Sri Lankan IDP camps
Encyclopedia
The final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War
created 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were transferred to camps in Vavuniya District
and detained there against their will. This process, together with the conditions inside the camps and the slow progress of resettlement in 2009 had attracted much concern and criticism from inside and outside Sri Lanka
. On 7 May 2009 the Sri Lankan government announced plans to resettle 80% of the IDPs by the end of 2009. After the end of the civil war Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa
gave assurances to foreign diplomats that the bulk of the IDPs would be resettled in accordance with the 180 day plan. On 1 December 2009 the camps were opened up, giving the IDPs limited freedom. The IDPs would have to return to camps within 15 days or report to the police regularly. On 29 December 2009 the Sri Lankan government stated that there was no deadline for the resettlement of the IDPs. The pace of resettlement increased in 2010 and by July 2011, most the IDPs had been released or returned to their places of origin, with 7,500 still living in the camps. The people awaiting resettlement are almost entirely (98%) from areas in Mullaitivu District
, which is heavily contaminated with landmines.
(Tamil Tigers) had been waging a full scale war for an independent
state of Tamil Eelam
in the North
and East
of Sri Lanka since 1983. After the failure of the Norwegian
mediated peace process in 2006 the Sri Lankan Military launched military offensives aimed at recapturing the territory controlled by the Tamil Tigers. By July 2007 the military had recaptured all of the Eastern Province. The military offensive in the Northern Province escalated in October 2008 as the military attacked the Vanni
heartland of the Tamil Tigers. After successive defeats, including the loss of their de-facto capital Kilinochchi
, the Tamil Tigers were forced to retreat east. The civilian
population of the Vanni also fled east. It is disputed as to whether the civilians fled on their own accord or were forced to do so by the Tamil Tigers. By January 2009 the Tamil Tigers and the civilians were trapped in a small piece of land on the north-east coast in Mullaitivu District
.
, between the A35 highway and Chalai Lagoon
. The purpose of the Safe Zone was ostensibly to allow the trapped civilians to cross into territory controlled by the Sri Lankan military. However, very few civilians actually crossed into the military territory. Again, the reason for this is disputed. The Sri Lankan military, UN
and human rights
organisations accused the Tamil Tigers of preventing the civilians from leaving.
The fighting between the military and the Tamil Tigers continued, causing the civilians to flee from the Safe Zone to a narrow strip of land between Nanthi Kadal
lagoon and the Indian Ocean
. On 12 February 2009 the military declared a new 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) Safe Zone in this area, north-west of Mullaitivu
town. Over the next three months a brutal siege of the Safe Zone occurred as the military allegedly blitzed by land and air the last remnants of Tamil Tigers trapped in the Safe Zone. Satellite images of the Safe Zone publishes by the UN, foreign governments and scientific organisations showed heavy damage that could have only been caused by bombardment. Inevitably many thousands of civilians were killed or injured. The UN, based on credible witness evidence from aid agencies as well civilians evacuated from the Safe Zone by sea, estimated that 6,500 civilians were killed and another 14,000 injured between mid-January, when the Safe Zone was first declared, and mid-April. There are no official casualty figures after this period but estimates of the death toll for the final four months of the civil war (mid-January to mid-May) range from 15,000 to 20,000. A US State Department report has suggested that the actual casualty figures were probably much higher than the UN's estimates and that significant numbers of casualties weren't recorded. As the civil war edged towards a bitter end in late April/early May the number of civilians leaving the Safe Zone turned from a trickle to a torrent. On 19 May the Sri Lankan government declared victory.
and housed in camps, mostly schools. The IDPs weren’t allowed to leave the camps. The reasons given by the Sri Lankan government/military for not allowing the civilians to return to their homes were the existence of land mines and the need to identify Tamil Tigers whom they allege are hiding amongst the civilians.
Western critics have described the camps as "prisons" or "closed camps" because the IDPs were not permitted to leave the camps.
Some, including the United Nations
’ High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, have gone further and described the camps as “internment camps” because the IDPs were not permitted leave the camps; access to the camps by independent aid organisations, independent media, IDPs relatives and opposition politicians is heavily restricted or denied completely; and the camps are controlled by the Sri Lankan military.
Tamil activists have described the camps as “concentration camps”, using an image of IDPs standing behind barbed wire fences to liken the camps to the concentration camps of World War II
and Bosnian Civil War. Indian and Tamil MPs, Catholic priests, academics and the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal based in Milan, have also referred to the IDP camps as concentration camps. Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy
and Noam Chomsky
are other prominent political activists who have used described the IDP camps as concentration camps. Writers for the British newspapers, The Telegraph
and The Times
have also used the term concentration camps.
groups believe that this effectively meant that the IDPs were being detained indefinitely without charge or trial, in contravention of international law
. Articles 9 and 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
, to which Sri Lanka is party, guarantee the rights to liberty, freedom from arbitrary detention and freedom of movement.
On 1 December 2009 the camps were opened up, giving the IDPs limited freedom. The IDPs could leave the camps for up to 15 days after giving their details to the authorities but they would have to return to the camps on a stipulated day. Some IDPs could leave the camps permanently but would have to report to the police regularly. The Sri Lankan military has threatened to "track down" IDPs who don't return to camps or report to the police. The camps are being described by some as "open prisons" because of these strict conditions imposed on the IDPs. The UN has given a cautious welcome to the opening up of the camps but reiterated its expectations that all of the IDPs should be returned to their homes permanently by 31 January 2010. Some observers believe the opening up is an election ploy ahead of the presidential elections
which are due to be held on 26 January 2010.
