Challenges of IDP Resettlement in Sri Lanka An Examination of Northern Spring Program in Vavuniya District <Article>

Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and their resettlement are not new phenomena among post-war countries. This article focuses on IDPs, who have been displaced by nearly 3 decades of protracted conflict, and their resettlement in Sri Lanka. Conflict-induced internal displacement has become a major obstacle in developing the nation, due to the massive number and prolonged cycle of protracted conflict. During conflicts, civilians have been targeted by either the Sri Lankan government forces or the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who are identified as a liberation movement group fighting for the minority's independence from the Sinhala ruling government in the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Since the end of the war in May 2009, substantial rehabilitation and reconstruction processes have taken place under the government programs. Resettling IDPs in their places of origin became a prime task under a special development program called 'Northern Spring' to rebuild the affected areas of the entire Northern Province. As a multi step program, at present 180 day program, which is the first stage in this program, has been implemented with the intention to bring back the normalcy in the affected areas. Vavuniya district is one of the five districts in the Northern Province and was chosen as a field area to examining the implementation of 'Northern Program' in terms of IDP resettlement. The results revealed that, in spite of the rapid process of resettlement implemented under this program, still the gap remains between the efforts by the Government of Sri Lanka and the satisfaction of the IDPs. The way the IDP resettlement is being implemented has created more grievances since their recovery needs are large than what they received related with safety, property and conditions of sustainability before they resettled. Despite this fact, government also has many challenges to overcome in the implementation of this program.