2009

The war here ended in 2009. The most recent battles took place from 2006 to 2009. At the end of war, the Tamil people became refugees. The Sri Lankan government set up a camp called Menik Farm. It is essentially a concentration camp. In 2009, it held just under 300,000 people. Those people are now being resettled into the Mullaitivu district. We are carrying out assessments on these people. Yesterday, I made my first visit to a relocation camp. I used to feel that I knew or had seen people that had nothing. But now I know what nothing is. The scene is unbelievable. Tents have been donated for the people to live in. They are in small camps. I think some of them didn't want to leave Menik Farm, because they knew what they had there. The government pats itself on the back, saying that it is closing the Menik Farm camp, but what is really happening is that the people are just being moved to a different camp. The despair is nearly overwhelming.