Jaffna bishop tells government that refugees must go home as soon as possible

(June 13, 2009) A Catholic bishop in northern Sri Lanka has decried the appalling condition of displaced Tamils in government camps and insisted that they be helped to be settled in their homes as early as possible. Bishop Thomas Savundaranayagam of Jaffna said that the six camps set up by the government in the country’s northern peninsula host about 120,000 people out of a total refugee population of about 300,000. Refugees are under the control of the military and only humanitarian workers from the United Nations, the Red Cross and Caritas are allowed to come into contact with them, and even then with great difficulty, he said. All those who have seen the camps for internally displaced persons agree that their conditions is deplorable a month since the end of the hostilities. Bishop Savundaranayagam wants the refugees to be quickly repatriated to their place of origin, and wonders why the government is postponing the operation. He acknowledged that the government would require three months to de-mine territories, rebuild houses and repair the infrastructure, but expressed alarm over rumours that the process would take six months. He said that resettlement should take place as quickly as possible.