India offers $100m to Sri Lanka refugees... (Will the money get to them?)

India offered Sri Lanka on Sunday $100 million (61 million pounds) to help war refugees return home and rebuild the country's ravaged north, as New Delhi seeks to engage in the island nation's post-war reconstruction and retain influence.

Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said India was willing to provide the aid package to Sri Lanka if it submitted a "plan of action" on rehabilitation of Tamil civilians.

"Our concern is that the displaced Tamils should be resettled in their homes as early as possible," the minister told reporters in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

A similar aid package was given by New Delhi to its southern neighbour in July after the Sri Lankan government announced victory in a 25-year war against Tamil Tiger separatists.

The Indian government faces pressure to protect Sri Lankan Tamils, closely linked to about 60 million Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. More...

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