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Sri Lanka: Denying the truth will not bury it






Up to 100,000 people were killed in the war, according to UN figures ©Private

By Yolanda Foster, Amnesty International’s Sri Lanka researcher

Tonight Channel 4 screens its harrowing new documentary, “Sri Lanka, The Killing Fields”. The film highlights massive human rights abuses and violations of the laws of war by both parties to the conflict.

Some of the more shocking imagery includes the fallout of systematic shelling of hospitals by the government.

We see families hiding in terror from repeated shelling, injured children dying as medicines run out. Channel 4 also presents previously untelevised footage, including killing and mutilation of prisoners, making this difficult if essential viewing.

The Sri Lankan government’s immediate reaction is simply to say this is fabrication. I wasn’t surprised by this denial as it has happened before.

Over successive decades both the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) have denied inconvenient truths. The government has used censorship to prevent criticism of the security forces while the Tamil Tigers have silenced and even killed dissenters.

In the past, official censorship tended to flare up when the government security forces suffered major setbacks. So, in mid-1996 when the military lost key army camps and territory to the LTTE, there were false media reports of success.

It should be noted that in this context of censorship, reports of torture and ”disappearances” increased dramatically. This, for instance, was the context in which approximately 500 ”disappearances” were reported in Jaffna in 1996 in the spate of a few months.

In May 2000, the President of Sri Lanka brought in new emergency regulations which conferred powers of arrest to ”any authorized person” in addition to the police and armed forces. The new laws also considerably extended the powers to detain available to them.

The regulations also provided wide powers of censorship; provisions for prohibiting public meetings and processions; and broad provisions for proscribing organizations which the president believes could jeopardize national security, public order or the maintenance of essential services.

The government used these regulations even to ban films. In 2000 the authorities used the emergency regulations to prevent screenings of Death On A Full Moon Day (Pura Handa Kaluwara). The film is set in a remote village near Anuradhapura in Sri Lanka’s North Central province and highlights the impact of war on ordinary Sinhalese families.

The plot revolves around a blind father, Wannihami, who awaits news of his soldier son. One day, the state returns a sealed casket. Despite official ceremonies, Wannihami refuses to believe that his son is really dead.

His sorrow hardens to the point of explosion. On the night of the full moon, he breaks open the casket and discovers that instead of his son there are simply stones. The authorities have lied to him as they have lied about the whereabouts of so many soldiers.

Over successive years, all sides in Sri Lanka have repeatedly lied about the scale of human rights violations. Denying the truth does not erase it. Amnesty International has collected many testimonies from victims of torture, families of the disappeared and those arbitrarily arrested.

The organization has also recorded deliberate and inexcusable targeting of civilians by the Tamil Tigers such as the attack on the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy in 1998.

In March this year, the UN Secretary General’s Panel of Experts on accountability in Sri Lanka issued its report highlighting credible allegations that both sides in Sri Lanka’s armed conflict violated international human rights and humanitarian law, possibly committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It recommended that the Secretary-General establish an independent international mechanism to investigate the allegations.

What’s important about this week’s Channel 4 film is that visual images are a way of making real what others may prefer to ignore. The kneejerk response of the authorities that the footage isn’t authentic is simply a repeat of years of denial and subterfuge in the face of inconvenient truths.

Now that the war is over in Sri Lanka people must be allowed to contest official versions of the truth. Before the ceasefire in February 2002, the war appeared in the official media as a story of ‘our soldiers’ or ‘the rebels’, of losses and gains – a game of numbers. Glib talk of reconciliation cannot absolve the pain inflicted on relatives. All sides have suffered as a result of hiding unwelcome truths.

We have a responsibility to stand up for victims who the authorities would prefer to keep silent. In order for Sri Lanka to have a meaningful process of reconciliation there needs to be a genuine ‘truth telling’ exercise. Both parties to the conflict need to come to terms with the atrocities committed.

Despite visual evidence that the Tamil Tigers used child soldiers, some Tamil groups continue to deny the practice. This is why there needs to be a neutral, international body that addresses accountability.

Published

by elleotz

on 14 June 2011

in Uncategorized

. 14 Comments

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14 Responses to “Sri Lanka: Denying the truth will not bury it”

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1. 1 jo roy

   14 June 2011 at 4:06 PM

   simply they do not know the value of a human being.

