For the 7th Anniversary Issue
http://www.lightmillkennium.org

Clara GRAHAM:
"We have people who've been displaced since April is 202,000..."

An interview with Clare GRAHAM, Associate External Relations Officer
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ("UNHCR") in Sri Lanka

Interviewed on December 18, 2006, in Colombo 7, Sri Lanka
by Light Millennium

UNHCR in Sri Lanka - Overview and Statistics

In Sri Lanka, UNHCR works to protect and assist people internally displaced by conflict (IDPs) as well as refugees arriving from other countries and Sri Lankan refugees returning from overseas.

As of 1st January 2006, nearly 325,000 people remained displaced within Sri Lanka with almost 125,000 Sri Lankans registered as refugees abroad. The violence that occurred throughout the first half of 2006 has resulted in the displacement of yet more people, both internally and overseas. For more information: http://www.unhcr.lk/basics/index.html

Light Millennium (LM): How long have you been working for the UNHCR in Sri Lanka?
Clare Graham: I have been working for the UNHCR in Sri Lanka since May of this year (2006).

Light Millennium (LM):  What are your prior experiences?
C. Graham: Before that I was working for the British Red Cross based in Sri Lanka but working regionally. Prior to that I was working for UNHCR in the UK.

LM: What did you find to be the most challenging issues to work with in Sri Lanka since May?
C. Graham: Most challenging, I guess it has been busier since August. Obviously for us, we deal with displacement since we have considerably more people displaced since August. The last few months have been quite challenging.

LM: How do you evaluate the International Human Rights Celebration in Sri Lanka which the UNHCR  was part of? How did your participation contribute to your mission of it, or what do you consider as your contribution to the celebration? (December 10, 2006)
C. Graham: Well, from my understanding it was pretty well received publications. It ran out pretty quickly. As far as I am aware this is the first time this ministry has held an event like this that has marked National Human Rights day. So obviously commemoration is welcomed.

LM: What are the UNHCR  Women's  Initiatives  which targeted to empower women in post-conflict societies?
C. Graham: The way UNHCR's  approach moments is called gender and age mainstreaming which means in common terms the needs of women, needs of men, and needs of young, and the elderly. All people of all ages should be mainstreamed in all its programming. For example, that means on the ground in Welfare Center where we have working people here who are still being displaced by the civil war since 2002 cease-fire. There are groups that help with different divisions within the Welfare Center. There will be women groups. The kind of activity they will be doing is awareness of their rights. Awareness issues on sexual gender based violence and other activities that they choose to be like helping them with traditional props, helping them ban together as group seller crops. They can also be groups for the elderly. There programs for men, women, and also for the youth in society. Each kind of group, you could see, within that welfare center will have activities targeted for it and that’s just one example how it’s worked in one location. However, the UNHRC's   general approach is, how can we meet the needs of the people?

LM: Would you tell us about what is happening in the Welfare Center here in Sri Lanka, and what sort of services are provided?
C. Graham: Welfare Center is the name, we have for the displacement sites that are being setup, mainly for the people who were displaced in 2002. Since then, they have totally been unable to go home. There are some new residents within the welfare center for the last few months, and there are new sites that have been setup as emergency sites since the complex flare-up in April-August this year (2006).

LM: How many people and families were displaced in Sri Lanka in 2006? What is the percentage of women and children within it?
C. Graham: There is no official statistic such as people who are displaced by the 2002 cease fire and people who’ve been displaced this year. The UNHCR   has estimated an overlap of 55,000 between the two groups that would give about 460,000 complexes in Sri Lanka. 302,000  was the first statistic of May of this year. 312,000 people are still displaced after 2002. They still haven’t been able to go home. The latest statistic we have for people who’ve been displaced since April is 202,000.

LM: On top of that Sri Lanka had to face of the Tsunami?
C. Graham: Now, I don’t know the latest Tsunami, figures and I think that there haven’t been any figures since last year.

LM: How many people have been displaced since the Tsunami?
C. Graham: UNHCR  has ended its involvement with Tsunami focus activity in November 2005.

