I find this a very interesting interview. I will, in the coming weeks, make comments on it. The more so as I am on the spot. And it is a first response to my "outburst" last week in connection with Ban Ki Moon's visit here.
Brushing off all the allegations that the IDPs in the Northern refugee camps live under squalid conditions, the Chief of Staff and the Competent Authority of the resettlement of the Northern Province Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri reiterated that no youth had disappeared from the camps.
In an interview with the `Sunday Observer’ he said that things in the camps were `progressing speedily’ and the government would introduce more programs to make the lives of these civilians, who were battered under the LTTE, more comfortable until they go to their own habitats.
Giving an overall view about the resettlement process, he said that all the LTTE surrendees were well fed and protected while exposing them to rehabilitation.
Excerpts of the interview:
Q: TULF Leader V. Anandasangaree, in a recent interview with the BBC has described the conditions in camps as ‘horrible’ as IDPs are living under squalid conditions. He has urged the government to solve the food, health and sanitary problems facing these people. What do you have to say?
A: I strongly refute this allegation. From the beginning of this year, with civilians fleeing to government control areas, the government started putting up these camps. At the moment, there are 28 IDP camps in Vavuniya.
The Manik Farm in Chettikulam area consists of five big camps which house 25,000 to 30,000 people in each. In Vavuniya alone there are 23 IDP centres which are now called IDP welfare centres. In Pulmuddai there are six IDP centres. According to our plans, a maximum of 3,000 people will be accommodated in a camp.
Yes, when they were rescued from the LTTE, these people were in a very bad condition. They were having various diseases like hepatitis B and they were malnourished. But with all these difficulties we rescued them.
When these civilians were coming by the thousands we faced a major challenge - how to look after them. They were depressed, suffering from various health problems and starved for days. It is not an easy task to look after the mass exodus of civilians numbering 120,000 seeking refugee within two days. But the government made arrangements immediately to facilitate these people.
He (Anandasangaree) has commented on what he had witnessed at the initial stages. If he goes now he will be amazed to see how things have changed. Each and every civilian in camps are given a tent and provided with decent facilities. I agree that initially we had some problems as the INGOs like UNICEF and Caritas which were supposed to provide facilities for these people but were unable to do so as they also found difficulty in finding material necessary to provide sanitary facilities.
Things are improving daily and the World Food Program is providing food rations.
With the assistance of the Indian government, we have provided cooking utensils among each displaced family so that they can cook their own meals .
Those who criticise saying the conditions in these camps are bad, should first think about the efforts taken by the government to ensure the smooth functioning of all these activities. This is a gigantic task. All these activities are taking place under strict supervision and are monitored. If these critics visit these camps in a months time they will see a vast difference.
Q: How many IDPs are accommodated in these camps?
A: There are 891 IDPs in three camps in Mannar. Over 150,000 people are sheltered in 23 camps in Vavuniya while over 9,000 IDPs are housed in Pulmuddai. Over 11,095 are sheltered in Jaffna.
Q: The Manik Farm the world’s largest displacement camp, according to the UN, the world’s largest displacement camp, is reported to be highly congested with IDPs. Are there any plans to expand the land area and provide more facilities like sanitation?
A: Yes. It was congested at the beginning. The government never expected over 100,000 civilians to come to liberated areas in a day or two. As these people were to be given maximum security to avoid the LTTEers, who were mingling with civilians, the government did not have an alternative other than giving them shelter in the Manik Farm. But gradually things improved according to a plan.
Now we have drawn a decongested plan to reduce the congestion. This will help to create a better environment in the camps. Next month the excess number of people will be transferred to new camps and we hope to provide shelter only for 5,000 people in each camp. Under the decongested plan lots of camps are coming up. Now the water is being pumped from Malwattu Oya, and tube wells will be installed.
Q: How long will these IDPs languish in the camps? Is there a time frame to resettle the entire IDP population or are you going to resettle them in phases?
