The Petition of the people of Croydon,
Declares that following the end of hostilities in Sri Lanka the detained Tamil people have been held against their will, without any freedom of movement in unsanitary IDP camps.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges HM Government to press the Sri Lankan government for the implementation of a thorough going release of Tamil people in IDP camps and the commencement of talks to bring home rule to Tamil lands to the benefit of all Sri Lanka.
And the Petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Mr. Andrew Pelling, Official Report, 30 March 2010; Vol. 508, c. 788.]
[P000806]
Observations from the Secretary of State for International Development:
Over recent months, the Government of Sri Lanka have made much progress in returning the internally displaced persons (IDPs) from the camps to their home areas. The latest United Nations figures of 6 May 2010 estimate that some 216,149 people have now returned to their districts of origin or are staying with host families. The Government of Sri Lanka hopes to return another 20,000 people by the end of May. However, many humanitarian agencies still do not enjoy full access to help those who have recently returned. The UK Government will continue to press the Government of Sri Lanka to allow full humanitarian access for agencies, especially NGOs, to assist returning IDPs recover their lives and rebuild their communities.
In November 2009, the Government of Sri Lanka announced that as of 1 December 2009, the remaining IDP population in the camps would be granted full freedom of movement. The implementation of the day pass system in the camps means that approximately 20,000 people are off site at any one time. This is welcome progress but the situation for the remaining 73,000 IDPs in the camps is still not one of full freedom of movement. The UK Government will continue to press the Government of Sri Lanka to allow full freedom of movement to those who remain in the camps.
Since September 2008, the UK Government have contributed £13.5 million to the humanitarian response in Sri Lanka. All DFID funding is provided directly to impartial international agencies such as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help those displaced by the conflict. None of the UK’s assistance is provided directly to the Government of Sri Lanka.
It remains the UK Government’s view that reconciliation between Sri Lanka’s communities is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka. Following the recent Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka, the UK Government continue to urge the new Government to use their mandate to take forward the need for national reconciliation through a fully inclusive political process that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict. We believe that for peace to be sustainable, this process needs to take into account the legitimate concerns of all Sri Lankan Sinhalese, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher communities.