by Melani Manel Perera

UN secretary general is expected tonight in the island nation. President Rajapaksa suggests a 180-day period to resettle refugees and close camps. Defence Ministry spokesperson says two years might be needed. Red Cross complains that Sri Lankan authorities are not letting them into former combat zone.

Colombo (AsiaNews) – The United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon is due to arrive this evening in Sri Lanka. He is expected to tour refugee camps around Vavuniya holding an estimated 250,000 civilians displaced by the country’s civil war. On Saturday he will meet with President Mahinda Rajapakse and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.

The United Nations wants the Sri Lankan government to give international organisations access to internally displaced people (IDP) camps.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has complained in fact that “For nine consecutive days” they have been trying without success to “reach the area of north-eastern Sri Lanka hard hit by fighting in recent weeks.”

The Sri Lankan military has denied them access and direct contact with IDPs.

The government has also sent contradictory signals with regards to refugee resettlement.

President Rajapaksa has mentioned 180 days time frame to move Tamil refugees to their original places of residence.

Defence Ministry spokesperson Lakshman Hulugalle said however that it might actually take from nine months up to 18-24 months.

Refugees are currently in dire straights. Eyewitnesses told AsiaNews that they lack everything: food, medicines, water, lavatory facilities and live in overcrowded tents and makeshift housing.

Sri Lanka has struck a deal with India over humanitarian aid to refugees on the basis of a bilateral agreement reached by the two countries in October of last year.

Both accept that aid is urgently needed. The Indians have indicated their intention to cooperate, especially in providing health care with the delivery of medicines and hospital assistance.

Rajapaksa promised the Indian delegation that he would see that the 13th Amendment to the constitution would be implemented. The latter calls for broader powers to be given to regional governments

Rajapaksa’s government has also announced that it would hold elections in the former combat zone as soon as possible. No poll has been held in the area since 1983.

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• lanka
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• refugee
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• resettlement