LM: What is the figure in terms of your ending period and records in November 2005?
C. Graham: It was exceptional role for us to be involved in the Tsunami. We have the resources and expertise. We were there. It was an exceptional deviation from our visual mandate to come involved in the tsunami. We handed over our role, which is coordinator transition stationary back to the government in November 2005. But the statistics they are issued by the government not by UNHCR,  and that’s the same for complex displace. We just collate the statistics that are given to us by the government officials on the ground. As far as I’m aware, the last tsunami statistics are from some time last year. Also, there is certainly a degree of overlap but no one knows for sure. I have met families that were displaced prior to 2002, 1990’s went back home and were displaced again by the Tsunami. They have either been lucky enough to have their house rebuilt, or waiting for it to be built, or had to move now that there house was rebuilt, was damaged again, and they had to move to the place where they were waiting for their house to be rebuilt. It is very antidotal. There is no official statistics. Overall, it is true that families have been displaced conflict with Tsunami now the latest violence as well.

LM: Who is an Internally Displaced Person? And what are the main issues and problems in relation to the “internally misplaced” people?
C. Graham: I have to pick up the guided principle on internal displacement to read the official definition on an internally displaced person. In short, it is someone who had to leave his or her home because of either man made or natural disaster that could be conflict or it could be a tsunami. They had to leave their home but are still within their country. That is the difference between an internal displaced person and a refugee. A refugee is someone who had to leave their home. It is a narrower definition. It has to be of 1 of 5 reasons to do with persecution that will cross international borders. The definition internally displaced person is a slight broader, encompassing, covering natural disaster as well as conflict. But, here in Sri Lanka, UNHCR  is focused on assisting the conflict affect on the population. Working with permanently displaced people was a new thing for UNHCR  in Sri Lanka. We were originally here in1987 to facilitate the large-scale return from India. Unfortunately, things within Sri Lanka took a turn for the worst. Again, so in 1990, we were asked by the government in Sri Lanka to expand/extend our mandate and access people displaced within the country. So this was like there one of the first operations where UNHCR  stepped out of its traditional refugee mandate which is helping people who fled across borders because of persecution or conflict; and actually working with people within the country who’ve been displaced by conflict.

LM:  I have seen general terms of refugee on your emblem  here, and thought on it that who does and from where apply to immigrate  to Sri Lanka?
C. Graham: Sri Lanka is a beautiful country. I met people from Europe and England. They retired. They worked hard. They applied for different status. It is not being a refugee in Sri Lanka.

LM: How do you define or differentiate a refugee and immigrant from England, America, and in Sri Lanka? Can you clarify that for us?
C.Graham: Well a refugee, It doesn’t matter what country a refugee is in. A refugee is someone who is outside his or her country of origin who is unable or willing to return for fear of persecution or well-founded fear of persecution. As I mentioned previously, persecution has to be of 1 out of 5 grounds; which is ethnicity, religion, political opinion, nationality, or particular social group. Ethnicity, it was a convention that was written in the 1950’s. I think ethnicity is a modern way. Anyway we’ll give you a definition. Regardless what country you are in just the refugee definition is a very narrow definition because you have to prove that you have a well-founded fear of persecution.

During the interview with Clara Graham
on Rosmead Place, Colombo 7, Sri Lanka.

LM: Is there any connection or relation of possible sign of refugee in your description?
C. Graham: Someone who seeks asylum is someone who basically asks the government for refugee status. They basically ask for the government status. They say I am seeking asylum or I'm a refugee and the government or UNHCR  if the government feels that it doesn’t have the capacity to do that will then examine their case and then decide in our opinion of the refugee convention. Do they have a well-founded fear of persecution for 1 of the 5 reasons? So that asylum seek is kind of the refugee of tomorrow in many cases. Someone who has turned up in another country seeks sanctuary and has asked the government to look at their case. Not all asylum seekers are refugees. We experience more and more mixed cloves of migration as the dynamics of the world changes, but today’s asylum seekers are the refugees of tomorrow. That UN definition that comes from the 1951 refugee convention is basically the bedrock of UNHCR  as an agency. UNHCR was created to be the watchdog of the convention. That has been extended to other parts of the country such as Africa. Where they recognize people can be refugees of violence, from generalized violence because of wars of independence in the 1960’s. They have their own refugee conventions. They have been a little more generous in their definition as in South America as well. They have their own declaration, which is similar to the African one, which is saying that someone who’s fleeing generalized violence of the war, refugee doesn’t have to be a fear of persecution.

