What now for Sri Lanka’s Tamils?
What will the process of national reconciliation mean for the Tamil minority?
After a military victory for the government in a civil war that has torn the country apart for decades, Sri Lanka now begins a process of national reconciliation.
On Friday, Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, appealed to the triumphant politicians to resolve the long-standing grievances of the Tamil minority.
He also said he would seek permission for more international aid to enter camps where about 280,000 war refugees are sheltered.
International pressure is mounting on the Sri Lankan government as aid agencies are complaining that they are restricting access to the refugees, allowing in only essential supplies of food and water.
Epidemics of chicken pox and skin diseases are sweeping through the government-run camps and hepatitis is a growing problem, according to Oxfam.
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The military has prevented vehicles from entering the camps saying it is concerned that Tamil rebels may be hiding among the refugees and try to escape if there were a heavy flow of traffic in and out.
On the next Riz Khan show we speak to Jan Jananayagam of the NGO Tamils Against Genocide, about what is next for Sri Lanka’s Tamil population.
This episode of the Riz Khan show aired on Monday, May 25, 2009.