Wednesday, 4 December 2013 00:00
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THE special representative of the United Nations in Geneva on the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is in Sri Lanka to assess firsthand the challenges that face resettled people in the north and east of the country. During his visit till 6 December, the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Dr. Chaloka Beyani will meet with representatives from the Sri Lankan Government, civil society and the UN, among others.
One of the main arguments of the Sri Lankan Government over the years at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has been the exemplary treatment it has meted out to the thousands of displaced people before and after the end of the war in 2009. It has time and again driven home the fact that no other country in the world has worked so with such dedication or spent so much to make sure that the war-affected are treated in a humane manner. Now the time has come for an independent party to verify these statements.
Dr. Beyani will visit various sites of displacement and meet with displaced persons and local authorities to find out the truth of the Government’s measures as well as the steps that still need to be taken. His report, which will be presented to the UN in mid-2014, will be crucial to the Government’s continued battle against an international community headed by Canada, US and Britain attempting to push for an international probe into allegations of human rights violations. Yet, what he finds may not be necessarily to the satisfaction of the Government.
The UNHRC has observed many returnees still face challenges in accessing their basic humanitarian needs such as shelter, water and sanitation. Displaced and returning communities also required livelihood assistance, social support, legal assistance and psycho-social care in recovering from the effects of the conflict. The assistance provided was inadequate to meet the needs. The presence of landmines and unexploded ordnance also continued to complicate the recovery of livelihoods.
There are also significant challenges in terms of releasing land to civilians. As much as 6,000 acres of land are under dispute in the north, where allegations of military clearing evidence of previous homes abound. The issue has become so intense that the site was visited by British Prime Minister David Cameron during his iconic tour of the North during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM).
Another point of contention is continuing military presence in the area. Even though the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) in its report clearly stated that military numbers need to be trimmed, the Government has evaded its implementation on a large-scale. In addition, expansion of military involvement in day-to-day basic business activities also sidelines returnees who are desperate to have sustainable livelihoods.
Although they have registered as having returned to the north, many Northern Muslim IDPs continued to live in their places of displacement in Puttalam or between the two locations, the result on the one hand of there being no assistance to support returns and on the other of obstacles to local integration.
Sri Lanka still has no legislation governing IDPs’ protection. A bill drafted by the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka in 2008 had not been taken forward as of December 2012. With shrinking budgets and less attention on IDPs, addressing these crucial issues will become harder but no less important for the Sri Lankan Government.