Access to the camps by independent media is heavily restricted. When the media are allowed into the camps they are monitored by the military and all contact with the IDPs is filmed by the military.
Access to the camps by the IDPs' relatives is also heavily restricted.
Access to the camps by opposition politicians has been denied completely. However, politicians from the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance
regularly visit the camps and meet the IDPs. On most occasions when any IDPs are released or returned to their places of origin they are photographed with government ministers, particularly the paramilitary
leader Douglas Devananda
.
During the siege of the Safe Zone the Sri Lankan government/military consistently understated the number of civilians trapped in the Safe Zone which meant the NGOs weren’t prepared for the influx of 300,000 IDPs into the camps.
season (October to March) will flood the site.
Menik Farm is located in the far south-west of Vavuniya District
near the district’s border with Anuradhapura
and Mannar
districts. The site straddles the A14 Mannar
-Medawachchiya
road and the disused Mannar railway line. The site is very close to the Aruvi Aru and other rivers and streams. One of the Aruvi Aru’s tributaries actually cuts the site into two. With a population in excess of 200,000 Menik Farm is believed to be the largest IDP camp in the world. It has also become one of Sri Lanka’s largest settlements.
The following camps/hospitals are being or have been used to house the IDPs displaced from the Vanni region since October 2008:
A number of hospitals in other districts have also been used by the IDPs.
By July the resettlement target was being revised downwards. On 10 July President Rajapaksa stated that there was target, not a promise, to resettle 50-60% of the IDPs by the end of November 2009. However, on 16 July 2009 in a letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund
(IMF) the Sri Lankan government stated that it aimed to resettle 70-80% of the IDPs by the end of 2009. The IMF subsequently approved a US$2.6 billion loan to Sri Lanka.
By the end of August 2009 less than 12,000 IDPs (5%) had been released or returned to their places of origin. The imminent monsoon raised concern amongst the aid agencies/international community. The Sri Lankan government reacted to this by returning more IDPs to their places of origin. Some of these IDPs were held in military run “closed” transit sites in their home districts, from which they can’t leave and access by aid agencies is heavily restricted. Some IDPs were allowed to return to their homes but most of these homes are located inside high security zones, such as the Jaffna islands, which are under the strict control of Sri Lankan Navy
. The Sri Lankan military places heavy restrictions on civilians living inside these areas and on access to them from outside.
By early October the resettlement target had been reduced even further. On 6 October 2009 a Sri Lanka's Deputy Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama
issued a statement saying the government hoped to resettle 100,000 (35%) of the IDPs by the end of 2009. In late October the government accelerated the resettlement programme by returning IDPs to areas formerly controlled by the Tamil Tigers in Kilinochchi
, Mannar
and Mullaitivu
districts. On 22 October 2009 the Sri Lankan government claimed to have released of 41,685 IDPs (16,394 from Mullaitivu District, 10,017 from Kilinochchi District, 8,643 from Vavuniya District and 6,631 from Mannar District), which was widely reported in the media. However, other reports suggested that only 5,700 IDPs had been released, with another 36,000 to be resettled over the "coming weeks". This was later confirmed by UN figures which showed that only 25,474 IDPs had been released/returned to places of origin between 10 October and 23 October. Of those who were actually released some were returned to the IDP camps after the end of the photo-opportunity for government ministers, whilst others were taken to transit camps in their home districts, not their homes. The apparent fast pace of resettlement in October 2009 and early November 2009 was due to IDP's being returned to areas that have been under government control for many years (Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya). Most of the IDPs in the camps from these areas had been returned to their places of origin by November. The pace of resettlement in areas controlled by the Tamil Tigers (Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu) has been very slow, particularly in areas east of the A 9 highway. Consequently the pace of resettlement had slowed down by late November. On 29 December 2009 the Sri Lankan government stated that there was no deadline for the resettlement of the IDPs, contradicting previous assurances.
The pace of resettlement increased in 2010 and by 2 December 2010, more than 560 days after the end of the civil war, 94% (326,000) of the IDPs had been released or returned to their places of origin, with 21,000 still being held in the camps.
Cumulative numbers of IDPs displaced from the Vanni since October 2008 who have been released or returned to places of origin from IDP camps:
1 Figures are the latest available on date.
2 Since 5 August 2009.
Sri Lankan civil war
The Sri Lankan Civil War was a conflict fought on the island of Sri Lanka. Beginning on July 23, 1983, there was an on-and-off insurgency against the government by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam , a separatist militant organization which fought to create an independent Tamil state named Tamil...
created 300,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) who were transferred to camps in Vavuniya District
Vavuniya District
Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...
and detained there against their will. This process, together with the conditions inside the camps and the slow progress of resettlement in 2009 had attracted much concern and criticism from inside and outside Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
. On 7 May 2009 the Sri Lankan government announced plans to resettle 80% of the IDPs by the end of 2009. After the end of the civil war Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Percy Mahendra "Mahinda" Rajapaksa ; ; born November 18, 1945) is the 6th and current President of Sri Lanka and Commander in Chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. A lawyer by profession, Rajapaksa was first elected to the Parliament of Sri Lanka in 1970, and served as prime minister from April 6,...
gave assurances to foreign diplomats that the bulk of the IDPs would be resettled in accordance with the 180 day plan. On 1 December 2009 the camps were opened up, giving the IDPs limited freedom. The IDPs would have to return to camps within 15 days or report to the police regularly. On 29 December 2009 the Sri Lankan government stated that there was no deadline for the resettlement of the IDPs. The pace of resettlement increased in 2010 and by July 2011, most the IDPs had been released or returned to their places of origin, with 7,500 still living in the camps. The people awaiting resettlement are almost entirely (98%) from areas in Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...
