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related_results_labels({"version":"1.0","encoding":"UTF-8","feed":{"xmlns":"http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom","xmlns$openSearch":"http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/","xmlns$blogger":"http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008","xmlns$georss":"http://www.georss.org/georss","xmlns$gd":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005","xmlns$thr":"http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0","id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4564570884155420964"},"updated":{"$t":"2023-06-15T01:41:53.217-07:00"},"category":[{"term":"Sri Lanka"},{"term":"Human Rights"},{"term":"Vanni Massacre"},{"term":"War Crimes"},{"term":"Tamil Eelam"},{"term":"Genocide"},{"term":"UNHRC"},{"term":"Displaced"},{"term":"Human Rights Council"},{"term":"Detention Camps"},{"term":"Barbed Wire"},{"term":"Humanitarian Issue"},{"term":"UN"},{"term":"Sri Lankan President"},{"term":"Disappeared"},{"term":"India"},{"term":"Rajapakse"},{"term":"Vanni Mission"},{"term":"Searching Family"},{"term":"Video"},{"term":"Aljazeera"},{"term":"Channel 4 News"},{"term":"The Guardian"},{"term":"war criminals"},{"term":"wikileaks"},{"term":"BBC"},{"term":"GTF"},{"term":"Report"},{"term":"Tamilnet"},{"term":"telegraph"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sri Lanka's Genocide on Tamils"},"subtitle":{"type":"html","$t":"In 2009:\nEstimated 40,000 to 70,000 Tamils were killed.\n146,679 Tamils have disappeared. \nMore than 350,000 are displaced from their homes and are in temporary shelters. \nUN \u0026quot;panel of experts\u0026quot; found \u0026quot;credible allegations of war crimes \u0026amp; crimes against humanity\u0026quot; committed in Sri Lanka. \nSri Lanka\u0026#39;s criminal justice system have failed to deliver justice.\nInternational laws were blatantly violated.  \nBut Ban Ki moon and the UN security council are silent and inactive."},"link":[{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/feeds\/posts\/default"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/-\/Detention+Camps?alt=json-in-script\u0026max-results=5"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/search\/label\/Detention%20Camps"},{"rel":"hub","href":"http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/"},{"rel":"next","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/-\/Detention+Camps\/-\/Detention+Camps?alt=json-in-script\u0026start-index=6\u0026max-results=5"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"hr Alert"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/15745495003387147010"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"28","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEicPjYmYc9kx_cWeQ1hpAS0N8jnhNUp2sAIO-Qd1DD15RBk8-RMME_FFs9rfmDm9btSkNruwV5paba4oQ05f0DzCd1VD1LOLvV8O8Xgz-DoiE10tBHK3yW_dGs_GCVWRw\/s220\/cry.jpg"}}],"generator":{"version":"7.00","uri":"http://www.blogger.com","$t":"Blogger"},"openSearch$totalResults":{"$t":"18"},"openSearch$startIndex":{"$t":"1"},"openSearch$itemsPerPage":{"$t":"5"},"entry":[{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4564570884155420964.post-7543434056105236356"},"published":{"$t":"2009-08-17T05:49:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-17T05:51:20.975-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Detention Camps"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Displaced"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"IDPs swimming in human excreta - By Arthur Wamanan, The Sunday Leader"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-family: Verdana; font-size: 12px; \"\u003ETorrential rains in Vavuniya Friday burst temporary                          sewage pipes, destroyed make-shift shelters and trapped                          thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)                          interned in Menik Farm in Vavuniya causing many of them                          to undergo severe difficulties as rain waters filled                          with sewage matter, maggots and human excreta rose in                          tents sheltering some 20,000 IDPs.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003EReports                          reaching \u003Ci\u003EThe Sunday Leader\u003C\/i\u003E yesterday said that                          IDPs particularly in Zone 3 and Zone 4 of Menik Farm                          were seriously affected as poorly constructed drainage                          pipes caused severe flooding within the area.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003EThe                          situation caused panic and while turmoil raged the                          Government moved in additional military personnel                          fearing large numbers of IDPs would escape the barbed                          wire camps. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe                          Sunday Leader\u003C\/i\u003E has over the last three months                          consistently highlighted serious concerns raised by                          humanitarian agencies who pointed out that flooding was                          possible in these camps due to badly constructed                          drainage and sewer pipes. \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003EJeevan                          Thiyagarajah, Head of the Consortium of Humanitarian                          Agencies (CHA) told \u003Ci\u003EThe Sunday Leader\u003C\/i\u003E that apart                          from inadequate sanitation facilities and tents meant                          for an emergency only would also collapse in the event                          of heavy rains.  “My predictions have been proved                          right,” he said last evening.  \u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        Thiyagarajah in fact two months ago threatened court                          action if the tents were not de-congested.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        Government officials yesterday confirmed that of some                          20,000 IDPs facing this horrendous situation only around                          1,000 had been relocated to other locations within Menik                          Farm.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003EVavuniya                          Government Agent, P.S.M. Charles told \u003Ci\u003EThe Sunday                          Leader\u003C\/i\u003E that around 400 people in Zone 4 of Menik                          Farm were on low level grounds and faced more risks than                          the others in the camp.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E“Around                          1,000 persons have been shifted to locations within the                          camp premises. The problem in Zone 4 is that the                          drainage system could not be completed on time. These                          400 persons are on lower level ground. Therefore, they                          face more problems and would have to be shifted to                          another location if rain continues,” she said yesterday.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003EShe said                          the government continued to supply them with food and                          essential items.\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        \u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E \u003Cspan style=\"font-size: 9pt;font-family:Verdana;font-size:85%;\"  \u003E                        Meanwhile, TNA Wanni District Parliamentarian Sivasakthi                          Anandan told \u003Ci\u003EThe Sunday Leader\u003C\/i\u003E that he had                          received calls from displaced persons on the issue.                          “IDPs especially in Zone 4 have been shifted to                          locations within the camp. I am not aware of the actual                          number,” he said. “In other zones too, those who live on                          lower level grounds face similar problems.”\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\"   style=\"font-family:Verdana;font-size:100%;\"\u003E\u003Cspan class=\"Apple-style-span\" style=\"font-size: 12px;\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thesundayleader.lk\/20090816\/NEWS.HTM#top\"\u003EBy Arthur Wamanan, the sunday leader\u003C\/a\u003E, Sri Lanka\u003C\/b\u003E\u003C\/i\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003ERaise your voice for the Tamils killed in Vanni Massacre! \nAct NOW to liberate the Tamil civilians from the barbed wire camps in Sri Lanka!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/feeds\/7543434056105236356\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/idps-swimming-in-human-excreta-by.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/7543434056105236356"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/7543434056105236356"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/08\/idps-swimming-in-human-excreta-by.html","title":"IDPs swimming in human excreta - By Arthur Wamanan, The Sunday Leader"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"hr Alert"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/15745495003387147010"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"28","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEicPjYmYc9kx_cWeQ1hpAS0N8jnhNUp2sAIO-Qd1DD15RBk8-RMME_FFs9rfmDm9btSkNruwV5paba4oQ05f0DzCd1VD1LOLvV8O8Xgz-DoiE10tBHK3yW_dGs_GCVWRw\/s220\/cry.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4564570884155420964.post-2825380584279680292"},"published":{"$t":"2009-07-04T19:21:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-14T03:37:59.235-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Barbed Wire"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Detention Camps"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Human Rights"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sri Lanka"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"War Crimes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Tamil refugees forced into sex rackets"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cdiv class=\"module-content\" id=\"article\"\u003E         \u003Cp class=\"intro\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ECONDITIONS for about 300,000 refugees forcibly detained in camps across Sri Lanka remain dire, with reports of a prostitution racket run by officials in a remote camp.\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E      \u003Cp\u003EAid workers told The Australian yesterday officials at the internally displaced people's camp in Pulmoddai, a remote northeast region, are running the prostitution ring using women kept in the camp. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThe Australian understands the allegations are the subject of a joint investigation between the Sri Lankan government and an aid organisation. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003E\"It's been brought to the attention of senior government officials but no one seems to be doing anything about it,\" said an aid worker, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003E\"It's hard to know whether it's coercive or not, but there is an average of three families living to a tent and it can be extremely difficult trying to get privacy. You can imagine the military coming in and asking for something in return for more space or more favours.