Send Tamil refugees home, says Sri Lanka’s Anglican bishop

(Sept.29,2009): In Sri Lanka, Anglican Bishop Duleep de Chickera of Colombo slammed continuous delays in repatriating Tamil refugees, after the war between the Sri Lankan military and Tamil Tiger rebels ended in May. He said that “co-ordination amongst State authorities” leaves a lot to be desired and demining and reconstruction are proceeding at a slow pace.
Yet, the government stated that refugees could go home on the condition that they are housed by relatives in conditions of security. For the prelate this contradiction is humiliating to internally displaced persons, IDPs. Bishop de Chickera reminded the government that IDPs are not war prisoners, but people who left their homes for camps on the urging of the military, who put their trust in their promises.
The prelate wants the Sri Lanka President’s administration to provide information and clarity on the real situation in the areas, once under the control of Tamil Tigers. The government should “demonstrate transparency in its management of the crisis and in the reintegration of 250,000 refugees,” said Anglican Bishop de Chickera