, which is heavily contaminated with landmines.
Background
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil EelamLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a separatist militant organization formerly based in northern Sri Lanka. Founded in May 1976 by Vellupillai Prabhakaran, it waged a violent secessionist and nationalist campaign to create an independent state in the north and east of Sri Lanka for Tamil...
(Tamil Tigers) had been waging a full scale war for an independent
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
state of Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam
Tamil Eelam , is the name given by certain Tamils in Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora to the independent state which they aspire to create in the north and east of Sri Lanka. Tamil Eelam has no official status or recognition by any other state or authority...
in the North
Northern Province, Sri Lanka
The Northern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but did not have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
and East
Eastern Province, Sri Lanka
The Eastern Province is one of the 9 provinces of Sri Lanka. The provinces have existed since the 19th century but they didn't have any legal status until 1987 when the 13th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka established provincial councils. Between 1988 and 2006 the province was...
of Sri Lanka since 1983. After the failure of the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
mediated peace process in 2006 the Sri Lankan Military launched military offensives aimed at recapturing the territory controlled by the Tamil Tigers. By July 2007 the military had recaptured all of the Eastern Province. The military offensive in the Northern Province escalated in October 2008 as the military attacked the Vanni
Vanni (Sri Lanka)
The Vanni is the name given to the mainland area of the Northern Province, Sri Lanka. It covers the entirety of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Vavuniya Districts, and most of Kilinochchi District. It has an area of approximately 7,650 km2...
heartland of the Tamil Tigers. After successive defeats, including the loss of their de-facto capital Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi is a city in the Kilinochchi District, part of the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. Kilinochchi is situated at the A9 road some south-east of Jaffna...
, the Tamil Tigers were forced to retreat east. The civilian
Civilian
A civilian under international humanitarian law is a person who is not a member of his or her country's armed forces or other militia. Civilians are distinct from combatants. They are afforded a degree of legal protection from the effects of war and military occupation...
population of the Vanni also fled east. It is disputed as to whether the civilians fled on their own accord or were forced to do so by the Tamil Tigers. By January 2009 the Tamil Tigers and the civilians were trapped in a small piece of land on the north-east coast in Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...
.
Safe Zone
As the Sri Lankan military advanced further into Tamil Tiger controlled areas, international concern grew for the fate of the 350,000 civilians trapped. On 21 January 2009 the Sri Lankan military declared a 32 square kilometres (12.4 sq mi) Safe Zone 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north-west of PuthukkudiyiruppuPuthukkudiyiruppu (Mullaitivu)
Puthukkudiyiruppu is a small town in the Mullaitivu District of Sri Lanka.There are four main roads which lead to Mullaithivu in the east, Paranthan towards west, Iranaipalai towards north and Oddusuddan towards south...
, between the A35 highway and Chalai Lagoon
Chalai Lagoon
Chalai Lagoon is a lagoon in Mullaitivu District, north-east Sri Lanka. The town of Chalai is located on a sand bar between the lagoon and the Indian Ocean....
. The purpose of the Safe Zone was ostensibly to allow the trapped civilians to cross into territory controlled by the Sri Lankan military. However, very few civilians actually crossed into the military territory. Again, the reason for this is disputed. The Sri Lankan military, UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
organisations accused the Tamil Tigers of preventing the civilians from leaving.
The fighting between the military and the Tamil Tigers continued, causing the civilians to flee from the Safe Zone to a narrow strip of land between Nanthi Kadal
Nanthi Kadal
Nanthi Kadal is a lagoon in Mullaitivu District, north-east Sri Lanka. The English translation of Nanthi Kadal is "the sea of conches".The lagoon is fed by a number of small rivers, including Per Aru....
lagoon and the Indian Ocean
Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean is the third largest of the world's oceanic divisions, covering approximately 20% of the water on the Earth's surface. It is bounded on the north by the Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula ; on the west by eastern Africa; on the east by Indochina, the Sunda Islands, and...
