Indian envoy listens to preparations on IDPs withstanding monsoon

[TamilNet, Sunday, 27 September 2009, 00:55 GMT]
The Indian High commissioner in Colombo, Mr. Alok Prasad, on Saturday visited internment camps in Vavuniyaa and held discussions with the militarised 'Competent Authority' for IDPs in the Northern Province, Maj. Gen. Kamal Goonaratne, and the Sri Lankan Government Agent for Vavuniyaa Mrs. Charles. Amidst all what have been listed by the Indian High Commission, as matters discussed by the High Commissioner, observers give much significance to his listening to briefings on making facilities for the internment camp mates to face flooding and water logging during the forthcoming monsoon. Tamil circles find it as tacit acceptance by India for prolonging the internment camps beyond this year's rainy season.

The communiqué of the Indian High Commission came out with a long list of hopes and provisions intended and donated by India for the incarcerated Tamil civilians in the internment camps.

The Foreign Minister of the Indian government, in the early months of this year, was insistently declaring there were only 70,000 civlians in the LTTE held areas of Vanni.

Meanwhile, the ship load of relief material sent by the diaspora Tamils to their kith and kin are still awaiting clearance by Sri Lankan authorities. The provisions were assured of deliverance and were transferred from the Tamil diaspora vessel 'Mercy Mission' to Indian ICRC in the harbour of Chennai.

Daily Mirror Online recently reported that the Deputy Director General of the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society (SLRCS), Mr. Surein Peiris, as saying that the SLRCS would "wash its hands off the IDP aid and hand the aid over to the government."

Earlier, in June, the Mercy Mission ship MV Captain Ali came to Sri Lanka with 650 tons of humanitarian cargo for the internally displaced people in Vavuniyaa. The Sri Lankan naval authorities checked the supplies. However, permission was not granted to unload the cargo and the ship was turned away. The ship entered Chennai harbour. Later, especially after pressure from the Tamil diaspora and the activists in Tamil Nadu, the Indian Red Cross Society agreed to accept the humanitarian relief, transported it to Sri Lanka and handed it over to the SLRCS.

Tamil circles accuse foul play by Colombo in sabotaging the humanitarian assistance of the Tamil diaspora.

A few months ago, some diaspora individuals who returned after meeting Rajapaksa government in Colombo, urged the Tamil diaspora to collaborate with Colombo in the rehabilitation and development of Tamils in the island of Sri Lanka.