"Please facilitate safe passage to voluntary returnee refugees from S. India"
"In view of the danger and risk involved in the sea journey from S. India, please facilitate a safe passage for voluntary refugee returnees from S. India on a humanitarian basis", requested Mr. S.P. Tamilselvan of the UN refugee agency's country representative Mr. Neill Wright in a meeting the latter had with the Head of the LTTE Political Wing today 10th August 2004 at the Peace Secretariat in Kilinchchi.
 Elaborating further Mr. Tamilselvan said that voluntary returnees undertake the hazardous journey across the sea under the most mitigating circumstances in that they do not have access to any responsible organization to arrange their travel. It is true Mr. Tamilselvan said that the situation prevailing back home is not deal and conducive, but isolated voluntary repatriations need to be assisted since the individuals concerned base their decisions purely on personal grounds, satisfying themselves with the availability of shelter and security. Commenting on the fear among the Tamils in European locations of an impending compulsory deportation Mr. Tamilselvan said that the UN agencies should affectively intervene in this matter and bring home to the European governments the fact that a final political resolution must be arrived at before such attempts or else they fall under 'involuntary' repatriation which is contrary to the agency's mandate. Mr. Neill Right responding to the request of Mr. Tamilselvan reiterated his agencies position that it always stood for the 'voluntary' element when it comes to refugee repatriation and assured the Political Head that UN will strive hard to make meaningful interventions in matters connected with refugees. Focus of attention in the discussion was more on these two issues but issues relating to welfare of the children and human rights violations in Batticaloa, Amparai too were taken up for in depth discussion. Mr. Rory Mungoven, Senior Human Rights Advisor, UN Country Team showed keen interest in the activities of the NorthEast Secretariat on Human Rights (NESOHR) and was briefed on it by Mr. S. Puleedevan, Secretary General, Peace Secretariat who co-ordinates the activities of NESOHR. Edward Benson, Associate Liaison Officer, Keisuke Murata, Head of Field Office, Jaffna, Kate Berry, Associate Field Officer and Hiroko Nishino, UNICEF, Kilinochchi were also participated in the discussions.
10 August 2004
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Europe which has a total population of 800 million is made up of 45 language based nation states. South Asia which has a total population of one billion, (1000 million) is comprised of four states. Who is preventing and therefore benefiting by limiting new nation-states in South Asia?
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