\" \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003ESri Lankan Foreign Minister Palitha Kohona described the claims as \"absolute rubbish\", but confirmed the government was investigating the reports. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003E\"These (the military) are the guys who were winning the war - they could have raped every single woman on the way if they wanted to. Not one single woman was raped,\" he told The Australian last night. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003E\"I am sure in a mass of people there may be individuals who want to make a quick buck one way or another, but you have to remember the tents are so close together you can't do anything without the entire neighbourhood knowing. If you had a racket going, thousands of people would know about it.\" \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EA UN official said yesterday many families remained separated in the camps and that men and women believed to be Tamil Tiger fighters were being removed with \"no due process or proper documentation, like arrest receipts, given to parents or guardians\". \"These issues are of huge concern for us,\" the official said. \"The lack of freedom of movement is a violation of human rights under Sri Lanka's own constitution.\" \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThe restrictions have heightened tensions in the camps, including a mass protest in the Ramanathan camp in the northern town of Vavuniya on Sunday in which IDPs tried to break down barbed-wire fences separating one camp zone - and many relatives - from another. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003ETamilnet.com claimed two people were killed and at least two were injured when troops opened fire on the refugees. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EBut reports from aid workers in the camp suggested troops fired only into the air, causing no casualties, and that camp officials reached a compromise that allowed the IDPs movement between the two camps. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EUN Sri Lanka co-ordinator Neil Buhne said camp conditions were slowly improving, thanks to better water and sanitation facilities. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003E\"But the main thing is people are still inside these camps and they can't go anywhere. The government has made public commitments to get 80 per cent of people back to their homes by the end of the year (after separating civilians from the fighters) but that's going to be a difficult target to meet.\" \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThe Sri Lankan military crushed the Tamil Tiger rebel forces in May after a 26-year civil war. President Mahinda Rajapakse has committed to reaching a political settlement with the Tamil leaders that goes some way to addressing their grievances. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThis week he gave the All Parties Committee, established some years ago to find a compromise solution, until next month to submit its report.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003Eas reported by: Amanda Hodge | The Australian | \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.theaustralian.news.com.au\/story\/0,25197,25721366-25837,00.html\"\u003Elink to article\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E    \u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003ERaise your voice for the Tamils killed in Vanni Massacre! \nAct NOW to liberate the Tamil civilians from the barbed wire camps in Sri Lanka!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2825380584279680292\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/tamil-refugees-forced-into-sex-rackets.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/2825380584279680292"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/2825380584279680292"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/07\/tamil-refugees-forced-into-sex-rackets.html","title":"Tamil refugees forced into sex rackets"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"hr Alert"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/15745495003387147010"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"28","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEicPjYmYc9kx_cWeQ1hpAS0N8jnhNUp2sAIO-Qd1DD15RBk8-RMME_FFs9rfmDm9btSkNruwV5paba4oQ05f0DzCd1VD1LOLvV8O8Xgz-DoiE10tBHK3yW_dGs_GCVWRw\/s220\/cry.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4564570884155420964.post-4595487902702200430"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-11T05:49:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-14T03:34:06.246-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Detention Camps"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Disappeared"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Displaced"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Human Rights"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Humanitarian Issue"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vanni Massacre"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"War Crimes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"The World Today - Australia urged to do more for human rights in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003E\u003C\/span\u003E Thursday, 11 June , 2009  12:38:00\u003Cspan style=\"font-weight: bold;\"\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/span\u003EReporter: Meredith Griffiths\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E   \u003Cdiv class=\"storytext\"\u003EPETER CAVE: The Australian Medical Association wants the Government here to find out what happened to three Sri Lankan doctors reportedly detained by government troops for speaking to journalists about civilian casualties during the final days of the war, and 15 prominent Australians have written to the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd asking him to push the Sri Lankan Government to allow access to refugee camps.