A: We cannot give a proper time frame. We are still doing things under emergency conditions and it will take another three to four months to complete the work. Before resettling them in their own lands, the de-mining program should be implemented to clear all AP mines in those areas. The government has already embarked on de-mining following international standards.
When the de-mining is over in areas where people can be resettled, these people from those areas will be resettled in their own lands. De-mining has already commenced in Mannar.
Q: Eastern Province was heavily mined and what is the situation in the Northern Province?
A: The Northern part is much worse than the East as the LTTE wanted to prevent the military reaching those areas. From the day the military started attacking them in the Northern region they had buried a massive amount of AP mines. The best example is Madhu which was heavily mined. There are lots of ditch cum bunds and we have to clear them all village by village.
In Jaffna people were resettled in a particular village without de-mining properly. Six cases of unfortunate incidents were reported and I had to order to stop resettling people until the area was fully cleared. So, we cannot play with human lives and cannot take chances. The government has a responsibility to reach and every civilian life and we cannot do a shoddy job. If something happened the so-called critics will start talking.
Q: Many of these IDPs do not possess any documentation to prove themselves. Are they issued temporary IDs?
A: Yes, this was a major issue but a major program is going on at the moment. The Presidential Secretariat and the GA’s office is handling registration and issuing IDs.
Q: When resettling them in their own areas how do you select the original inhabitant without valid documentation like deeds?
A: The Grama Sevakas who are displaced, are engaged identifying people of their areas. There are lots of government employees living in these camps. They also help to identify the people. The re-unification program is going on at the camps now. It consists of family re-unification and village re-unification. When people themselves identify those who lived with them it will facilitate the government to work out a plan though these people do not possess proper documentations to prove their identities.
There are more than 5,000 government officials among the displaced people. They have been given all the facilities and looked after well while their services are utilised in various administrative activities in camps. They are doing lots of work there.
Q: It is reported that LTTE infiltrators who came mingling with the IDPs are there in the camps. What are the steps taken to maintain security in these camps?
A: Nearly 10,000 LTTE cadres have surrendered to the military and they are now in the IDP camps under tight security. New rehabilitation programs for them are going on. Police has been deployed in all these camps to maintain security and the government has taken all precautions to ensure that nothing would happen to the former LTTE cadres as well as the IDPs. They all are well fed and given maximum facilities.
Each Zone has Zone Commanders who are retired brigadiers and colonels of the Army and also serving high ranking military officers are appointed to look after these camps. The Security Forces Commander of Vanni too has several plans to provide maximum security for these people. So the chances for the LTTErs to operate is very remote.
Q: Some alleged that the Manik Farm has 7-foot high barbed wired wooden posts with razor wire coils atop giving the feeling of concentration camps during the Second World War. What is your view?
A: All nonsense. No camp is like that. But in any camp whether it is for the IDPs or not there is a need to provide security. These people are not ordinary people and they came from fighting areas. There is no guarantee that all these people are innocent civilians and there may be hardcore LTTEers among them. Until we screen all we have to maintain a tough security procedure to some extent. That does not mean that these people are in concentration camps. Those who do not know the true meaning of what is a concentration camp throw these allegations according to their imaginations. There are no barbed wires, but there are fences around each camp. The visitors are allowed to see their kith and kin according to a plan. Each and every IDP cannot be allowed to bring their relatives on a single day. They are given specific days. But IDPs are now allowed to go out and they are provided with all the necessary facilities inside the camps.
Q: If they have major health problem, are they allowed to move out?
A: We have separate plans for those who need urgent medical care. The Health Ministry gives us immense support and there are over 40 doctors treating patients. Daily medical camps are functioning and each zone has a separate field hospital. Apart from these facilities, two large hospitals run by the French and Indian governments are functioning in Vavuniya specially to help the IDPs. Over 30 ambulances are available. Some IDPs try to escape using the facilities given to them for health care. Some tried to make a move by using the ambulance, and now if there is no authorization from the doctor in-charge of the camp no one is allowed to go out for medical care. If a patient needs to go for specialized care to a hospital in the Southern parts of the country they have to get the approval from me.
