The disappearing act in Sri Lanka
Sharmini Peries speaks to Sunila Abeysekera award-winning human rights defender and the Executive Director of INFORM, an organization working to spread the word on Sri Lankan human rights violations.
The speak about the history of the ongoing torture allegations in Sri Lanka and the so-called "internment camps" where roughly 300,000 refugees of the recent conflict linger.
Abeysekera says, "Forget the torture; just overcrowding, lack of access to medical attention, and then including on top of that the beatings and the waterboarding. You know, you name it, we hear stories about it."
Sunila Abeysekera is the Executive Director of INFORM, an organization working to inform the world about human rights violations in Sri Lanka. The major themes of Sunila Abeysekera's work include issues of equality and difference in understanding women's human rights, problems of re-conceptualising the nation-state and principles of good governance from a feminist perspective; problems of representation of women in art and culture; and feminist film criticism. In 1998, Abeysekera was honoured by the United Nations for her contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights along with Jimmy Carter. [courtesy: The Real News Network]
8 Comments
In spite of the gloom and darkness that has engulfed the Tamil community in Sri Lanka for decades now where they are increasingly been subject to tremendous anguish and injustice by the Lankan State apparatus – notably those in the Police and the armed forces - there are many Sinhala intellectuals, politicians and others in civil society – who refuse to be enticed or consumed by racial bigotry. They refuse to be compartmantalised into the “we” and “they” syndrome. To them all are sons and daughters of Sri Lanka. Ms Sunila Abeysekera is indeed one of them. In the poisoned and degrading atmosphere prevailing her public posture will expose her to many dangers. Of being called anti-Sinhalese, someone in the pay of the LTTE, unpatriotic and so on. The more extreme sections of Sinhala society will intimidate, humiliate and otherwise make things difficult for her.
It is a matter of much comfort we have in Sri Lanka Sinhala men and women fearlessly expressing their opposition and displeasure at what is patently wrong and unjust. We in the Lankan Tamil nation salute Ms Abeysekera for her principled stand. We join the rest of the world in that shared concern as to why the Govt refuses to provide a list of those (300,000?) entitled to those guarantees to the individual enshrined in the Constitution.
ISS
It is surprising that in this day and age in a Civilised Country there can be such treatment of a section of our population. The Government and Military who are in full control of the situation will have to take full responsibilty for the fate of IDP's. No longer can this be justfied or blamed on LTTE which is no longer in existance. What is required is that any action be taken in keeping with the laws and constitution of Sri Lanka.
Tamils have no single hope.
The world can see the crisis in Sri Lanka. Please take action and save rest of the Tamils now. Tamils have been fighting for the basic rights so do investigation and give permanent justice to tamils. No more harms to Tamils. Enough is Enough. World please act now
"Shocked" ! you will be shocked even more if you learn what the bloody Rajapaksa said recently. "If any Tamils in IDP camps die, then the UN has to take responsibility for that!".
What the bloody hell is that supposed to mean?? The sri lankan state is responsible for bombarding people and herding them into camps, only to die of starvation and disease. These barbarians deliberately starve people to death, they are not "collateral damage" of a war as they would like us to believe. Did you read the news that a Mercy Mission ship loaded with basic necessities meant for IDP camps was turned away by GOSL, ON SOME FLIMSY EXCUSES? Is the now defunct LTTE preventing them to feed people??? GOSL is not even paying for it, the Tamil diaspora sent them to the IDPs. What excuse they have to turn it away? Nothing except that they have a grudge against the Tamil diaspora and they must be humiliated by sending back their supplies! Never mind if one lakh Tamils at home die for this "grudge". After all the welfare of Tamils was never on the sinhalese agenda. They are Tamils and they must die. That is the goal of GOSL.
GOSL does such wicked activities, but UN must take responsibility?? Yeah Crap! Those are their expectations, never falling in line with reality!
As you said, YES even in these civilised times, we have such specimens governing a country. Which means we are not living in civilised times with civilised people. There are also people like Rajapaksa and Co.
Mayavi,
Majority of Sinhalese do hate their politicians, so no wonder Tamils hate them too.
But history shows politically, regionally, militarily and cast-wise greatly divided Tamils cause much mayhem to themselves than the Sinhalese and their politicians.
I think if we get together all of us can have better lives here but remember Tamils will not get anything extra that Sinhalese do not have in Sri Lanka. And also remember Tamils suffer MORE very time you spread ethnic hatred and clash with the majority.
If you are keen, go to following link and read what Mr.Sebestian Rasalingam, a Canadian Tamil, has to say about his experience.!
http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=52189
*** After all the welfare of Tamils was never on the sinhalese agenda. They are Tamils and they must die. That is the goal of GOSL. ***
More CROCODILE TEARS from Mayavi and the Chorus of the Usual BARKERS from the Diaspora. Having NO PROOF of deliberate Injustices towards Tamils she just makes noise ... if anything to keep condemning Sri Lanka ..that is the "Grudge" held by the Tamil Diaspora.
NONE OF YOU MADE ANY NOISE AGAINST THE LTTE WHEN THEY PUT 'YOUR' PEOPLE INTO THIS SITUATION. You were Cheering for the LTTE.
Now that the LTTE are gone the Only thing you can make noise about is the condition of the camps. Sorry but we're able to put up everybody at the Colombo Hilton till thier Villages are Rebuilt. So take a Chill Pill and settle down, you have Complicity in this Situation, it is people like you who put these people in this predicament, so start with accepting the Truth and Blame YOURSELVES first before going around blaming the Sinhalese or the Sri Lankan government.
Obviously, Sunila Abeysekara's humanitarian concerns were rightly acknowledged and honoured by the United Nations along with no less a person than the former Democratic President of the USA now a tireless peace envoy and a humanitarian worker himself. But, Ms Abeysekara's concern's for Tamils is not going to go down well with the extreme Sinhala elements. She is bound to come under more than a spot of bother. I hope she would take good care of herself against any inimical forces as her good-heartedness is not only needed by the Tamils, but also by Sinhalese and Muslims as well.
Right now, there is an urgent need to resettle the IDPs before this August and provide assistance to cultive the September season. Then there is the need to resettle the internees of those illegal Concentration Camps.
But, the government seems hell-bent keeping Tamils away from helping fellow Tamils in distress. There is certainly an attempt to utilise Sinhala generosity to advance Sinhala colonisation of Tamil areas.