COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office
COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office
COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office
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7 MARCH <strong>2012</strong> SRI LANKA<br />
―In press releases by the Rehabilitation & Prison Reforms Minister D E W Gunesekera<br />
in October 2010, and by the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation (CGR), Brigadier<br />
Susantha Ranasinghe in January 2011, they both stated that the total number of LTTE<br />
cadres that had been detained at the end of the war was 11,696.‖<br />
3.41 The BHC letter of 9 November 2011 51 added:<br />
―Throughout 2010 persons in the 3rd category above [i.e. ‗Those with low level LTTE<br />
involvement‘] were released in batches. For example, on 9th January 2010, 496 cadres<br />
were released, these included some so-called ‗child soldiers,‘ on 31st January 2010<br />
another 56 cadres were released directly to their parents and on 1st February 2010 a<br />
further 13 were released. In October 2010 another 306 were released and included 206<br />
females. The RPR [Rehabilitation & Prison Reforms] Minister stated that these were the<br />
last of the female detainees.<br />
―The release of these persons has so far appeared poorly planned and no assistance<br />
has yet been provided for their reintegration. All were released to their families, which<br />
was a condition of their release, although some were released to their families in IDP<br />
camps. Those released did not received [sic] proper identity documents, just a letter<br />
stating that they had been released from a rehabilitation centre. However, mobile units<br />
from the Department of the Registration of Persons have been visiting towns around the<br />
country enabling such persons to apply for a replacement National Identity Card.‖<br />
3.42 With regards to Protective Accommodation and Rehabilitation Centres, the BHC letter of<br />
9 November 2011 52 reported that ―For many months here had been no access to these<br />
camps, or to the screening process, for local or international agencies. On 28 July 2010,<br />
IOM was allowed access to three PARCs in the Welikanda area. They noted:<br />
―• Ex-combatants were receiving vocational training in a variety of trades and<br />
many were confident that they would be able to apply the skills learnt for future<br />
activity.<br />
• Ex-combatants were able to practice and play activities such as cricket, football<br />
and volleyball twice a day, although there was a shortage of equipment.<br />
• All said that the living and sleeping accommodation was adequate and they<br />
were satisfied with the meals they were receiving three times a day.<br />
• Mobile health and medical services were provided every month and emergency<br />
or specialist cases were taken to Polonnaruwa Hospital for treatment.<br />
• Religious buildings had been constructed to enable ex-combatants to practice<br />
their religion twice a day.<br />
• Every weekend, ex-combatants‘ relatives are allowed to visit from 7.30am until<br />
4.30pm. The military have organised a bus service from Welikanda town to the<br />
PARC. ICRC are providing the transport costs to get to Welikanda and all<br />
families are eligible for this assistance, although it is often not enough to cover<br />
their costs and some families are unaware.<br />
• Most of those detained were the bread winners for their families who were now<br />
struggling to earn sufficient income for their needs. Some were also responsible<br />
for elderly parents.<br />
• No evidence of mistreatment was offered by any of the ex-combatants<br />
encountered in the PARCs.<br />
51 British High Commission Colombo, letter to the <strong>UK</strong>BA <strong>COI</strong> Service, dated 9 November 2011<br />
52 British High Commission Colombo, letter to the <strong>UK</strong>BA <strong>COI</strong> Service, dated 9 November 2011<br />
The main text of this <strong>COI</strong> <strong>Report</strong> contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 3 February <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section<br />
to 2 <strong>March</strong> <strong>2012</strong>.<br />
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