ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the relationship between the Government of Sri Lanka and Medecins Sans Frontieres-Holland and presents the findings from the 2008/9 period. The period between September 2008 and May 2009 saw realised a state of unmitigated securitisation of international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) working in the conflict zone. The international community also expected that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) would conform to the norms of International Humanitarian Law and ensure the proper provision of humanitarian assistance. In April 2009, the GoSL issued a new decree that organisations, in order to renew their Memoranda of Understanding or negotiate new agreements, had to agree to and sign 'confidentiality clauses'. The relationship between the international community, Sri Lanka-based INGOs and the GoSL also highly informed the space within which INGOs worked. The international community's involvement in 2006 was constructive in intent, if not in practice, but in 2008/9 it became more adversarial.
