No more IDPs in Sri Lanka from today, last group will leave camps

Sri Lankan authorities say that there would not be any internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the country from today. Security Forces Commander, Major General Boniface Perera, who is the Competent Authority for IDPs in the Northern region, has told the media that the last group of over 300,000 displaced persons during the war in the North will return to their original hometowns in the Mullaitivu District today.
Accordingly 1,186 people belonged to 361 families will leave the Manik Farm IDP camp in Vavuniya today. According to Major General Perera, the Wanni Security Forces Headquarters and the Mullaitivu Security Forces Headquarters had helped expedite the resettlement programme on a directive of President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. He has explained that the resettlement in certain areas in the North was delayed due to the de-mining. He has added that the military would continue to assist the resettled people to build their houses and commence their livelihoods although the government has met their needs. -->