. On 12 February 2009 the military declared a new 10 square kilometres (3.9 sq mi) Safe Zone in this area, north-west of Mullaitivu
Mullaitivu
Mullaitivu is a small town on the north-eastern coast of Sri Lanka. It is the capital of Mullaitivu District in the Northern Province of Sri Lanka. A largely fishing settlement, the town in the early 20th century grew as an anchoring harbour of the small sailing vessels transporting goods between...
town. Over the next three months a brutal siege of the Safe Zone occurred as the military allegedly blitzed by land and air the last remnants of Tamil Tigers trapped in the Safe Zone. Satellite images of the Safe Zone publishes by the UN, foreign governments and scientific organisations showed heavy damage that could have only been caused by bombardment. Inevitably many thousands of civilians were killed or injured. The UN, based on credible witness evidence from aid agencies as well civilians evacuated from the Safe Zone by sea, estimated that 6,500 civilians were killed and another 14,000 injured between mid-January, when the Safe Zone was first declared, and mid-April. There are no official casualty figures after this period but estimates of the death toll for the final four months of the civil war (mid-January to mid-May) range from 15,000 to 20,000. A US State Department report has suggested that the actual casualty figures were probably much higher than the UN's estimates and that significant numbers of casualties weren't recorded. As the civil war edged towards a bitter end in late April/early May the number of civilians leaving the Safe Zone turned from a trickle to a torrent. On 19 May the Sri Lankan government declared victory.
IDP camps
All civilians who managed to escape the fighting in the Safe Zone and the civilians who were still in the Safe Zone after the end of combat were taken by the Sri Lankan military to southern Vavuniya DistrictVavuniya District
Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...
and housed in camps, mostly schools. The IDPs weren’t allowed to leave the camps. The reasons given by the Sri Lankan government/military for not allowing the civilians to return to their homes were the existence of land mines and the need to identify Tamil Tigers whom they allege are hiding amongst the civilians.
Terminology
The Sri Lankan government/military describes the camps as "welfare centres" or "welfare villages" but the conditions imposed on the IDPs have prompted others, inside and outside Sri Lanka, to use other terms to describe the camps.Western critics have described the camps as "prisons" or "closed camps" because the IDPs were not permitted to leave the camps.
Some, including the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
’ High Commissioner for Human Rights Navanethem Pillay, have gone further and described the camps as “internment camps” because the IDPs were not permitted leave the camps; access to the camps by independent aid organisations, independent media, IDPs relatives and opposition politicians is heavily restricted or denied completely; and the camps are controlled by the Sri Lankan military.
Tamil activists have described the camps as “concentration camps”, using an image of IDPs standing behind barbed wire fences to liken the camps to the concentration camps of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Bosnian Civil War. Indian and Tamil MPs, Catholic priests, academics and the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal based in Milan, have also referred to the IDP camps as concentration camps. Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy
Arundhati Roy is an Indian novelist. She won the Booker Prize in 1997 for her novel, The God of Small Things, and has also written two screenplays and several collections of essays...
and Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
are other prominent political activists who have used described the IDP camps as concentration camps. Writers for the British newspapers, The Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
have also used the term concentration camps.
Criticism and concern about the camps
The conditions imposed on the IDPs, the conditions inside the camps and the slow progress of resettlement have attracted widespread criticism from inside and outside Sri Lanka.Detention
The IDPs were not allowed to leave the camps initially. Human rightsHuman rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
groups believe that this effectively meant that the IDPs were being detained indefinitely without charge or trial, in contravention of international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
. Articles 9 and 12 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 16, 1966, and in force from March 23, 1976...
, to which Sri Lanka is party, guarantee the rights to liberty, freedom from arbitrary detention and freedom of movement.
On 1 December 2009 the camps were opened up, giving the IDPs limited freedom. The IDPs could leave the camps for up to 15 days after giving their details to the authorities but they would have to return to the camps on a stipulated day. Some IDPs could leave the camps permanently but would have to report to the police regularly. The Sri Lankan military has threatened to "track down" IDPs who don't return to camps or report to the police. The camps are being described by some as "open prisons" because of these strict conditions imposed on the IDPs. The UN has given a cautious welcome to the opening up of the camps but reiterated its expectations that all of the IDPs should be returned to their homes permanently by 31 January 2010. Some observers believe the opening up is an election ploy ahead of the presidential elections
Sri Lankan presidential election, 2010
The Sri Lankan presidential election of 2010 was the sixth presidential election of Sri Lanka. The election was announced on 23 November 2009 when incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa decided to seek a fresh mandate prior to the expiration of his term in 2011...
which are due to be held on 26 January 2010.
Access
Initially the Sri Lankan military denied all access to the camps by NGOs. This was later relaxed after pressure was exerted by the international community. Many local and international NGOs now work in the camps but they continue to report problems with access. However, human rights groups and others who wish provide advice to the IDPs are still denied access.Access to the camps by independent media is heavily restricted. When the media are allowed into the camps they are monitored by the military and all contact with the IDPs is filmed by the military.
Access to the camps by the IDPs' relatives is also heavily restricted.
Access to the camps by opposition politicians has been denied completely. However, politicians from the ruling United People's Freedom Alliance
United People's Freedom Alliance
The United People's Freedom Alliance is a political alliance in Sri Lanka. The current leader of the United People's Freedom Alliance is Mahinda Rajapaksa and Susil Premajayantha is the general secretary of UPFA.The alliance was formed by:...
regularly visit the camps and meet the IDPs. On most occasions when any IDPs are released or returned to their places of origin they are photographed with government ministers, particularly the paramilitary
Paramilitary
A paramilitary is a force whose function and organization are similar to those of a professional military, but which is not considered part of a state's formal armed forces....
leader Douglas Devananda
Douglas Devananda
Kathiravelu Nithyananda Douglas Devananda, commonly known as Douglas Devananda, is a Sri Lankan Tamil politician, Cabinet Minister and leader of the Eelam People's Democratic Party. Originally a Sri Lanka Tamil militant who fought against the Sri Lankan government for an independent Tamil Eelam, he...
