Sri Lanka: MOD to Allow Foreigners' Travel to Northern War Zone Area

It seems clear that the fallout over the mass killings in the north has come to roost on Sri Lanka's doorstep.

There are many reports of Tamils still living in concentration camp settings, the new reports that will begin filtering back to the west will be interesting.

(COLOMBO) - It wasn't long ago that we watched an al Jazeera news crew receive a closely guided tour of the former Tamil areas in the north of Sri Lanka, where somewhere in the neighborhood of 100,000 human beings were killed by government forces in the culmination of a two-decade long civil war.

Now, word is released that the Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence has lifted a imposed pre-travel restriction exclusively for foreign passport holders. The new rule went into effect 4th June, 2011.

According to Military Liaison Officer Officials, foreign pass port holders are no longer required to produce a MOD travel approval document at Omanthai entry/exist point- the main travel checking point located in Vavuniya.

"As normalcy is flourishing in the country we see that travel restrictions to foreign passport holders as no longer required", the official stated commenting on the latest move.

According to the MOD press release, "This is a definite sign that the country is heading in the right direction with the rapid reconciliation and development taking place in Wanni and North he further said."

It seems clear that the fallout over the mass killings in the north has come to roost on Sri Lanka's doorstep. It was an interesting and tragic political move for a country that views itself as a tourism destination. It is a move that may benefit so many families still searching for missing loved ones.

The biggest blow to Sri Lanka's public image came from the Channel 4 documentary 'Sri Lanka's Killing Fields' which debuted recently, with a shocking and vivid recounting of the events that have devastated the Tamil population of this island country.

Sources:

Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence

Reuters article Sri Lanka lifts foreign travel ban to ex-war zone

Some of our past reports on the Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka;

• Jun-20-2011: Sri Lanka's Violence Toward Tamil Minority Continues - Tim King Salem-News.com
• Jun-18-2011: 'International Day in Support of Victims of Torture - 'Remember the Tamil Genocide - Tim King Salem-News.com
• Jun-17-2011: International Boycott of Sri Lanka gets Huge Boost from Tamil Nadu Resolution - Salem-News.com
• Jun-15-2011: Tamil Genocide Explored in Sri Lanka's Killing Fields - Tim King Salem-News.com
• Jun-10-2011: Eezham Liberation is Geopolitical Priority for Tamil Nadu: Thirumurugan - Muthamizh Vendhan for Salem-News.com
• Jun-04-2011: Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka Subject of Channel 4 Documentary - Salem-News.com
• Jun-04-2011: Petition to Support a Referendum in Sri Lanka Concerning Self-determination for Tamils - Salem-News.com
• May-30-2011: Confronting the Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka - Tim King Salem-News.com
• May-27-2011: New Song 'Depression' - Graphic Truth of Sri Lanka Tamil Genocide - Song by Agron Belica Story by Tim King Salem-News.com
• May-21-2011: Sri Lanka Tamil Genocide: Killing the Messenger - Tim King Salem-News.com
• May-10-2011: Rally Demanding Justice for Genocide Victims of Thamil Eelam - Salem-News.com
• May-02-2011: USTPAC Welcomes UN Panel's Report on Sri Lanka - Salem-News.com
• Apr-27-2011: Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka Emerges Into Public View - Tim King Salem-News.com
• Apr-22-2011: World Ignores Genocide of Sri Lanka's Tamil Population - Tim King Salem-News.com
• Dec-06-2010: Sri Lanka Shocking Execution Video: New War Crimes Claims - Salem-News.com
• Aug-07-2010: Grisly Photos Reveal Genocide by Sri Lankan Government Against Tamil People - Muthamizh Vendhan for Salem-News.com
• Mar-15-2009: Sri Lanka: Possible War Crimes - Salem-News.com
• May-10-2009: UN Says Urgent International Scrutiny Needed in Sri Lanka - Salem-News.com

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