Even as concerns are being raised by aid workers about the conditions in the internment camps the Sri Lankan government is running in the NorthEast, President Mahinda Rejapaksa spoke of how good life was in the camps.
"I would say the condition in our camps is the best any country has," President Rajapaksa told The Hindu newspaper in an interview.
"We supply water. There is a problem with lavatories. That is not because of our fault. The money that comes from the EU and others, it goes to the NGOs and the U.N. They are very slow; disbursing money is very slow.
"We supply the water tanks. We have spent over 2 billion rupees. Giving electricity, giving water, now we are giving televisions to them. They have telephone facilities. Schools have been established. Some of the leaders are using mobile phones. I had a special meeting on the disposal of waste. I sent a team of specialists to see how mosquitoes can be eradicated.
"We know there are shortcomings. Slowly, we have to overcome them. In some camps there are no problems. What these people I sent told me: they are satisfied with the housing, shelter. They have undergone much worse conditions earlier [when they were under the LTTE's control]. Their problem is movement, freedom of movement. Since there are security concerns, I don't know how to do that immediately.
"I said on 20th of May that as soon as possible, we must send them to places where they can stay. My problem is that we have to get the certificate of de-mining from the U.N. We have already sent people back to several places. As soon as we get the clearance, I'm ready to do that. But before that I must get the clearance from the U.N. about the de-mining. We can't send them back to a place where there are just jungles. Every square centimetre has been mined by the LTTE. If something happens, I am responsible.
"My personal feeling is that as soon as possible, we have to resettle these people. We have to send them to the villages. But my problem is that to provide security for them, I will have to recruit another 200,000 (soldiers)! I don't want to do that."