.
Poor preparation
In September 2008 the Sri Lankan government ordered all NGOs out of the Vanni which meant that they weren’t on location to provide assistance when the IDPs were transferred from the Safe Zone to the camps.During the siege of the Safe Zone the Sri Lankan government/military consistently understated the number of civilians trapped in the Safe Zone which meant the NGOs weren’t prepared for the influx of 300,000 IDPs into the camps.
Flooding
The Menik Farm site is very prone to flooding because it lies on low ground near a number of rivers and streams including the Aruvi Aru (Malvathu Oya). In August heavy rains flooded the site, causing heavy damage to the tents housing the IDPs and sending raw sewage into the camps and the rivers providing drinking water. There is widespread concern that the north east monsoonMonsoon
Monsoon is traditionally defined as a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation, but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with the asymmetric heating of land and sea...
season (October to March) will flood the site.
IDPs identified as Tamil Tigers
By the end of September 10,000 IDPs had been identified as having some links to the Tamil Tigers. This includes not only former cadres but also their relatives, those who worked in the Tigers’s civil administrative structures and anyone believed to be a supporter or sympathizer of the Tigers. They have been moved to separate camps. The conditions imposed on them are even harsher because the Red Cross and UN have been denied access to them. Many of those being detained as Tamil Tigers are children, whom the UN has called on the Sri Lankan government to be released. In June 2011, government claimed that all former female LTTE combatants were released.The camps
The IDPs were initially held at numerous small camps, mostly schools (Maha Vidyalayam), located throughout southern Vavuniya District. Since then most of these small camps have been closed and IDPs instead concentrated at the Menik Farm site.Menik Farm is located in the far south-west of Vavuniya District
Vavuniya District
Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town...
near the district’s border with Anuradhapura
Anuradhapura District
Anuradhapura is a district in North Central Province, Sri Lanka. Its area is 7,179 km².-Demographics:The population according to 2001 census is 745,693 of which 90.7 % are sinhalese, 8.3 % Sri Lankan Moors, 0.7 % native Sri Lankan tamils and 0.1 % tamils of Indian origin...
and Mannar
Mannar District
Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka...
districts. The site straddles the A14 Mannar
Mannar, Sri Lanka
Mannar , formerly spelled Manar, is the capital of Mannar District, Sri Lanka. It is located on Mannar Island.Mannar is known for its baobab trees and for its fort, built by the Portuguese in 1560 and taken by the Dutch in 1658 and rebuilt; its ramparts and bastions are intact, though the interior...
-Medawachchiya
Medawachchiya
Medawachchiya is a town in the Anuradhapura District, North Central Province of Sri Lanka. Situated 27km from Anuradhapura, on the A9 Jaffna - Kandy main road, it is 229km from the capital Colombo. Medawachchiya is also the point from which the A14 main road to mannar and Talaimannar starts...
road and the disused Mannar railway line. The site is very close to the Aruvi Aru and other rivers and streams. One of the Aruvi Aru’s tributaries actually cuts the site into two. With a population in excess of 200,000 Menik Farm is believed to be the largest IDP camp in the world. It has also become one of Sri Lanka’s largest settlements.
The following camps/hospitals are being or have been used to house the IDPs displaced from the Vanni region since October 2008:
Vengalachedikulam Divisional Secretary’s Division
- Menik Farm Zone 0 (KathirkamarLakshman KadirgamarSri Lankabhimanya Lakshman Kadirgamar PC was a Sri Lankan diplomat, politician and a lawyer. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2001 and again from April 2004 until his assassination in August 2005...
Village) - Menik Farm Zone 1 (Ananda KumarasamyAnanda CoomaraswamyAnanda Kentish Coomaraswamy was a Ceylonese philosopher and metaphysician, as well as a pioneering historian and philosopher of Indian art, particularly art history and symbolism, and an early interpreter of Indian culture to the West...
Village) - Menik Farm Zone 2 (Pon RamanathanPonnambalam RamanathanSir Ponnambalam Ramanathan, KCMG, KC was a Solicitor-General and Tamil political leader in Sri Lanka.-Early life:...
Village) (closed 24 November 2010, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zones 0 and 1) - Menik Farm Zone 3 (ArunachchalamPonnambalam ArunachalamSir Ponnambalam Arunachchalam, CCS was a Tamil political leader in Ceylon and a member of the Executive Council and the Legislative Council.-Early life:...
Village) - Menik Farm Zone 4 (closed 9 November 2010, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zones 0 and 1)
- Menik Farm Zone 5 (closed February 2010)
- Menik Farm Zone 6
- Menik Farm Zone 7 (Maruthamadu Welfare Centre)
- Andiyapuliyankulam School (closed early May, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 2; closed early September 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 6)
- Ariviththodam Sivanantha Vidyalayam, Menik Farm (closed early September 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 6)
- Cheddikulam Base HospitalCheddikulam HospitalCheddikulam Hospital is a government hospital in Cheddikulam, Sri Lanka. It is controlled by the provincial government in Jaffna. As of 2010 it had 425 beds. The hospital is sometimes called Cheddikulam Base Hospital or Cheddikulam District Hospital....
