SLA refuses permission to humanitarian organizations to enter Jaffna detention camps

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 March 2009, 13:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) personnel at the SLA detention camps for the civilians who had fled war are not permitting representatives of Human Rights Commission and other independent humanitarian organizations in Jaffna to enter the said camps under the control of SLA, sources in Jaffna said. Only the government officials assisting the inmates and a few local and international humanitarian organization representatives are allowed entry into the detention camps, the sources added.

Meanwhile, civilians fleeing war continue to be brought to the detention centres in Jaffna district.

SLA brought nearly 707 civilians who arrived in around 30 boats to Vadamaraadchi East to Point Pedro Munai and from there to the detention camps in Thenmaraadchi.

450 of them are held in Jaffna University Ciththa medical faculty hostel camp in Kaithadi while 227 are held in Kodikaamam Government Tamil Mixed School detention camp.

The humanitarian organizations which had sought entry were interested in helping the civilians besides learning the situation of them.

Persons held in the camps are not allowed to leave the camps and their relatives who come to see them are not permitted to meet them or give any food to them, the representatives said.

Though it had been said that steps are underway to allow persons over the age of 60 to leave the camp the situation remains the same, they further said.