Q: There is another accusation that some youth have ‘disappeared’ from the camps. Is it true?
A: These are all allegations by the interested parties. No disappearance was reported from any of these camps so far. Some parents claim that their children are missing when the authorities take them to rehabilitation centres as they were former LTTE cadres. If parents claim that their children are missing they are welcome to inquire from the authorities and we can help them to locate their children.
There are plans to set up new rehabilitation camps closer to the welfare villages so that their parents can visit their children. Even now if there is a request to visit their children we can make arrangements to meet their children in rehabilitation camps. But I strongly refute this allegation and I can assure that such incidents had never happened and also there is no room for such incidents in future.
Q: Do you think that the government needs assistance from the international community for post-war resettlement and reconstruction programs?
A: Definitely the government needs the support of the INGOs and NGOs. But they should come forward purely to support us but not to impose conditions to achieve their interests. Especially these civilians need the support to go back to their normal lives.
This is our country and those who come to help us should have genuine interest to help us. If they really want to help us the government will allow them. But if they come with ulterior motives to create problems in this country again, we do not want their support.
Recently a Chief Executive Officer of a leading company called me and asked whether he could do a product promotion in these welfare villages. I asked him first to make a donation. Then he cut the line. These are the people trying to take advantage from these issues. I will not allow anyone to do business using IDPs. We handle this in a very transparent manner. We take decisions after daily discussions with the government officials, INGOs and NGOs who are part and parcel of this process. We do daily evaluation of the work. We have put the system in some sort of order.
Q: Is there any ban on certain aid agencies from entering these camps and why?
A: No, nothing like that. If they tell us what they want to do and if the Ministry of Defence approves they can come and meet me. There are specialised NGOs and their speciality should be known to us. They have to enter into an agreement with us giving the specific period of time to complete the projects. We have bitter experiences during tsunami where so many agreements were signed and lots of money went to the LTTE. We do not want to repeat the same.
Q: They accused that majority of children and elders are malnourished and need urgent medical attention. What is the truth in that?
A: Yes, when they came from the LTTE controlled areas they were completely malnourished. They had not been treated as humans at all and Prabhakaran had kept them like cattle. They cannot expect us to do everything within two or three months. It will take time to make them healthier. The government has to feed them all. Gradually things are improving and the government is now providing facilities which they have not dreamt of for the last so many years. The pro-LTTEers still accuse the government citing various false allegations. These civilians, who suffered under Prabhakaran, are truly happy and looking forward for a peaceful life.
Q: Why do you call these refugee camps welfare villages?
A: Because these camps are not just camps and these are camps to look after the welfare of the people. We do not tag them as refugee camps or IDP camps. They are our people and they are Sri Lankans. So, we want to look after and protect them. Why we call them welfare centres is because daily people of the South send over 20 lorry loads of necessary items for these people. Over 150 officers attached to the GA’s office go to these camps to attend to the needs of these people. I do not think that there are major issues in the camps now as they try to show it to the outside world.
Q: Do you think that the role of the military would end after resettling the last family?
A: No, the military has to play a very vital role in resettlement. It is our duty to see that these people are resettled properly. We have to protect them after they are resettled. The military wants to ensure their future and that this kind of disaster would not happen again. The military will be with the civilians even after the last refugee is resettled in his or her village.
Q: What are the new programs on the cards to make their lives better?
A: Several organisations are coming forward to help us especially in the fields of education, health and agriculture. We are drawing separate plans to make these people more comfortable. The Department of Agriculture is to help these people to start agriculture in the welfare villages. Each family will get a small plot of land to do their own cultivation. Banks are providing financial assistance and the Osu Sala outlets will be opened in each of these villages to buy drugs for affordable prices.
Remember these civilians are not poor and are financially sound. One person came with 15 gold biscuits. That is why we have started banking facilities for them. They can also buy necessary food items when the shops are open soon.
(copyright "The Sunday Observer", Colombo. Article copied from their website).