Race and nationality are part grounds for fear of persecution. The people that we refer as internally displaced in Sri Lanka may in common be referred to as refugee. Under international law according to UN definition. But there are differences between a refugee and internally displaced person, and there are also similarities because you are forced to leave your home, often through fear. UNHCR  in Sri Lanka deals with refugee coming back from India refugees who fled from another country and were coming back and then were asked to deal within internal displacement. It was one of the first times we were asked to do that but particularly within the last 20 years or so. The nature of war has changed worldwide and we’re seeing more internal conflict and more internal displacement. Also, extra states wars and refugees exiting in other countries. So within the last year it has always been a long debate about which agency has ultimate responsibility for the people who have been displaced. The numbers of displacement are higher and estimated to be higher than the number of refugee in the world.  It can be hard to assist them because they haven’t fled outside. It is part of a wide process. Its been looking at the cluster approach in deciding whose the leading agency. Under that it has given UNHCR  for the new complex in terms of displacement people. In Sri Lanka, we still have the lead role because we had the 1990’s in request to the government. For theory is for now should shift but should a new conflict arise, a new internally displacement UNHCR  will be full role to that.

LM: What is the UNHCR’s stand point on the “Child Soldier” issue? And what are the best ways to halt this sensitive and important problem?
C.Graham: The critical issue is more of a UNICEF   issue. UNICEF  deals with issues related to children and they lead in this issue particularly in Sri Lanka. Obviously child soldiers go against international law so it is a concern. UNHCR  working with its UN parts, with UNICEF, with agencies and non-governmental agencies and local authorities to address the issue. It is quite a concern in Sri Lanka so it’s not something we talk about. We take a lead on. It is not something we have the latest information on but it is something that we are aware of. They refer it to other agencies within the field such as UNICEF or international agencies for the American Red Cross who is more of the specialized agency an able to deal with these particular issues.

LM.: Will Sri Lankan teachers be benefit from the current initiative on developing the global teacher-training program? [UNHCR plans bold step to achieve EFA Goals." The Island, Thursday, Dec. 7, 2006) If it is so, what are the main expectations to achieve through this program?
I think the article appeared in Sri Lanka. It is a Sri Lankan individual who is helping UNHCR  refugee education policy worldwide. I think that’s why the article came out in Sri Lanka because an actual Sri Lankan is involved in the process. It is not a process that is applicable here or in Sri Lanka. Here in Sri Lanka it is once again UNICEF , because UNICEF deals  with children. So UNICEF  takes the lead on matters related to school. UNHCR  both work for school children. We do work with UNICEF  and other agencies that are child focus or child skilled to do awareness and raise programs within schools. They are aware more particularly of the mandated, such as the guided principle of internal displacement, which are the people that are displaced, and their rights. We do awareness programs in school within the north and east to make children aware that you’re displaced but you still have these rights. There are certain basic fundamental rights that you can ask for, wider issues regarding education within Sri Lanka that once again is handled by UNICEF. You get the better answer from UNICEF. There  is in UNHCR globally a whole policy, document, and programs in other countries and particularly within camp settings. For example in Kenya which UNHCR  manages the camp; people have been there unfortunately increasingly for generations. Children have been born in the camps. They need to be educated. There are not enough resources. Do you educate them in their local language or do you educate them in their language back home. You know, all these issues you have to deal with. That kind of refugee education that has been taking forward by individuals like this who wrote from the island but it is not clear in Sri Lanka.

Actually this is a new convention and policy. It is a pilot project. I know it to evolve into an international project but it may not encompass all countries to my understanding. UNICEF is a believer of child issues, water sanitation, and nutrition effects. Their belief for these particular sectors and that includes education will go by a country to country basis and the readiness of the agencies which is best placed to take it forward. Refugee sectors are usually handled by UNHCR. UNICEF  will deal with educating both the people that are displaced nationwide.

