Refugee Camps

Hi Everyone,

Does anyone know if non-Sri Lankans have access to areas where there are refugee camps and if volunteers are in need of help anywhere in the North or North/East coasts?

Cheers,
Dani

HI Dani,
With the NGO,s , the UN and everyone else being kept away from the camps,,and the areas that they are in, I don't reckon you have any chance at all.
Rod.

Thought that would be the case. Usually is when human catastrophes are playing out...

Internally Displaced Persons

They leave their homes
Unwillingly forced
And follow their fate
Through fields and trails
Massifs and woods
With all their goods
Love and hate
Mores and tales
All in bales
Carrying their own
Flesh and bones
Feet like stones
Their bodies and souls
Kids and crones
Torn by storms,
Rains and gales
Attacked by guns,
Helis and drones
No role to play
In games of peace
And deadly war
Not a word they say
But a question,
Why? What for?
While we yawn
Sitting at ease
In our climes
They leave their homes
And reside in camps
Strive for a living
Internally displaced and dead
Beg for a drop of water
And a piece of bread!

Naseer Ahmed Nasir

(May 12,2009)

This is the side of the great victory we are supposed to forget about whilst we are being encouraged to rush back to peaceful Sri Lanka. The treatment of the refugees is shameful and disgraceful and you don't need to be too cynical to guess why the NGOs and aid agencies (and potential volunteers like Dani) are being kept away. The reason we are told is they are still screening the refugees to fund LTTE supporters. I wonder how they identify them - maybe they have LTTE tatood on their arms. Ot maybe they are just teenagers and young men who might have been supporters so they may as well be picked out and "interrogated" to teach them a lesson. Horrible government, horrible President, thank goodness there are many good ordinary people there who still want to try to help.