Sri Lanka’s efforts to resettle the war displaced will receive a further boost with Germany providing $ 450,000 to the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) engaged in mine clearing operations west of the A9 road.

The FSD is one of the six INGOs carrying out mine clearing operations in support of the army. Northern Province Governor G. A. Chandrasiri told The Island that their focus was on the area west of the A 9 though mine clearing operations were also taking place east of the road. Among the INGOs are British, Danish and Indian groups. Chandrasiri said that all of them had hired locals under supervision by expatriates.

A spokesperson for the German Embassy in Colombo said their financial assistance to the FSD was in support of the Integrated Humanitarian Mine Action Programme aimed at helping IDPS to return to their villages. According to her, the FSD operation would benefit about 5,000 families comprising 18,000 persons originally from Manthai West in the Mannar district.

She quoted the Ambassador-designate Jens Ploetner as saying Germany acknowledged the progress that had been made with regard to the resettlement of IDPs in the past few weeks. "In supporting de-mining-activities, we are contributing to ensure safety and security of those going back to their villages," he said.

Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told The Island that mine clearing operations in the liberated areas had reached an important stage with the government making every effort to speed up resettlement in the Vanni and close down IDP facilities.

Pro-LTTE groups in Colombo some time back accused the government of running Nazi-type death camps in the north, a charge conterminously rejected by the government.