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Ceasefire Violations |
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22.02.2002 - 30.04.2005 |
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Violations Committed
by the GOSL - 129 |
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Violations
Committed
by
the LTTE - 2837 |
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Read
More.. |
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IDP
Movements |
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Workshop on Preparations
for Voluntary Repatriation of Sri Lankan Refugees
from India |
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| Joint Communiqué |
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At the invitation
of the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Refugees (UNHCR) in Sri Lanka, senior representatives
of the Sub-Committee on Immediate Humanitarian and
Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN) – including Ambassador
Bernard Goonetilleke and Dr. Jay Maheswaran, relevant
Ministers and representatives of the Government of
Sri Lanka and the UNHCR Chief of Mission in India,
attended a Workshop on Preparations for Voluntary
Repatriation of Sri Lankan Refugees from India, held
on 14 January 2003 in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka. |
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| The participants: |
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WELCOMED
the priority being afforded within the ongoing peace
negotiations to durable solutions for those displaced
by the conflict in Sri Lanka;
RECOGNIZED that over
one million refugees, asylum-seekers and migrants
have left Sri Lanka either as a result of the conflict
or for other reasons, and that, among the Sri Lankans
still outside the country, an estimated 85,000 are
living in India and of these, some 64,000 are within
refugee camps in Tamil Nadu;
NOTED that there exists a right of these persons to
return to their country of origin, as set forth in
Article 13(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, Article 12(4) of the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights and Article 5(d)(ii)
of the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms
of Racial Discrimination;
UNDERTOOK to continue
supporting, to the maximum extent possible within
available resources, the initial integration of all
spontaneous, voluntary returnees from India to Sri
Lanka, providing them with levels of support which
are equitable to that provided to spontaneously returning
internally displaced persons, and seeking to ensure
their full reintegration into society;
STRESSED that further
investment remains necessary to create conditions
conducive to safe and dignified organised voluntary
repatriation of refugees from India to Sri Lanka;
and
COMMITTED to ensuring
that programmes to create such conditions of physical,
legal and material safety for refugees voluntarily
repatriating from India to Sri Lanka under organised
arrangements will receive priority in their ongoing
work; and
AGREED to continue
to hold meetings involving the Government of Sri Lanka,
the Government of India, the SIHRN, other relevant
ministries of the Government of Sri Lanka, UNHCR and
other internationally mandated organisations on the
subject of voluntary repatriation, facilitated by
UNHCR, to co-ordinate and progress the development
of conditions conducive to the voluntary, safe and
dignified return of refugees.
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| The participants discussed and noted
that, in order to responsibly create conditions which
are more conducive to organised voluntary repatriation
of Sri Lankan refugees from India: |
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There remains
a need to further improve the conditions of
physical security through addressing ongoing
human rights concerns, ongoing incidents of
violence against civilians, and accelerating
the reduction of risks from landmines and unexploded
ordinance;
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There remains
a need to further improve the conditions of
legal security through restoring common administrative,
independent judicial and democratic policing
systems; through ensuring national documentary
protection is afforded - including simplified
immigration procedures, citizenship and provision
of identity cards; through adequate laws to
provide for property restitution or assistance
and through consideration of appropriate amnesty
arrangements where needed;
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There remains
a need to further improve the conditions of
material security, through investment in the
restoration of basic services in the districts
of origin of Sri Lankan refugees, in order to
provide adequate and non-discriminatory health
services, education facilities, potable water
and sanitation, and means of livelihood and
employment;
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There
remains a need to address logistic issues -
including formal arrangements between the Government
of Sri Lanka, the Government of India, the SIHRN,
other relevant Ministries of the Government
of Sri Lanka, UNHCR and other internationally
mandated organisations; and including adequate
transportation support, with special attention
needed to an early evaluation and costing of
restoration of the Talaimannar jetty for use
as a principal port of entry; and
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There remains
a need to adequately address the specific protection
and assistance needs of women, children and
other vulnerable groups amongst those returning. |
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Kilinochchi, Sri
Lanka
14 January 2003 |
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