Just two years ago the 26-year civil war in Sri Lanka between the Sinhalese ruling elite and the Tamil minority came to a catastrophic end. Up to 40,000 Tamils had been massacred in the five months before 18 May 2009 and some 300,000-plus were in the process of being imprisoned behind barbed wire in mass camps.
Since then, allegations of disappearances, sexual abuse, torture and extrajudicial killings at the hands of Sri Lankan Government officials following the war have been rife.
The 2009 war is often referred to as the war without witness. The Sri Lankan Government administered a complete media blackout for the entire last five months of the war. Aid organisations were forced out in late 2008. The blackout has continued in the camps ever since. It was only because of the courage of some British journalists that evidence of atrocities was initially brought to light.
The response by Australian Government leaders to the war in Sri Lanka, when compared with those of the United States of America, the United Kingdom and some European leaders, has been shamefully minimal. As Sri Lanka is a country in our region we should have taken a leadership role.
Since entering New South Wales Parliament I have spent significant time with the Sydney Tamil community. I have often heard of the complete sense of betrayal by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd the community felt. They were shocked that even after the war, with their family and friends imprisoned like livestock, the Australian Government has been more worried about a tiny minority of Tamils who came to Australia on a boat than the conditions faced by hundreds of thousands in camps that drove so many Tamils to such desperate measures.
Shamefully, this silence continues.
A few weeks ago the United Nations released the report of the Secretary-General’s panel of experts on the final stages of the armed conflict. The report states:
The panel found credible allegations which, if proven, indicate that a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law were committed both by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, some of which would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It also states:
The Government shelled on a large scale in three consecutive no-fire zones, where it had encouraged the civilian population to concentrate, even after indicating that it would cease the use of heavy weapons … most civilian casualties in the final phases of the war were caused by Government shelling.
Finally, the report noted:
The conduct of the war represented a grave assault on the entire regime of international law designed to protect individual dignity during both war and peace.
As the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, stated:
… I hope the disturbing new information contained in this report will shock the conscience of the international community into finally taking serious action. As the report itself says, addressing violations of international humanitarian or human rights law is not a matter of choice or policy; it is a duty under domestic and international law.
Despite that, Australia has remained silent.
In March the United States Senate passed a resolution calling upon Colombo, the international community and the United Nations to set up an international mechanism to inquire into war crimes allegations. It also called on President Obama to formulate a Sri Lanka policy that would reflect Washington’s views on human rights and democracy besides economic and security interests.
Even the British Prime Minister, David Cameron, has called for an independent investigation into war crimes in Sri Lanka. He stated:
We need to see an independent investigation. Everyone has read the papers and seen the TV footage, but we need an independent investigation to work out whether [this] is right.
It is astounding that the Australian Government continues its silence on Sri Lanka and the war. Is it our bilateral trading relationship with the island nation, or upsetting the power struggle between China and India in the Indian Ocean that has led to this?
In another disturbing development, Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe recently was approved by the Australian Government to become the next Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Canberra. Admiral Samarasinghe was chief of staff of the Sri Lankan Navy when in 2009 it shelled Tamil soldiers and civilians who were trapped in what had been declared a safe zone. The navy then blocked attempts by the International Committee of the Red Cross to evacuate injured men, women and children from the safe zone.
Yet the Australian Government has accepted that man’s credentials as a diplomat.
As retired diplomat and political commentator Bruce Haigh recently wrote in the Drum,
it is a crying shame that the Australian Government has refused to stand up for international human rights and has settled for low standards by accepting Admiral Samarasinghe’s credentials.
The Australian Tamil Congress stated:
… it is now time for Australia to step away from the soft diplomacy it practices with Sri Lanka and openly call for an international independent inquiry into war crimes that were committed in the island, with trade sanctions and travel bans for Government officials being imposed if Sri Lanka fails to follow.
Last week on 18 May I stood in Martin Place with more than a thousand people to remember the tens of thousands of Tamil civilians who have been killed for simply voicing their wish to live freely, with respect and dignity.
A generation of Tamils have been killed, brutalised and marginalised right under the gaze of the world, including Australia, and those who have been left behind are subject to a brutal military rule.
I also remember the thousands of men, women and children who lost their lives in that civil war.
I hope that soon the survivors are respected and remembered by the Australian Government as it belatedly raises its voice for justice for the Tamil people.
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Thank you David for this courageous speech the likes of which has not been heard in the Australian politics for a long time.
Be prepared to face the tirade of the paid writers of the lankan govt.
Thank you, Daid Shoebridge.
What has been happening in the last two years is as bad as what has been happening in the previous 61 years since ”independence’:
http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=33996
26 May 2011, a group of thugs brought from the South by the SL Military Intelligence dragged a reputed catholic priest in Jaffna Rev. Fr. Maria Xavier out of his institution and intimidated him to put his signature(on the petition against the UN report).
