — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:02:11 +0000

Dear Underdog, do you not know, have you not heard? The Director Economics, Government Peace Secretariat, Rohantha Athukorala, at meeting last week showed pictures of Jaffna and urged his audience not to mistake them for pictures of Bangkok! This is why Malinda is worried about the accuracy of the local media. They simply don’t tell you these things. Very soon the IDP camps will look like Dubai, and it will only be the government that brings you these truths. Good citizents must just believe what they are told by their government. The others will be named and shamed the way Malinda has done in his article. Because anyone who does not accept the “truth” that is thus given to them is clearly out to destroy the country — woe to them. Just remember, Malinda is an honourable man.

By: Manushi

Manushi — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:24:28 +0000

Malinda,

Thanks for bringing context and perspective to the situation.

Rohini seems to think that the government is purposefully delaying the screening process due to some diabolical scheme in the works. Can’t she see that the government is put in a very difficult â€˜damned if I do, damned if I don’t’ situation?

Looking forward to more articles from you.

By: The Underdog

The Underdog — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:55:14 +0000

I look forward to the ruling from the supreme court on the five IDPs who have appealed for redress against the violation of their fundamental right to freedom of movement. I’m no lawyer but it looks like a pretty clear cut case–the IDPs should win. And then what does the GOSL do? Arrest all 300,000 IDPs under emergency law or the PTA? Or open the gates?

I agree with Sathees that holding these people (for whatever good pragmatic reason) is immoral. And if you really do need a pragmatic reason, here’s one: we need tourism and investment to rebuild, and most hoteliers would tell you that the western tourists are the big spenders. But the west goes to great lengths to torpedo our attempt to lure their travellers here (the recent travel warning by the U.S. with a tongue in cheek statement about the danger of tourists being arrested is an example). The detention of the IDPs is a festering sore throwing pus all over the tourist board’s ‘small miracle’ ad campaign for Sri Lanka, in much the same way that Guantanamo continues to sully America’s reputation abroad.

We will be judged by future generations for what we do today, and I fear they will not be kind to us. History is watching, and so is the world. So let’s take a chance and do the right thing. Open the gates.

By: justice

justice — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:02:29 +0000

The idea of allowing media is to facilitate flow of information.In the absence of free access to press it’s up to the imagination of the writer to come up with a story.
The concept of keeping people against their will on suspicion of being a LTTE fugative doesn’t bode well with any system of governance. Speedy screening and giving the innocent the option of living where ever they chose to, would be the most democratic practice. If some one chose to live amids landmines they should be warned and informed decision making should be encouraged.
Even if there are LTTE fugatives, they should be treated with dignity and opportunity must be given to them to change course and be productive citizens.Not to long ago Col Karuna and Pillayan were LTTE caders.
Winning the hearts and minds of these long suffering people is the only way to reunite this population with the mainstream.
What better opportunity do we have as a nation to prove to the world and our own citizenry that we may be a poor third world nation ,but we have a heart and a sole, enriched with great religions of the east, to feel for each other and care for each other even if some were our enemies in the past.
Be magnanimous in victory.
How about having a commitee of officials,clergy and citizenary to look at greiviances in each camp with in the camp premises on a daily basis.
complaints can be addressed and attended to with in the camp by this mechanism.
Wouldn’t that be empowering these people and make them feel they are also citizen of this country and they have rights .
We need to think different and solve these problems.
Millitary or administrative service alone can never be full proof.Thats why citizen’s advisory is important in keeping checks and balances.
Well meannig NGO like Sarvodya can be entrusted as go betweens with the issue of family seperation.
The GoSL ,however well meaning it might be cann’t handle this issue alone.It needs the help of every one. So be creative and direct the GoSL through advocacy.
It’s heart warming to hear from Malinda that all is not bad as we read it .That is why it’s important to allow free access to press.If there are logistical problems then access can be given at a given day of the week or time of day to gather information and report.
After all free media is an essential part of democratic society.Just as judiciary and elected represtatives are.Be it asian democracy or western democracy.

By: malinda seneviratne

malinda seneviratne — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 12:32:54 +0000

yes, chicken burgher, i get your point. re lists and photographs, i believe the min of resettlement and human rights is doing something along these lines. they were planning to set up pay-phones, i was told.

By: Chicken Burgher

Chicken Burgher — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:31:54 +0000

Malinda,

If the government has nothing to hide ,then what’s the problem of letting the media in ? . Okay leave aside the Media , lets assume they are going to blow the truth out of propotion, but what about allowing the local parliamentariants a visit so they can see for themselves the ground reality. especially those Tamil mps ,the TNA and TULF who are from those electorates of the IDPS. who voted them in . Having said that I am for one minute not saying that we should allow every Tom Dick and Harry to visit these camps like going to an open Zoo , after all these innocents have been through a hell of lot of trauma, suffering and pain under the spell of that maniacal Prabhakaran, and the last thing they need is added trauma by way of unnecessary sightseers . Well you see my point , don’t you ?..