- Cheddikulam Maha Vidyalayam (closed early September 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 6)
- Muthaliyankulam Maha Vidyalayam (closed early May 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 2)
- Sooduventhapualvu Muslim School (closed early September 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 6)
- Sumathipuram Welfare Centre, Ulunkkulam (on border with Anuradhapura district)
- Tharmapuram Welfare Centre (Mahakongaskada (MKK)) (on border with Anuradhapura district) (closed February 2010, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zones 3 and 1)
- Veerapuram Maha Vidyalayam
Vavuniya Divisional Secretary’s Division
- Gamini Maha Vidyalayam (closed late June 2009, IDPs moved to Sumathipuram WC)
- Kanthapuram Maha Vidyalayam (Scandapuram) (closed late June 2009, IDPs moved to Sumathipuram WC)
- Komarasankulam Maha Vidyalayam
- Kovilkulam Hindu College
- Nelukkulam Kalaimagal Maha VidyalayamNelukkulam Kalaimagal Maha VidyalayamNelukkulam Kalaimagal Maha Vidyalayam is a mixed public provincial school in Nelukkulam near Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.-External links:*...
(closed early September 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 6) - Nelukkulam Technical College
- Omanthai Maha Vidyalayam
- Pampaimadu Hospital
- Pampamadhu Hostel School (closed 27 May 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 4)
- Ponthoodam Government Tamil Mixed School (closed 27 May 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 4)
- Poonathoddam College of Education (closed April 2010)
- Poovarankulam Base Hospital
- Poovarasankulam Maha Vidyalayam (closed early May 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 2)
- Puthukkulam Maha Vidyalayam
- Rambakulam Ladies College (closed early May 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 2)
- Samanankulam School
- Saivapragasa Ladies' CollegeSaivapragasa Ladies' CollegeSaivapragasa Ladies' College is a girls public provincial school in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.-External links:*...
- Thandikulam Maha Vidyalayam
- Vavuniya General Hospital
- Vavuniya Muslim Maha VidyalayamVavuniya Muslim Maha VidyalayamVavuniya Muslim Maha Vidyalayam is a mixed public national school in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka....
- Vavuniya Tamil Maha Vidyalayam (Primary) (closed 27 May 2009, IDPs moved to Menik Farm Zone 4)
- Vavuniya Tamil Madhya Maha VidyalayamVavuniya Tamil Madhya Maha VidyalayamVavuniya Tamil Madhya Maha Vidyalayam is a mixed public national school in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka.-External links:*...
(Senior) (closed late June 2009, IDPs moved to Sumathipuram WC) - Velikkulam School
Jaffna District
- Chavakachcheri Hindu College (closed late May 2009, IDPs moved to Kodikamam Ramavil)
- Chavakachcheri Hindu Ladies College (closed early June 2009, IDPs moved to Kodikamam Ramavil)
- Kaithady Ayurvedic University Hostel
- Kaithady Palmyra Research Institute 1
- Kaithady Palmyra Research Institute 2
- Kaithady Hindu Children Home
- Kodikamam Government Tamil Mixed School
- Kodikamam Ramavil (Kodikamam Forest)
- Kodikamam Thirunavitkarasu Maha Vidyalayam (closed late May 2009, IDPs moved to Kodikamam Ramavil)
- Kopay Teacher Training College
- Manalkadu
- Murusivil Roman Catholic Tamil Mixed School
- Nelliyady Central College (closed early June 2009, IDPs moved to Kodikamam Ramavil)
- Thirunagar Old Court House
Mannar District
- English Training Centre
- Illupaikkulam (closed March 2010, IDPs moved to Kalimoddai)
- Kalimoddai
- Mannar District General Hospital
- Mannar Welfare Centre
- Sirukandal (closed March 2010, IDPs moved to Kalimoddai)
Trincomalee District
- Arafat Nagar Muslim Maha Vidyalam
- Kantale Base Hospital
- Methodist School
- Pulmoddai Field Hospital
- Pulmoddai Muslim Maha Vidyalayam
- Pulmoddai Sinhala Maha Vidyalayam
- Sahanagama Welfare Centre Site 1, Pulmoddai (13th Mile post)
- Sahanagama Welfare Centre Site 2, Pulmoddai (13th Mile post)
- Thampalakamam Peripheral Unit
- Trincomalee General Hospital
A number of hospitals in other districts have also been used by the IDPs.
Release/return to places of origin
When the camps were initially established in early 2009 the Sri Lankan government stated that it expected to hold the IDPs in the camps for as long as three years. However, on 7 May 2009 the Sri Lankan government announced plans to resettle 80% of the IDPs by the end of 2009. This was reinforced on 21 May 2009 when President Rajapaksa gave assurances that most of the civilians would be resettled within 180 days.By July the resettlement target was being revised downwards. On 10 July President Rajapaksa stated that there was target, not a promise, to resettle 50-60% of the IDPs by the end of November 2009. However, on 16 July 2009 in a letter of intent to the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
(IMF) the Sri Lankan government stated that it aimed to resettle 70-80% of the IDPs by the end of 2009. The IMF subsequently approved a US$2.6 billion loan to Sri Lanka.
