The district of Vavuniya is controlled by the LTTE in the north and by the government in the south (USCR Mar. 1996, 5). Crossing from one sector into the other requires clearance from both the LTTE and the security forces (ibid.).

According to the U.S. Committee for Refugees, in mid-December 1995 there were 5 camps in northern Vavuniya (Mar. 1996, 5). Tamil Information indicates that at that time there were 6 "welfare centres" in Vavuniya district (Oct.-Dec. 1995, 20).

Sources consulted by the DIRB rarely referred to refugee camps in Vavuniya but to "transit" centres or camps. Unless otherwise indicated, this Response will refer to those transit camps.

The Sri Lanka Monitor of January 1996 reports the killing in Vavuniya town of a Sithamparapuram refugee camp officer (2). The precise location of this UNHCR-managed camp of approximately 4,000 families was not clear from this source, however (ibid.). The attached Reuters report of 24 November 1995 cites officials in the government-controlled town of Vavuniya, who said they had registered 168,430 "refugees" from the peninsular. According to an official in Colombo, these "refugees" were "being taken care of by the government and not by an organization."

Tamils fled south to escape the intensified fighting between the LTTE and government forces in the north, and at Vavuniya, the authorities converted public buildings and warehouses into "refugee camps" (IPS 10 Jan. 1996).

According to two sources, Tamils arriving in Vavuniya town from the north undergo a screening process by security officials (IPS 10 Jan. 1996; Tamil Times 15 Jan. 1996, 4). This process involves being photographed and having their credentials checked, after which they are issued special passes and moved to a transit camp (IPS 10 Jan. 1996; Tamil Times 15 Jan. 1996, 4), where they are given a temporary three-hour pass to go into town to contact family or friends in the south who must agree to take them in (IPS 10 Jan. 1996). Once camp arrivals have passed the initial screening process, they are shifted to another camp located near the Vavuniya railway station where they are again "scrutinized" before being permitted to board trains for the south (IPS 10 Jan. 1996; Tamil Times 15 Jan. 1996, 4). The screening process was later streamlined, with priority given to the sick, those travelling abroad for work, government officials, permanent residents of the south and students studying outside Jaffna (IPS 10 Jan. 1996; Sri Lanka Information Monitor Dec. 1995, 7; Tamil Times 15 Jan. 1996, 4). The March 1996 Sri Lanka Information Monitor attachment provides additional information on the procedure to travel through Vavuniya and its three "detention centers." Following the 31 January 1996 Colombo bombing, security measures at the Vavuniya checkpoint were tightened (Sri Lanka Information Monitor Feb. 1996, 5).

According to Murugesu Sivasithambaram, president of the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF), Tamils were "confined to special camps ... refused permission to leave ... and [we]re not given the temporary pass that all residents of Vavuniya must possess" (AFP 2 Dec. 1995). These passes were reportedly issued in mid-February by the authorities (Sri Lanka Information Monitor Feb. 1996, 5).

According to the Sri Lanka Information Monitor, on 17 February 1996 the Human Rights Task Force investigated Vavuniya's transit camps because of complaints of poor conditions, of Tamils travelling to Colombo being harassment at checkpoints and barriers (Feb. 1996, 6), and human rights groups' concerns that the lengthy stays in these centers amounted to "illegal detention" (ibid. Mar. 1996, 5).

Information on whether camp residents are provided with money could not be found among the sources consulted by the DIRB.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Agence France Presse (AFP). 4 December 1995. Quatrina Hosain. "Tamil Refugees Suffer Hardships, Face Uncertain Future." (NEXIS)

_____. 2 December 1995. "107 Sri Lankan Soldiers, Tigers Die in Heavy Fighting." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 10 January 1996. Rita Sebastian. "Sri Lanka: War Refugees Wait in Camps for Security Clearance." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 24 November 1995. BC Cycle. Mohan Samarasinghe. "Sri Lanka Seeks More Troops to Help Hold Gains." (NEXIS)

Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. March 1996. "Security Operations in the South."

_____. February 1996. "Civilian Life: In The North."

_____. December 1995. "Displacement and Civilian Life."

The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. January 1996. No. 96. "Murder in Vavuniya."

Tamil Information [London]. October-December 1995. Nos. 51-53. "Displacement of Tamils from Jaffna."

Tamil Times [Surrey]. 15 January 1996. Vol. 15, No. 1. Rita Sebastian. "The Displaced People–No End to Their Suffering."

U.S. Committee for Refugees (USCR). March 1996. Issue Paper: The People in Between: Sri Lankans Face Long-Term Displacement as Conflict Escalates. Washington, DC: USCR.

Attachments

Agence France Presse (AFP). 2 December 1995. "107 Sri Lankan Soldiers, Tigers Die in Heavy Fighting." (NEXIS)

Inter Press Service (IPS). 10 January 1996. Rita Sebastian. "Sri Lanka: War Refugees Wait in Camps for Security Clearance." (NEXIS)

Reuters. 24 November 1995. BC Cycle. Mohan Samarasinghe. "Sri Lanka Seeks More Troops to Help Hold Gains." (NEXIS)

Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. March 1996. "Security Operations in the South," p. 5.

_____. February 1996. "Civilian Life: In The North," pp. 5-6.

_____. December 1995. "Displacement and Civilian Life," p. 7.

The Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. January 1996. No. 96. "Murder in Vavuniya," p. 2.

Tamil Information [London]. October-December 1995. Nos. 51-53. "Displacement of Tamils from Jaffna," p. 20.

Tamil Times [Surrey]. 15 January 1996. Vol. 15, No. 1. Rita Sebastian. "The Displaced People–No End to Their Suffering," p. 4.

Additional Sources Consulted

International Service Group (ISG), Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Hull. Infrequent reports. March 1995 to April 1996.

Sri Lanka Information Monitor: Situation Report [Colombo]. Monthly. November 1995 to March 1996.

Sri Lanka Monitor [London]. Monthly. November 1995 to February 1996.

Tamil Information [London]. Bi-monthly. January-February 1996.

Tamil Times [Surrey]. Monthly. January to April 1996.

University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna). 6 December 1995. Special Report #6. The Exodus From Jaffna: October/November 1995. (Internet-SLNet)

On-line search of media sources.

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