Diplomats and NGOs can travel to north Sri Lanka without authorization

(July 20, 2011) In Sri Lanka, diplomats and members of local and international NGOs can once again travel to the northern part of the country, without asking for permission or visas from the Ministry of Defense. For now, restrictions remain only for individuals and groups, who plan to visit areas or meet military officers. Campaigners have welcomed the news as a positive sign for the reconciliation process, since the north is one of the areas most affected by the long ethnic conflict that ended in 2009. However, they stress that what is even more important is the complete demilitarization of the province.
Jehan Perera, a human rights activist and executive director of the National Peace Council, sees this relaxation as a "positive development", because it shows that the government is acting in a transparent manner and has nothing to hide in the Northern Province. But what is most urgent is that the government reduces the level of militarization and restores civil administration, said the human rights activist .