United Nations Radio

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the decision of the Sri Lankan government to grant increased freedom of movement to internally displaced people still residing in camps in northern Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan internally displaced people

In a statement issued over the weekend, the Secretary-General also welcomes the release of over half of the internally displaced people from the camps.

He encourages the Government to continue to prioritize the return of internally displaced people.

The Secretary-General recalls that these are steps which the United Nations has long been pressing for in its intensive engagement with the authorities in Sri Lanka, including during his own visit in May.

The Secretary-General urges the Government of Sri Lanka to continue to work with the United Nations and other humanitarian partners to improve the quality of the returns process.

He says this should be done in consultation with the internally displaced people themselves and should ensure the best possible assistance and services to returnees.

The government of Sri Lanka announced that it would free the close to 140,000 remaining Tamils who are currently held in detention camps between 1 December and 31 January.

Diane Bailey, United Nations Radio
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