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMeanwhile a Canadian politician who has been critical of the Sri Lankan Government's handling of the war has been turned back at the airport in Colombo.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMeredith Griffiths prepared this report.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMEREDITH GRIFFITHS: It's been nearly a month since the guns fell silent in northern Sri Lankan but the fallout of the war is far from over. Thousands of people are living in refugee camps run by the Government.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAmnesty International has raised concerns many people have gone missing or been detained. Among them are three doctors who gave important eye-witness accounts in the final days of the war.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EDr Brian Morton is the New South Wales president of the Australian Medical Association.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBRIAN MORTON: The doctors were treating the thousands of displaced civilians in the war-torn region. Even though the hospitals were damaged they continued to treat injured and sick in those areas in make-shift facilities.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EAnd the three doctors reported heavy bombardments, high civilian suffering and casualties, and they were quoted by international media. It's believed that because of that, retaliation by the Government, despite them being in fact employed by the Government, may have occurred.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMEREDITH GRIFFITHS: When concerns were first raised about their detention the Sri Lankan Government said the three doctors had been making false accusations about the Government forces and had colluding with the Tamil Tigers.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EUnder Sri Lankan law, the doctors must appear in court once a month. Dr Morton says it's unclear if that's happened or if they've even been charged because no-one's heard from them since the 15th of May.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBRIAN MORTON: The families of the doctors have not had any contact with them; nor have the doctors been given any legal representation. And there is concern that they may be held at the terrorist investigation division in Colombo. And Amnesty International believes that one of the doctors was seriously injured and reportedly airlifted to an unknown destination for treatment.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMEREDITH GRIFFITHS: The AMA wants Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister to urgently intervene and raise concerns with Sri Lankan authorities over the wellbeing and whereabouts of the doctors. That's been backed by Bruce Haigh, a former Australian diplomat in Sri Lanka.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBRUCE HAIGH: And I broaden that call, urging the Federal Government to put in medical assistance for the people in the camps that are now controlled by the Sri Lankan Government. The conditions in those camps are utterly appalling. There's a lack of sanitation. There's a lack of water. There's a lack of food. There's a lack of shelter - anything up to 10 people living in four-man tents.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMEREDITH GRIFFITHS: Bruce Haigh is one of 11 prominent Australians who have written to Kevin Rudd asking him to push Sri Lanka to allow aid agencies and journalists unrestricted access to refugee camps.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe letter signed by high-profile lawyers, academics and bishops also calls for an investigation into allegations that Sri Lankan Government troops committed war crimes including rape and torture.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EHowever Canberra is facing a diplomatic quandary. This week a Canadian politician who has been outspokenly critical of the recent Sri Lanka military offensive, was refused entry to the country. Even though his trip was prearranged Bob Rae was detained at the airport in Colombo on Tuesday night after intelligence officials accused him of being a Tamil sympathiser.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBOB RAE: It really reflects very badly on the situation. I mean, look I mean, you know I'm an MP, I can get a platform, I can make my case, I can fight back. But there's 300,000 very vulnerable people who are being interviewed now and assessed as to whether they are LTTE supporters and if the net catches me it's going to catch an awful lot of other people.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMEREDITH GRIFFITHS: Former diplomat Bruce Haigh says that incident should not stop the Australian Government criticising Sri Lanka.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBRUCE HAIGH: Quite the contrary. The Australian Government should apply pressure on the Sri Lankan Government in concert with the UN and other agencies and the Commonwealth secretariat to get Sri Lanka to behave in accordance with international norms.