It is estimated that almost 200,000 civilians in Sri Lanka have been internally displaced due to the escalating violence between the military and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) over the past two months. This exodus brings the total number of internally displaced people (IDPs) in Sri Lanka to over 500,000, making it one of the most acute IDP situations in the world. Instead of their right to international protection under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees being acknowledged, Sri Lankan asylum‐seekers are frequently criminalised and turned away at the border, prevented from accessing basic humanitarian assistance, subject to arbitrary arrest and detention, separated for extended periods from family members,
denied health care and the right to work, rendered stateless and, in some instances, forcibly returned to persecution (refouled) in Sri Lanka. At present, Sri Lankans constitute the largest migration‐related detention population in the region.

Members of the Asia‐Pacific Refugee Rights Network (APRRN) has drafted a statement calling on the protection of displaced peoples, civilians and human rights in Sri Lanka. Please support and fforward your endorsement [name, organisation, country] to refugee@forum‐asia.org by Saturday 16 May 2009 [midnight, BKK time].

Download the Statement