Tuesday August 11, 2009, 5:23 am
300,000 people displaced by the fighting in Sri Lanka are held by the government in de facto detention camps. They cannot leave the camps, where conditions are "appalling" according to UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.

Call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately allow the displaced civilians freedom of movement: those who wish to leave the camps should be free to do so. Urge them to place the camps under civilian, not military, management and to allow aid agencies, journalists and human rights observers full, unhindered access to the camps to carry out their functions and prevent possible (probable?) abuses.

Text of petition:

Early in 2009, over 280,000 civilians fled the war zone in northeast Sri Lanka as the Sri Lankan military reconquered all the territory held by the opposition Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and killed their senior leaders, thus ending the 26-year-old conflict. Since the conclusion of hostilities in mid-May, the displaced civilians have been held in overcrowded, military-run internment camps. The Sri Lankan government will not allow the civilians to leave the camps until a screening process to detect suspected LTTE fighters among the civilians has been carried out. Aid agencies, journalists and human rights observers have not been given full access to the camps. Without independent monitors in the camps, the civilians are at risk of human rights abuses from the security forces.

I call on the Sri Lankan government to immediately allow the displaced civilians freedom of movement: those who wish to leave the camps should be free to do so. The camps should be placed under civilian, not military, management. Aid agencies, journalists and human rights observers should be promptly provided with full, unhindered access to the camps to carry out their functions and prevent possible abuses.

Your signature? Many would thank you for it...

Tuesday August 11, 2009, 8:41 am
Read and signed. Thank you, David, for bringing this opportunity for us to add our voices to the call for restoration of rights and humane treatment.

Tuesday August 11, 2009, 11:05 am
Thanks, David !

Tuesday August 11, 2009, 12:49 pm
Taken and posted the same appeal with different title (I didn't edit it): Unlock the Camps in Sri Lanka.
This site is getting very confused.

Tuesday August 11, 2009, 6:18 pm
Nothing confusing about it Jelica...Surely better to post an appeal such as this as many times as possible?...More exposure, more signatures...

Wednesday August 12, 2009, 12:35 am
Message sent. Thank you for taking action.

Like it isn't bad enough the Sri Lankan
govt. killed tens of thousands of innocent
civilians while fighting the Tamils. Now they
lock up the survivors, and their own people,
in concentration camps.
God forgive and save this world.
Thanks, David....I think. :-(
noted.

Wednesday August 12, 2009, 11:58 pm
Chilren's innocence stolen, suffering violations against humanity / international law ... unconsciounable ... unforgiveable ...
Noted and signed David. Thank you for this critical action opportunity.
Message sent. Thank you for taking action.

Thursday August 13, 2009, 7:01 am
Action taken. Thanks David.

Message sent. Thank you for taking action.

Thank you for speaking out to stop this human rights crisis.

Thursday August 13, 2009, 11:18 am
Thannnxxxxx David... Like the Berlin wall.... I sincerely hope that the will break down the barbed wire fences and let these innocent people go...