The situation in Sri Lankan prison camps is worsening and we need you to act now to help innocent civilians escape disaster.
Monsoon rains are due soon in Sri Lanka. Last month, heavy rains flooded the military-run internment camps that house a quarter of a million displaced Sri Lankans. Uprooted by the bloody civil war that ended May 2009, the detainees are being held captive by the military, against their will and in violation of national and international law. At least 50,000 of them are children.
Ratchet up the pressure on Sri Lanka to open the camps.
The camps are filthy, overcrowded and dangerous. Journalists are banned; access by aid workers is restricted. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon described the camps in late May as "appalling."
Heavy rains in September caused rivers of water to cascade through the tents, forcing camp residents to wade through sewage. Monsoon rains are expected to start soon, threatening to flood the camps. One escapee told Amnesty that some women are forced to give birth in front of strangers without privacy.
We have received disturbing reports that the military is blocking detainee release attempts by the civilian administration, and that many detainees who were "released" were merely transferred to other camps.
People in these camps are desperate to leave. They have a right to protection and must be consulted on talks of resettlement.
Don't let this crisis become a disaster. Demand freedom for the displaced in Sri Lanka.
They've suffered through the nightmare of civil war. Now they're locked up, living in fear of torture, death and catastrophic flooding. Open the camps and put them on the path to freedom -- take action today.
Sincerely,
Jim, Christoph and the rest of the Sri Lanka crisis team
P.S. -- To increase pressure on Sri Lankan authorities, we're asking supporters to mail postcards to the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington, D.C. If you'd like to send some, we're happy to mail you enough to share with friends. Just send us an email at crisis@aiusa.org. Visit our Web site to see a preview of the card.