By the end of August 2009 less than 12,000 IDPs (5%) had been released or returned to their places of origin. The imminent monsoon raised concern amongst the aid agencies/international community. The Sri Lankan government reacted to this by returning more IDPs to their places of origin. Some of these IDPs were held in military run “closed” transit sites in their home districts, from which they can’t leave and access by aid agencies is heavily restricted. Some IDPs were allowed to return to their homes but most of these homes are located inside high security zones, such as the Jaffna islands, which are under the strict control of Sri Lankan Navy
Sri Lankan Navy
-The Beginning and World War II:In January 1938 the Ceylon Naval Volunteer Force was created with Commander W.G. Beauchamp as Commanding Officer under ordinance No I of 1937. On 31 August 1939 at the out set of World War II, the CNVF was mobilized for war duties...
. The Sri Lankan military places heavy restrictions on civilians living inside these areas and on access to them from outside.
By early October the resettlement target had been reduced even further. On 6 October 2009 a Sri Lanka's Deputy Finance Minister Sarath Amunugama
Sarath Amunugama (politician)
Sarath Leelananda Bandara Amunugama , MP, SLAS is a Sri Lankan politician and civil servant. He was the Cabinet Minister of Public Administration and Home Affairs and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning until April 2010...
issued a statement saying the government hoped to resettle 100,000 (35%) of the IDPs by the end of 2009. In late October the government accelerated the resettlement programme by returning IDPs to areas formerly controlled by the Tamil Tigers in Kilinochchi
Kilinochchi District
Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town...
, Mannar
Mannar District
Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka...
and Mullaitivu
Mullaitivu District
Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town...
districts. On 22 October 2009 the Sri Lankan government claimed to have released of 41,685 IDPs (16,394 from Mullaitivu District, 10,017 from Kilinochchi District, 8,643 from Vavuniya District and 6,631 from Mannar District), which was widely reported in the media. However, other reports suggested that only 5,700 IDPs had been released, with another 36,000 to be resettled over the "coming weeks". This was later confirmed by UN figures which showed that only 25,474 IDPs had been released/returned to places of origin between 10 October and 23 October. Of those who were actually released some were returned to the IDP camps after the end of the photo-opportunity for government ministers, whilst others were taken to transit camps in their home districts, not their homes. The apparent fast pace of resettlement in October 2009 and early November 2009 was due to IDP's being returned to areas that have been under government control for many years (Jaffna, Mannar and Vavuniya). Most of the IDPs in the camps from these areas had been returned to their places of origin by November. The pace of resettlement in areas controlled by the Tamil Tigers (Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu) has been very slow, particularly in areas east of the A 9 highway. Consequently the pace of resettlement had slowed down by late November. On 29 December 2009 the Sri Lankan government stated that there was no deadline for the resettlement of the IDPs, contradicting previous assurances.
The pace of resettlement increased in 2010 and by 2 December 2010, more than 560 days after the end of the civil war, 94% (326,000) of the IDPs had been released or returned to their places of origin, with 21,000 still being held in the camps.
Cumulative numbers of IDPs displaced from the Vanni since October 2008 who have been released or returned to places of origin from IDP camps:
| Date1 | | Returned to Places of Origin2 | |Released | |Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaffna District Jaffna District Jaffna district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Jaffna city. Parts of the district were transferred to... | |Kilino -chchi District Kilinochchi District Kilinochchi district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Kilinochchi town... | |Mannar District Mannar District Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka... | |Mullaitivu District Mullaitivu District Mullaitivu district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mullaitivu town... | |Vavuniya District Vavuniya District Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town... | |Ampara District Ampara District Ampara district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Ampara town... | |Batticaloa District Batticaloa District Batticaloa district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Batticaloa town... | |Trinco -malee District Trincomalee District Trincomalee district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka... | |Others/ Institutions | |Total | |||
| 28 April 2011 | 64,275 | 118,954 | 83,885 | 69,480 | 35,275 | 371,869 | 371,869 | |||||
