Advocacy from Afar – Towards Human Rights for Victims of Sri Lanka’s Civil War
ASIA--PACIFIC, 9 Aug 2010
Nirmanusan Balasundaram – TRANSCEND Media Service
In 2009, the global media turned its attention to the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). At the time, many questions were raised on the treatment of the Tamil civilians trapped in the conflict.
“About 300,000 civilians, plus the Tamil Tiger forces were trapped in an area of territory about the size of Central Park in New York…They were within range of all the armaments that were being used, small and large, being used to smash the Tamil Tiger lines… Between 10,000 and 40,000 civilians died during the final desperate battles”
– Former UN spokesperson in Sri Lanka, Gordon Weiss
The conflict ended abruptly, with a humanitarian catastrophe that has led to close international scrutiny, including special sessions at the UN Human Rights Council and UN Security Council.
Many International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human rights Watch are calling for an international independent investigation. The international community is putting pressure on the government for the national reconciliation, constitutional reform and independent investigation on alleged war crimes and violation of international humanitarian and human rights laws. This attention as to the human rights of civilians trapped in the conflict has not always been as strong. The conflict dates back to1972 when the Tamils, who strongly believed in political participation, democracy and good governance, appealed for independence.
Since then, many Tamil civilians have been subject to massive human rights abuses. However, many of these are kept hidden due to both press freedom and individual freedom of expression by victims being denied by the government. There are many untold stories among war affected Tamil people. Their voices were and are oppressed, and they are living under constant fear of expressing their stories, fears or desires. Since the last phase of the war finished, there has been the arresting or killing of many potential witnesses of war crimes and other violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
As a result of the war, more than three hundred thousand people have been internally displaced and are living in different parts of Sri Lanka including 80, 500 people who were forced to displace after the last phase of war and are still in the military run internment camps. The Tamil refugees who have escaped to outside of Sri Lanka approximate one million people. They are known as the Tamil Diaspora.
Considering that such a vast number of Tamil civilians are now refugees and many are split from their family members and communities how is it that they can organise to advocate and speak out for their human rights? While many local and international journalists are being blocked from the experiences of Tamil civilians, this has not stopped the Tamil Diaspora from trying to tell their stories.
The Tamil Diaspora is still very influential on Tamils in Sri Lanka socio, politics, economic and cultural aspects. Majority of the Diaspora have at least one family member in Sri Lanka. Most of them are in regular contact and sending money in order to take care of the wellbeing of their kith and kin. Tamil Diaspora has often funded Tamil political parties, sports clubs, temples, libraries, etc. Indeed, during Tsunami period in Sri Lanka, the third generation of Tamil Diaspora went to Tamil dominant Northeast area and directly supported the affected people through medical care, food, clothing supply, consultations on administration mechanisms and building up information technology for Tamils on the ground.
However, working for human rights for Tamil civilians is a very high-risk activity. As an exiled journalist myself, I am one of at least thirty-two journalists who have had to leave Sri Lanka with their lives at risk, due to their truth-telling journalism. Majority of these are Tamil. As a refugee from Sri Lanka, I am lucky to still have some contact with my former colleagues, friends and relatives. My work as Northern regional coordinator for election observation, project worker for peace building and conflict resolution and human rights defender has seen me lose at-least thirty-three of my relatives, friends and colleagues. Most of them worked for peace, justice and democracy in Sri Lanka.
Given these circumstances, it can not be left to the locals to fight for justice and reconciliation alone. There is a great need for the international community to respond to the human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.
As Australians, there is a number of way we can respond to this, and other human rights abuses that are occurring abroad. Here are some suggestions.
1. Be critical of what you read in the Australian media and be willing to find out more. Reading a variety papers from the country in question is a great way to get a more detailed view and range of perspectives through the eyes of locals.
Some recommendations for this issue:
a. http://www.tamilnet.com/
b. http://www.srilankaguardian.org/
c. http://www.srilankacampaign.org/home.htm
d. http://www.srilankatoday.com/
e. http://www.groundviews.org/
f. http://www.jdsrilanka.blogspot.com/
2. Learn about programs that support local peacemakers and human rights workers’ efforts. Research online who is working for peace and justice in the region. Donate to groups who work for reconciliation in the area. Set up a fundraiser for groups working in the region or collect money to donate at your work/church/uni/school/club, etc.
Here are just a few examples:
a. TEAR Australia – http://tear.org.au
b. Sans Medical Frontiers – http://www.msf.org.au
c. Nonviolent Peaceforce – http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/
d. Handicap International – http://www.handicap-international.org.uk/
e. Oxfam Australia – http://oxfam.org.au
3. Try and stay focused on the need for human rights for all people, rather than getting distracted with complex politics from afar. However, keep in mind that sometimes political and structural change is necessary to achieve human rights.
4. Start dialogues. Keep issues of injustice in your regular discourse with friends, family, colleagues. Lovingly encourage those around you think about and act on such issues.
5. Reflect on your own privilege. As you notice injustices around the world, give thanks for your own human rights and freedoms. Try to use them to aid others who are less fortunate. Use your choices to ensure your lifestyle does not negatively effect or perpetuate injustices for those already experiencing suffering.
6. Be informed on what the Australian Government is/isn’t doing in response to issues of human rights abuses abroad. Write to your local, state and federal government representatives with support for their responses, or with recommendations on how they could respond more effectively. If you want to go further, write also to the UN Human Rights Council, UN Security Council, The European Union – Human Rights Affairs, as well as international and Australian human rights groups.
7. Help to ensure just and ethical treatment for all refugees escaping conflict and war. Learn about how Australia is treating its refugees and write to Chris Evans, the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship to offer support of to request better conditions and equal treatment for all refugees.
8. Join a local refugee support group, or sign up with an online refugee action group. It will help with material and moral support as well as building relationships with people who’re new and settling in Australia.
a. Rural Australians for Refugees – www.ruralaustraliansforrefugees.org.au/
b. http://www.ajustaustralia.com/home.php
c. Refugee Action Collective – http://www.rac-vic.org/
d. Buddies refugee support group – http://refugeebuddies.com/
e. Human rights council of Australia – http://hrca.org.au/
9. Write letters to newspapers/magazines, etc. Respond through editorials or write articles with new perspectives
The war affected Tamil people who have managed to physically survive the war don’t have much hope for tomorrow. Their future is uncertain. It is a responsibility and moral obligation of the peace making societies and the International community to advance their ability for nonviolent, democratic freedom of speech, and all basic human rights, through intervention, solidarity and partnership for justice. That justice, if achieved, can and will be a major step towards genuine reconciliation in Sri Lanka.
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Nirmanusan Balasundaram is a Freelance Journalist and International Human Rights Activist. He is also closely associated with INGO, NGO’s, and Civil Society movements in Sri Lanka as well as internationally. He is currently working as an independent consultant on peace building and conflict resolution. Nirmanusan comes from a long line of nonviolent activists, all committed to working for just peace, reconciliation and democracy in Sri Lanka. Throughout his life, he has been a strong advocate for a peaceful and just resolution to the protracted ethnopolitical conflict there. While sadly acknowledging the pain and loss to those on all sides of the conflict, he writes from his own personal perspective, of the injustices he has witnessed as part of the Tamil national minority, and explains what we, as Australians can do to help
This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 9 Aug 2010.
Anticopyright: Editorials and articles originated on TMS may be freely reprinted, disseminated, translated and used as background material, provided an acknowledgement and link to the source, TMS: Advocacy from Afar – Towards Human Rights for Victims of Sri Lanka’s Civil War, is included. Thank you.
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