LM: What are the main channels that the UNHCR is able to help to people, and elevate their life and existing conditions? In other words, what are the main objectives of the UNHCR?
C. Graham: UNHCR  worldwide has two simple aims, which are to protect and access refugees and other people of concern. It includes internally displaced people. Protecting and accessing is the two main things. Here in Sri Lanka what that means under protection and assistance, protection is to monitor general situation, welfare, and security situation. Now in Sri Lanka, that is the people who’ve been displaced in 2002 and the people who’ve been displaced by the events of this year. We try to see and talk to the people about what their concerns are. We address their concerns and sure that they are able to access some level of national protection like the usual citizens. Usual citizens would be able to access law enforcement agencies. We try to help them access the same civil documentation. Often you have to leave your home at short notice, travel a long distance, or often a journey under distress. These things get lost. You either don’t think about them or you don’t have time to get them. At times you just lose them on the way. We monitor these situations. We talk to them and find out what their concerns are. We help raise them to relevant authorities. We raise issues ourselves as well. To know what the issues are you have to document it. You have to have evidence. We also help people get their documentation back. Once you have your national identification, you can access governmental assistance. Your child can go to school. The child has to have a birth certificate before it goes to school. These basic things you may not think about. An average person would not think until it happens to them. That is what is really meant by protection. It can also be physical protection. In displacement camps it can be making sure there is lighting, so that people feel safe to move around. Also, adequate fencing for the camp is provided so outsiders can’t come into the site.

There is the issue section of gender-based violence. There is awareness for men and women as well as children. Children put on street dramas and other things. It is kind of a community service. The section of gender-based violence provides HIV aid and helps people start small business. You move through protection, community service and into the assistant. That could be with people who particularly first left their homes. They often are only able to leave with all that they can carry and that is not much. It is helping them with basic household items, cooking supplies, towels, mosquito net and something to sleep on. It is the very basic but it makes a difference to people’s lives. It means that they can cook their own food. They can sleep on a sleeping mat that they are used to.                   

LM: What else is provided?
C. Graham: Basic household items are given. Food is provided through the government and our partner agency The World Food Program. UNICEF  is very good with Hygiene kits. There is assistance in emergency shelter that can be basic tar pool. Tar pool is very expensive, hard, large and plastic sheeting. It is a big piece of plastic. You can use it as a tent. You can sleep on it, roll it up and take it with you. It is very durable and can be used it different forms. 

LM: What do you call it?
C. Graham: Tar pooling is a basic shelter. In the emergency shelter system sometimes there are tents but as policy agencies within Sri Lanka we know that camp setups can be an attraction situation. It can attract more people. It is not a better solution but sometimes it is all you can give for immediate shelter. The durable things that are available emergency shelter can be locally available such as coconut poles, palms for roof and other materials. It is locally available, easily constructed and most people living in the rural can make it own their own. We can give them the materials and they can build it themselves to last for 3-4 months, often longer. That is the emergency shelter that UNHCR  does and has been continuing to do here in Sri Lanka. We try to help people find durable solutions so that is their durable solution to their displacement. It might be going home, staying where they currently are, or relocation. We don’t force them to decisions. It that option is available to someone and that is what they want to do, we will help them build more limited numbers with the finance involved. We will try to help them set infrastructures, a more permanent house to live in. These are the kind of ranges of assistance that we give. That is what we basically try to do, protect and assist. We either do it ourselves or with a partner agency, often with the agencies that are on the ground. The ground and field agencies are able to reach the people. They know the people and we do it through coordination with other agencies so that there is one person in charge of one site. If you give one bucket to one side only one agency is going to give them buckets. The other agency will give buckets to the other site.

LM: I’ve heard general complaints regarding international organizations that come and do work for 2-3 months and fail to cooperate with the local agencies. What do you think about that?
C. Graham: I really can’t comment. There are rumors and reports written on it and it has been evaluated. What I can say is only about UNHCR.

LM: Do you cooperate with the locals? If you do so, could you give an example?
C. Graham: We actively try to promote local partners and we try to use them as much as we can. For example, in Sri Lanka, the Red Cross are involved with mobile units in areas where people can’t travel. They are also involved with awareness and sexual based violence. Also in Jafna, we are working with local organizations. The Jafna Action Social center. and TRO. It is basically two organizations we are working with. They helped through the Tsunami. They work with transitional shelters. They’ve been helping us  providing people who’ve gone home or who’ve found land where they want to live build homes. Now, they are helping us with emergency situations. They are basically local organizations that we are working with.