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EBanning Canadians or anybody else from going to Sri Lanka won't solve the problem. That's just a PR exercise and the Australian Government won't get anywhere, and neither will the Canadian Government, if they comply and bend at the knee to the Sri Lankan Government on this.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMaybe they'd want to do it behind closed doors but there needs to be some pretty tough negotiations with the Sri Lankans.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EPETER CAVE: The former Australian diplomat Bruce Haigh ending that report from Meredith Griffiths.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe ABC has tried to contact the Sri Lankan High Commissioner today but he has been unavailable for comment.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E---\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cspan style=\"\"\u003ESource: \u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/worldtoday\/content\/2008\/s2595448.htm\"\u003Ehttp:\/\/www.abc.net.au\/worldtoday\/content\/2008\/s2595448.htm\u003C\/a\u003E]\u003C\/span\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003C\/div\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003ERaise your voice for the Tamils killed in Vanni Massacre! \nAct NOW to liberate the Tamil civilians from the barbed wire camps in Sri Lanka!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/feeds\/4595487902702200430\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/world-today-australia-urged-to-do-more.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/4595487902702200430"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/4595487902702200430"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/world-today-australia-urged-to-do-more.html","title":"The World Today - Australia urged to do more for human rights in Sri Lanka"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"hr Alert"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/15745495003387147010"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"28","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEicPjYmYc9kx_cWeQ1hpAS0N8jnhNUp2sAIO-Qd1DD15RBk8-RMME_FFs9rfmDm9btSkNruwV5paba4oQ05f0DzCd1VD1LOLvV8O8Xgz-DoiE10tBHK3yW_dGs_GCVWRw\/s220\/cry.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4564570884155420964.post-2217331921191640665"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-08T06:32:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-14T03:37:59.234-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Barbed Wire"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Detention Camps"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Disappeared"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Human Rights"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Humanitarian Issue"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sri Lanka"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tamil Eelam"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vanni Mission"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"War Crimes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"Sri Lanka: Inside the Manik Farm detention centre"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"\u003Ch5\u003E\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.wsws.org\/articles\/2009\/jun2009\/slcm-j08.shtml\"\u003EWorld Socialist Website\u003C\/a\u003E By our correspondent\u003Cbr \/\u003E8 June 2009\u003C\/h5\u003E \u003Cp\u003E \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe following report was provided by an elderly person who visited several relatives being held in one of the internment camps set up by Sri Lankan authorities to house nearly 300,000 civilians who fled during the final weeks of fighting between the army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EManik Farm is about 30 kilometres from the northern town of Vavuniya. It is the biggest camp established by the army, housing more than 160,000 Tamil refugees. They fled from the last strip of territory held by the LTTE after facing constant shelling by the military. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EOne reaches Manik Farm only after the harrowing process of passing through several army checkpoints. What one sees is a huge open prison with men, women, children, the elderly and the injured. It is behind barbed and razor wire fences and guarded by heavily armed security personnel. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThere are rows and rows of small tents or rooms made of aluminum seats or wooden planks. Basic facilities like water and sanitation are inadequate. At least two families live in each tent or room. When the wind blows or a vehicle passes by, people are showered with dust.\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThere are four camps at Manik Farm: Ramanathan, Kadirgamar, Arunachalam and Anandakumaswamy. Each houses nearly 40,000 people. Armoured vehicles travel up and down the road near the camps frequently. People are not allowed to walk along the main road from one camp to another. They have to hire a three-wheeler taxi and pay 100 to 150 rupees for one or two kilometres. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EVisitors have to walk through the barbed wire fences to an open space near the camp. Small huts act as waiting rooms. Hundreds of visitors are waiting to see their loved ones and there is not enough room in the huts. Many have to stand outside in the burning sun. There are no toilets. For drinking water there is a plastic water barrel in each hut. Outside there are small shops that serve tea and a few snacks. