Sri Lankans highlight plight of locked-up Tamils

Auckland Tamils want pressure put on the Sri Lanka Government over the military-run camps. Photo / Debrin Foxcroft

Sri Lankans demonstrated in Auckland yesterday, calling on their Government to unlock the gates to camps housing just under 300,000 internally displaced people.

The protest, organised by the Tamil community, followed a conference on Saturday on disaster medicine and public health in Sri Lanka.

The conference included speakers from Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International and MPs Keith Locke from the Greens and Chris Carter from Labour.

One of the demonstration's organisers, Dhaya Haran, said the event's goal was to develop greater awareness of what was happening in Sri Lanka.

"In general New Zealanders don't know what's happening there. We need to garner public outcry ... otherwise nothing will change."

Amnesty International has also launched a campaign called "Unlock the Camps" to increase pressure on the Sri Lankan Government to open up the 40 camps and allow freedom of movement for the Tamil people.

The Sri Lankan Government declared victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in May. Those displaced by the 26-year conflict are unable to leave the military-run camps.

Chris Kerr, from Amnesty International New Zealand, said the camps were meant to provide emergency aid to people caught in the conflict but had essentially become detention centres.