2. 2 Sandra

   14 June 2011 at 5:03 PM

   It is very well written piece by Amnesty’s Yolanda Foster,

   Like one of the exiled Sinhalese journalist said that Sri Lanka is a nation that has been built on the unknown graveyards of many thousands of my Tamil sisters and brothers

   It is the civilian massacre up to 40,000 in tiny Sri Lanka, in comparison to much-talked about 1,000 deaths in Gaza and 8,000 deaths in Srebrenica.

3. 3 Akootha

   14 June 2011 at 5:05 PM

   The world supported Sri Lanka to defeat terrorism, but it used the opportunity committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. Later, it not only continues to deny of any wrong doing despite ample evidence, it also reject any UN recommendations. Sri Lanka continues to deny basic rights to Tamils in Sri Lanka and impunity is rewarded.

   Only an international independent inquiry can bring truth and reconciliation.

4. 4 Ampanai

   14 June 2011 at 5:19 PM

   A country that has killed more than 100000 civilians in any name is not acceptable. How could anyone ask these people to co-exist? Would anyone trust Sri Lanka?

   There is evidence of human rights violation during the Tamil Tigers conflict and international community should not lend their support to Sri Lanka. Britain should lead such action like in Libya, where the country kills its own.

5. 5 Navam

   14 June 2011 at 5:23 PM

   While governments fail to take actions against a state like Sri Lanka who commits genocide against their own, we as individuals could take actions:

   - Boycott Sri Lankas’ tourism, tea, garments, cricket etc.

   - Urge your MPs to take action to hold accountable those responsible for these heinous crimes

6. 6 Sam Moorthy

   14 June 2011 at 5:57 PM

   It is time for China and Russia to show some dignity to human lives and to the basic human rights and should back off from blocking justice for the Tamil victims of the genocidal acts by the Sri Lankan State. Protection of the perpetrators of war crimes by China and Russia remains as the major obstacle to any reconciliation between the Tamil and Sinhala communities. It is unfortunate that despite there are good people among Sinhalese, the Sinhala Diaspora in general is backing the terrorist state of Sri Lanka by calling the war crimes as “alleged atrocities”. I hope that the real Buddhists and Christians and other Sinhalese who have ethical standards for humanity will make their presence felt by the international community by helping to bring the criminals to the international court of justice.

7. 7 Annavi

   14 June 2011 at 8:03 PM

   Thank you AI for your tireless work those war crime criminals to justice.

8. 8 Pearl

   14 June 2011 at 8:12 PM

   Amnesty, Thank you for standing up for this issue. On behalf of millions of Tamils, we salute you and respect you. Please work with Channel 4, HRW, Doctors without borders, and any other orgs. to make sure Justice is done for Tamils in Sri Lanka. Thank you so much.

9. 9 Shanmuga

   14 June 2011 at 8:43 PM

   I am happy that I subscribe to AI that stands for justice to the oppressed and persecuted. As AI calls the alleged war crimes and violations of international laws committed by both parties in Sri Lanka must be probed independently by UN appointed body. Otherwise the victims will never get justice.

10. 10 Lisa McGonigle Murray

    14 June 2011 at 11:00 PM

    Watching channel 4’s Sri Lanka’s killing fields,I’m completely horrified! Horrified and angry! I feel physically sick watching the brutality and utter evil that has been inflicted on these poor people! I am filled with sadness about what i’ve seen and I’d like to say ell done to channel 4 for reporting it. What can I do?

11. 11 eureka

    15 June 2011 at 12:44 AM

    Yolanda

    Thank you.

    The victims need justice.

    This shouldn’t happen to anybodyelse anywhere anytime.

12. 12 Victim Tamil

    15 June 2011 at 1:50 AM

    Weather srilanka state terrorism like or not, if there is no way in UN,ICC,UNHRC,etc.. to investigate this creul war crime, crime aganist humanity, genocide, and ethnics cleaning then the constitutions of these institutions must be re-written. If these criminals aren’t brought then whats is the use of these institutions? Why do they exist?

13. 13 Mathan

    15 June 2011 at 3:17 AM

    I hope this video will make a difference. For all those innocent lives lost.

14. 14 Noel Vethanayagam

    15 June 2011 at 2:21 PM

    Thank you Yolanda.I am a member of AI in Canada and I feel that there should be accountability before any form of reconciliation takes place Please keep up the good