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IDP resettlement begins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Sri Lankan government has allowed more than 4000 Tamil civilians displaced in the recent conflict to return to their homes as part of a major resettlement plan. The government says they include the very first batch of people resettled from the Menik Farm camps whose conditions have created international controversy. The senior presidential advisor, Basil Rajapaksa, promised that more people would be resettled in the coming weeks. "439 families temporarily housed in Vavuniya relief villages were sent to their places of origin in the East today," a statement in the government information department said. BBC's Charles Haviland in Colombo says that until today no one aged between 10 and 60 has been allowed to leave the camps. Nearly 300,000 Tamils, who were displaced in the final stages of the conflict between security forces and Tamils Tigers have been housed in government-run camps in the north. The government declared victory over the rebels in May. The UN and Western nations have been calling for a rapid resettlement of Tamil civilians. | LOCAL LINKS  IDP's 'smuggled out' of camps 03 August, 2009 | Sandeshaya Jaffna voters 'ready' for poll02 August, 2009 | Sandeshaya 'Release civilians' Sri Lanka told29 July, 2009 | Sandeshaya Allow IDPs return home - France26 July, 2009 | Sandeshaya UN praises resettlement efforts20 July, 2009 | Sandeshaya Tamil issue paramount in relations - India 17 July, 2009 | Sandeshaya IDPs in 'open prisons'13 July, 2009 | Sandeshaya EXTERNAL LINKS The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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