This past May, the Sri Lankan government defeated the Tamil Tiger rebels, bringing the 26-year-old civil war to an end. In the final months of the war, the Tigers forced tens of thousands of Tamil civilians to flee with them from the advancing government forces. An estimated 7,000 civilians were killed this year, most from shelling of the war zone by the government. Civilians trying to flee the war zone were shot by the Tigers. Those who managed to cross over to government territory were placed in camps set up by the government, where they remain today.
The camps are overcrowded, holding about 280,000 people (including 80,000 children) and the conditions are dire. When U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon visited the camps on May 23, he described them as “by far the most appalling scenes I have seen.” The camps are under military, not civilian, management. Journalists, human rights observers and aid agencies have not been given full access to the camps. Presidential advisor Basil Rajapaksa said on May 22 that the bulk of the displaced civilians would be re-settled in their home villages in 180 days and almost all the rest by the end of 2009. However, only continuous international pressure can ensure that the Sri Lankan government will follow through on this promise.
The displaced civilians are citizens of Sri Lanka and are entitled to freedom of movement; they have committed no crime and should be allowed to leave the camps if they wish. Without independent monitors in the camps, the displaced civilians are at risk of human rights abuses from the security forces, including torture, executions, enforced disappearances and sexual violence. The media, human rights observers and aid agencies should be given full, unhindered access to the camps to prevent these abuses and the camps should be turned over to civilian management.
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Crisis in Sri Lanka on Google Earth
During the conflict in Sri Lanka, government restrictions and propaganda from both sides led to a lack of access and information, exacerbated by conflicting reports over civilian casualty figures. Using geospatial technologies—like satellite images and Google Earth—allowed us to offer our activists a glimpse of the war zone. Specifically, below is a satellite image of Menik Farm. Run by the military, the image offers a rare glimpse of the massive displacement caused by the conflict. The sheer size of Menik Farm, as captured from space, is a testament to the scale and scope of the crisis.