Government officers say medicines for the six months from October 1996 where sent to the Vanni in late January but for many people they may have arrived too late. Further south in Vavuniya town, over 10,800 people from the north spent the mid-January Tamil Thaipongal festival in appalling camp conditions. Some 31,400 people entered Vavuniya in the last three months after the Army lifted restrictions at Thandikulam checkpoint in October and 20,600 were allowed to leave welfare centres after screening. The government is currently hurriedly constructing 100 centres in Vavuniya signalling that the policy of detaining people from the north will continue. A four-member committee headed by Defence Secretary Chandrananda de Silva has been appointed to enquire into conditions in the Vavuniya welfare centres.
Observers believe foreign diplomatic concern has forced the government to act.
In January and early February diplomats from Britain, Australia, USA and Canada visited Vavuniya. Back to Sri Lanka Monitor Index page. Back to The Refugee Council Welcome page.