Sri Lanka says it is going to allow civilians interned in special camps since the end of the conflict with the rebel Tamil Tigers to leave next month.

An aide to President Mahinda Rajapaksa has told the BBC the camps will be shut within two months. Over 130,000 people are currently in the camps. The camps were set up six months ago to house people who had fled the the army's final offensive against the Tamil rebels. The refugees will only be allowed to leave once it has been determined they have no links with the rebels. The government has been widely criticised over the camp's poor food supplies and sanitary facilities. The international community has been urging the Sri Lankan government to shut the camps.

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa (Photo: Wikipedia)