COI Report March 2012 - UK Border Agency - Home Office

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