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThe police officers arrive after 9 a.m. to register your details, including your name and the unit number and block number of the detainee you are going to visit. Mobile phones and cameras are banned. You have to leave them at one of the shops. Some shopkeepers charge 50 rupees just to look after a mobile phone.\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThere are several of my relatives in camps in Manik Farm. I first went to Ramanathan camp hoping to see one of my sisters and her sons. A Tamil-speaking man in civilian clothes arrived and started to collect the details of detainees each of us was going to visit. I gave my details to him. He abruptly said I couldn’t visit that day. They have allocated separate days for each camp. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EAlthough I argued that I had come from Colombo, he told me that nothing could be done. He refused to let me speak to a senior officer to complain. I was compelled to abandon the idea of meeting my relatives there. Then I visited Kadirgamar camp and had to go through the same process. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EThey called my brother but he was on the other side of a barbed wire fence. He was crying. I saw several persons crying after seeing their relatives. Some have been separated from their parents. Some have been separated from their spouses.\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EMeeting a relative is like speaking to a prisoner. You only get 15 to 30 minutes. The police on guard come to tell you when the time is up. No one gets more time. You can give basic gifts such as food and clothing but only after they are thoroughly checked. The police are checking all the time you are talking. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EMy brother explained to me that because of the war he had to move from one place to another from mid-December. Finally they reached Mathala in the Mullaithivu coastal area. There were tens of thousands of people there. They did not have enough food and just had the clothes they arrived in. They kept running from one trench to another under the thunder of shelling. Many died. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EFinally they decided to leave in April. They trekked about 8 kilometres. The army first tried to shoot them. Then they were asked to wait several hours. Thereafter the army took them to Manik Farm. For two weeks they were provided with pre-cooked food parcels. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003ENow they have been given 4 vessels and a few spoons to cook with. Each person receives 3 kilograms of rice, 3 kg of flour and 300 grams of sugar and a little dhal [lentils] for a month. The army has opened a few shops to sell vegetables and other food items. But without any money most people cannot buy anything. They cannot imagine eating vegetables and other food and have to live on what they are given. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EDrinking water is supplied by lorries, but that too is not enough. There is a river running through the camp but with very little water to have a bath. People have no soap. The toilets are built with polythene or aluminum seats. However, there are not enough.\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003ESoldiers or policemen in civilian clothes roam around the camp even checking the toilets. No one is allowed to even stand in the shade outside a hut. They are scolded and told to leave.\u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EMost parents with teenagers never sleep at night because they are worried their sons and daughters will be abducted. The names of young people are often called out and they have to go to the office. The officials say they are being investigated. Some of them come back, others do not. Even the parents are not informed where they have been taken and why. \u003C\/p\u003E \u003Cp\u003EIt is a terrible situation.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003ERaise your voice for the Tamils killed in Vanni Massacre! \nAct NOW to liberate the Tamil civilians from the barbed wire camps in Sri Lanka!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/feeds\/2217331921191640665\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/sri-lanka-inside-manik-farm-detention.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/2217331921191640665"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/2217331921191640665"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/sri-lanka-inside-manik-farm-detention.html","title":"Sri Lanka: Inside the Manik Farm detention centre"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"hr Alert"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/15745495003387147010"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"28","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEicPjYmYc9kx_cWeQ1hpAS0N8jnhNUp2sAIO-Qd1DD15RBk8-RMME_FFs9rfmDm9btSkNruwV5paba4oQ05f0DzCd1VD1LOLvV8O8Xgz-DoiE10tBHK3yW_dGs_GCVWRw\/s220\/cry.