| 2 December 2010 | 64,275 | 115,417 | 55,790 | 61,893 | 28,445 | 325,820 | 325,820 | |||||
| 8 October 2010 | 63,009 | 110,637 | 50,367 | 51,578 | 27,615 | 303,206 | 303,206 | |||||
| 26 August 2010 | 67,712 | 104,115 | 26,208 | 48,104 | 33,511 | 688 | 2,905 | 7,500 | 1,338 | 292,081 | 292,081 | |
| 14 July 2010 | 270,159 | |||||||||||
| 20 May 2010 | 236,755 | |||||||||||
| 2 May 2010 | 214,227 | |||||||||||
| 15 April 2010 | 205,983 | |||||||||||
| 26 March 2010 | 198,110 | |||||||||||
| 11 March 2010 | 71,486 | 30,404 | 16,927 | 20,244 | 33,710 | 688 | 2,905 | 7,500 | 1,263 | 185,127 | 185,127 | |
| 25 February 2010 | 71,486 | 27,925 | 15,802 | 15,888 | 39,799 | 688 | 2,910 | 7,994 | 1,263 | 183,755 | 183,755 | |
| 18 February 2010 | 71,486 | 21,913 | 15,682 | 15,501 | 38,348 | 679 | 2,912 | 7,604 | 1,257 | 175,382 | 175,382 | |
| 14 February 2010 | 71,486 | 20,532 | 14,529 | 15,499 | 38,348 | 685 | 2,902 | 7,604 | 1,257 | 172,842 | 172,842 | |
| 5 February 2010 | 69,541 | 18,741 | 10,316 | 12,731 | 38,348 | 808 | 2,902 | 7,604 | 71 | 161,062 | 29,060 | 190,122 |
| 22 January 2010 | 69,541 | 17,509 | 10,173 | 12,731 | 38,348 | 626 | 2,892 | 7,604 | 71 | 159,495 | 29,008 | 188,503 |
| 15 January 2010 | 69,541 | 17,509 | 9,437 | 12,736 | 38,146 | 626 | 2,892 | 7,604 | 71 | 158,562 | 28,973 | 187,535 |
| 31 December 2009 | 69,526 | 17,700 | 9,083 | 11,276 | 37,719 | 626 | 2,833 | 7,108 | 71 | 155,942 | 28,854 | 184,796 |
| 24 December 2009 | 69,174 | 15,103 | 9,050 | 10,518 | 32,155 | 626 | 2,833 | 7,108 | 71 | 146,638 | 28,743 | 175,381 |
| 21 December 2009 | 69,174 | 12,511 | 8,460 | 10,190 | 31,635 | 626 | 2,795 | 7,108 | 71 | 142,570 | 28,162 | 170,732 |
| 18 December 2009 | 69,174 | 12,511 | 8,460 | 10,190 | 31,635 | 626 | 2,795 | 7,108 | 71 | 142,570 | 27,663 | 170,233 |
| 19 November 2009 | 112,209 | 27,663 | 139,872 | |||||||||
| 13 November 2009 | 60,560 | 1,774 | 5,930 | 5,489 | 18,267 | 581 | 2,565 | 7,108 | 57 | 108,331 | 26,508 | 134,839 |
| 7 November 2009 | 102,728 | 24,974 | 127,702 | |||||||||
| 5 November 2009 | 50,539 | 0 | 3,764 | 2,048 | 6,744 | 581 | 2,339 | 7,108 | 57 | 73,180 | 24,974 | 98,154 |
| 1 November 2009 | 50,539 | 0 | 3,764 | 2,048 | 6,744 | 581 | 2,339 | 7,108 | 57 | 73,180 | 19,479 | 92,569 |
| 28 October 2009 | 35,822 | 19,479 | 55,301 | |||||||||
| 23 October 2009 | 35,822 | 16,490 | 52,312 | |||||||||
| 9 October 2009 | 13,502 | 13,336 | 26,838 | |||||||||
| 28 September 2009 | 6,813 | 7,835 | 14,648 | |||||||||
| 24 September 2009 | 5,153 | 7,835 | 12,988 | |||||||||
| 14 September 2009 | 5,153 | 6,615 | 11,768 | |||||||||
| 9 September 2009 | 5,123 | 6,615 | 11,738 | |||||||||
| 28 August 2009 | 5,123 | 6,490 | 11,613 | |||||||||
| 8 August 2009 | 6,237 | 6,237 | ||||||||||
| 29 July 2009 | 5,980 | 5,980 | ||||||||||
| 17 July 2009 | 5,852 | 5,852 | ||||||||||
| 10 July 2009 | 5,483 | 5,483 | ||||||||||
| 3 July 2009 | 5,104 | 5,104 | ||||||||||
| 26 June 2009 | 4,433 | 4,433 | ||||||||||
| 18 June 2009 | 3,068 | 3,068 | ||||||||||
| 16 June 2009 | 3,054 | 3,054 | ||||||||||
| 8 June 2009 | 2,234 | 2,234 | ||||||||||
| 21 May 2009 | 1,537 | 1,537 | ||||||||||
| 18 May 2009 | 1,535 | 1,535 | ||||||||||
| 14 May 2009 | 1,534 | 1,534 | ||||||||||
| 13 May 2009 | 1,524 | 1,524 | ||||||||||
| 12 May 2009 | 1,515 | 1,515 | ||||||||||
| 28 April 2009 | 1,252 | 1,252 |
1 Figures are the latest available on date.
2 Since 5 August 2009.
Number remaining at camps
Numbers of IDPs displaced from the Vanni since October 2008 who continue to reside at the camps:| Date1 | |Vavuniya District Vavuniya District Vavuniya district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Vavuniya town... | |Jaffna District Jaffna District Jaffna district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Jaffna city. Parts of the district were transferred to... | |Mannar District Mannar District Mannar district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka. The headquarters is located in Mannar, Sri Lanka... | |Trincomalee District Trincomalee District Trincomalee district is one of the 25 administrative districts of Sri Lanka. The district is administered by a District Secretariat headed by a District Secretary appointed by the central government of Sri Lanka... | |Other Districts | |Total |
|---|---|---|
| Vengalachedikulam DSD Divisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka The districts of the Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the korales and ratas. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became... | |Vavuniya DSD Divisional Secretariats of Sri Lanka The districts of the Sri Lanka are divided into administrative sub-units known as divisional secretariats. These were originally based on the feudal counties, the korales and ratas. They were formerly known as 'D.R.O. Divisions' after the 'Divisional Revenue Officer'. Later the D.R.O.s became... |
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| Menik Farm | UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, Sri Lanka
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