The Sri Lanka sometimes situation that you dictate need international staffing. It is not necessarily international organizations but because of the nature of conflict, you want to minimize exposure of your national colleagues. TRO (?) and Jafna have one or two. There is a couple of international staff in other areas that are working with international organizations, but they have been here for a particular time or established in a particular area. We try to use locals as much as we can.

LM: I am aware that the UN has been encouraging partnerships. I heard that after the Tsunami, some organizations have gone and done work with out contact to the government. Can you elaborate on this?
C. Graham: I can only speak about what I know about UNHCR.  What we are doing with conflict for example is a project that was initiated this year. It is the Quick Impact Project or QIP. It is meant to be a three-month project that it by the community itself based on their needs. The village can say that they need a water tank for their school. If that is what the village needs then through our partnership organization, we will in the field which might be the international partnership help the community put it together. We will discuss how to do and the cost. Then UNHCR  together with the other international donors will fund them. Sometimes UNHCR  will fund it. The idea is that something that can be done in as much as three months to do.

Another example, local authorities have moved ten times since the civil war. You can imagine the document being placed everywhere. What the village wanted to do is bind them. They came up with the project. We gave them the money and one of our partner organizations helped oversee it. Now, most or all have documents that are bounded, order and that helped the internally displaces which was our immediate concern. The wider population is able to access, certificates, and documentation proving land ownership.

LM: You gave the basics about children rights in Sri Lanka and referred the UNICEF. Beside this, is there anything that you would like to add about the children?
C. Graham: UNHCR  tries to protect and assist. We try to find a durable solution for someone. It may be to return or relocate to another area. It may be local integration. That is the basic framework and we are trying to do in Sri Lanka. There is new displacement and it is a fluid situation. We try to make sure people’s fundamental rights and basic needs are covered but with an eye to the future. What do these people want? What do they need? You basically need to meet the needs first, shelter, food, sanitation that is where we work with other agencies. Also, we make sure peoples rights are respected, monitor situations, visiting sites, intervening authorities and deciding where it would be safe for people to relocate. Where would it be safe to setup camp? Where would it be safe for people to go? If people don’t want to go, we won’t be angered about that. We are making sure every movement is voluntary and that they are well informed.

LM: In this context, it appears that there are no investments to place displaced people in jobs. Once the immediate problems are overcome, are there any programs for job replacements? 
C. Graham: The government has the primary responsibility for safety, security, and the well being of its citizens. The UN agencies assist for emergencies, but that can be for long-term development and there is always an academic debate about where relief starts and recovery starts. There is in Sri Lanka and in other countries a UN team that has agencies for agriculture. When it comes to issues with agriculture and long term issues we discuss with our partners, there has been much of a debate and we are aware of it. An example is that in the current displacement it has affected season cropping so we will with cropping or give them food.

LM: UNHCR Briefing 18 August 2006 - Geneva, Spokesperson Jennifer pagonis: "UNHCR calls on the Sri Lankan government and the rebel Tamil Tigers or Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), urgently to allow access for humanitarian aid workers so vital supplies can reach those in need, and to permit freedom of movement to all affected populations." Is there any progress in this regard since August 2006?
C.Graham: Access is still an issue in Sri Lanka. They are the population which we are concerned about. Statements were issued last month about battle night. Access for both humanitarians and workers is needed so we can monitor situations and supplies. We have to bare in mind the situation in the north and east conflict that is going on. Security concerns for staff, civil and government, and security forces have our own concerned. We don’t have access to all areas but we are working on it with the government. Situations are very frustrating and it has changed over the weekend. People are moving out. We want victims of displacement to be able to move freely. They have basic fundamental rights, liberty and respect.

LM: Thank you very much.

The above interview transcribed by: Beatrice ALMONOR

Special Thanks to:
- Sulakshani Perera, External Relations Assistant
- Ayca Bahca

© 2006-2007, The Interview conducted for the Light Millennium on December 18, 2006 at the UNHCR Office in Colombo 7 in Sri Lanka. http://www.lightmillennium.org