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}},{"id":{"$t":"tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4564570884155420964.post-610203111666875551"},"published":{"$t":"2009-06-05T14:41:00.000-07:00"},"updated":{"$t":"2009-08-14T03:35:07.649-07:00"},"category":[{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Barbed Wire"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Detention Camps"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Genocide"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Human Rights"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Sri Lanka"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Tamil Eelam"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UN"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"UNHRC"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"Vanni Massacre"},{"scheme":"http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#","term":"War Crimes"}],"title":{"type":"text","$t":"300,000 Tamils in concentration camps - MIA"},"content":{"type":"html","$t":"[\u003Ca href=\"http:\/\/www.tamilnet.com\/art.html?catid=13\u0026amp;artid=29531\"\u003ETamilNet\u003C\/a\u003E, Friday, 05 June 2009, 12:25 GMT]\u003Cbr \/\u003EOscar and Grammy award nominee, Jaffna born music phenom, Maya Arulpragasam (MIA) who used to live in Sri Lanka and experienced the war, told Sky News: \"Three hundred thousand people have been put into concentration camps and they (the authorities) have taken all the rights away from these people. They have no food and access to the media and aid. No freedom of speech or freedom of press,\" and said Britain and international governments should step in and help. MIA was speaking in support of Ms Jananayagam who contested the European Parliament elections held Thursday. The results are expected to be released Sunday.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EFull text of the article follows:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ESinger MIA has called on the EU to help hundreds of thousands of Tamils she says were put in \"concentration camps\" following the defeat by the Sri Lankan army.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe star, who lives in the UK but is of Tamil origin, has given her support on Twitter to Jan Jananayagam, an independent British candidate in the current European elections.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMs Jananayagam has been been lobbying the British government to help stop the war in Sri Lanka.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EThe Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated last month after a conflict lasting about 30 years.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMIA, who used to live in Sri Lanka and experienced the war, told Sky News: \"Three hundred thousand people have been put into concentration camps and they (the authorities) have taken all the rights away from these people.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"They have no food and access to the media and aid. No freedom of speech or freedom of press.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe said the European council has been \"undecided on the issue\" and she said Britain and other international governments should step in and help.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMIA, real name Mathangi Arulpragasam, said Ms Jananayagam was \"the first person that I've seen in politics who can actually raise questions and be about the people\".\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe added: \"Nothing's getting done about the people. In Sri Lanka, we've seen thousands of people getting killed in front of eyes on television and on the internet.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"If it happened anywhere else, we would be so much more active.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EMIA went on: \"There's still no genuine representative for the Tamil people that has stepped forward. That's why Ms Jananayagam's really important because it's about getting to hear those stories about the Tamil people which we're not.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"We're still getting stories from the Sri Lankan governent fed to us. We're not celebrating, we're not in the streets setting off firecrackers and having a great time and celebrating the end of a war.\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\"We still don't have answers about these people that are stuck in the barbed wire fences. They're dying of diseases. Some 60% of the population in these camps are wounded and have no medical attention.\"\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EShe said Europe was divided and \"we need a representative in there\" to help with the civil rights of the Tamil people.\u003Cdiv class=\"blogger-post-footer\"\u003ERaise your voice for the Tamils killed in Vanni Massacre! \nAct NOW to liberate the Tamil civilians from the barbed wire camps in Sri Lanka!\u003C\/div\u003E"},"link":[{"rel":"replies","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/feeds\/610203111666875551\/comments\/default","title":"Post Comments"},{"rel":"replies","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/300000-tamils-in-concentration-camps.html#comment-form","title":"0 Comments"},{"rel":"edit","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/610203111666875551"},{"rel":"self","type":"application/atom+xml","href":"https:\/\/www.blogger.com\/feeds\/4564570884155420964\/posts\/default\/610203111666875551"},{"rel":"alternate","type":"text/html","href":"https:\/\/vannimassacre.blogspot.com\/2009\/06\/300000-tamils-in-concentration-camps.html","title":"300,000 Tamils in concentration camps - MIA"}],"author":[{"name":{"$t":"hr Alert"},"uri":{"$t":"http:\/\/www.blogger.com\/profile\/15745495003387147010"},"email":{"$t":"noreply@blogger.com"},"gd$image":{"rel":"http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail","width":"32","height":"28","src":"\/\/blogger.googleusercontent.com\/img\/b\/R29vZ2xl\/AVvXsEicPjYmYc9kx_cWeQ1hpAS0N8jnhNUp2sAIO-Qd1DD15RBk8-RMME_FFs9rfmDm9btSkNruwV5paba4oQ05f0DzCd1VD1LOLvV8O8Xgz-DoiE10tBHK3yW_dGs_GCVWRw\/s220\/cry.jpg"}}],"thr$total":{"$t":"0"}}]}});