THE DUAL REALITY OF THE PRESENT TIME, National Peace Council, 11 April 2011:
‘’…, when the delegation met with their religious counterparts in Jaffna, they were able to hear a frank and critical expression of views. Specific issues raised included the militarization of governance in the north.
The following night some men had gone to the residence of one of the outspoken clergymen, called him out and flung cow dung and other excreta at him. They had also thrown chillie powder at the face of one of his assistants and assaulted him when he had gone to find out what was happening. The assailants had dropped a mobile telephone with phone numbers on it that would assist in finding out their identity. Although this valuable piece of evidence had been given to the police, no action appears to have been taken so far. The message that freedom of expression has its limits in the north was very clearly made. …’’
Restrictions on Foreign Journalists
http://english.aljazeera.net/programmes/peopleandpower/2011/04/2011420114515626866.html
Al Jazeera, “Sri Lanka: War Crimes,” April 20, 2011:
”The army followed the journalist everywhere and prevented her from interviewing a Tamil MP and when the journalist rang up the commander to complain about it she was told that the interview wasn’t pre-arranged.The Tamil MP received a grenade/shooting attack(7 March 2011) within a week.
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/05/15/foreigners-barred-from-travelling-north/
Foreigners Barred From Travelling North, Janith Aranze, 15 May 2011:
‘’… I was informed that foreign passport holders cannot go beyond the Omanthai checkpoint without Ministry of Defence clearance….. Speaking to a journalist who has gone through the process and gained access to areas such as Mannar and Kilinochchi, he said that it is indeed a painstaking task. …. Doherty explained that the whole process took him several weeks to finalise. …. “I had to write a letter pre-warning them of what I wanted to do,.. When I eventually travelled up there, I was always accompanied by a high ranking officer.’’ ….. “We went by car, hoping to go up to Jaffna, but they said we couldn’t enter as we had foreign passports, I’ve heard it’s different by plane, so we might try that avenue,” the tourist said. …. “Civilians who wish to use SLAF aircraft are to write/fax a detailed description of the journey with the identity card numbers of the passengers who wish to travel, to the Secretary of Defence prior to seven days of the intended date of travel,” the website says. ….. ‘’
http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/srilanka/Two-years-later-some-new-enemies-few-old-ones/Article1-698625.aspx
Two years later, some new enemies, few old ones, Sutirtho Patranobis, 17 May 2011:
I know of at least four foreign reporters, including myself, waiting for the nod. What is the government hiding in the north? The Lankan war was known as a `war without witnesses’. Why is it that several areas in Mullaitivu, where the last battle took place, are yet to be released for mine clearance?
High Militarisation of the North
National Peace Council, 9 May 2011: ‘’…The military presence in the Northern Province continues to be very high. They complained that virtually every decision relating to community life needed to be taken after permission was sought and obtained from the military.
http://www.lakbimanews.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1456:wannis-post-war-leap&catid=35:news-features&Itemid=37
Wanni’s post-war LEAP: TWO YEARS AFTER THE WAR, Ranga Jayasuriya, 15 May 2011: ‘’Military camps have dotted the region and soldiers are manning check points at every nook and corner. Militarization of the Wanni is in full tilt.”
D.
Dilemma of released surrendees
http://www.sangam.org/2011/05/Harassment_Detainees.php?uid=4349&print=true
Threats, Harassments and Restrictions on Former Detainees and their Families in Vanni, Rev. Fr. Jeyabalan Croos, Deanne Uyangoda, Ruki Fernando, 12 May 2011:
All ex-detainees stated that the CID and Army visited their homes at least once a week or once every fortnight and checked on their whereabouts and details… The ex-detainees consider these regular checks to be a form of harassment which prevents them from moving out of the village in search of work and also perpetuates the stigma and label of being ex-combatants or terrorists. (Based on interviews conducted in the first week of April 2011.)
Tamil community desrves justice and as we did today to those who did for Sereberenica massacre of 8000.
Sri Lanka should face economic sanctions should it continues to reject UN recommendations.
http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/05/23/srilanka-military-students-idINL3E7GN0AF20110523
Sri Lanka begins military-led training for university entrants, 23 May 2011:
Sri Lanka on Monday began compulsory military-led training for thousands of university entrants, despite protests by opposition-backed student unions that called it the government’s latest move to militarise the country.
(this is very probably to control the university graduates from voicing their opposition to human rights violations of the government)
Yes it is very sad, that Australian Govt had been silent so far on Sri Lankan atrocities. Any other incident of a single killing there are many Parliamentarians up in arms. WHY?
Even when the Red Cross and other NGOs were refused entry to killing areas the Govt kept silent, including when the 17 NGOs were murdered.
If only they had raised their arms at early stages of the political problems it may have been different.
The worst problem now is the many thousands of innocent children most of whom are orphans or with only one parent living, but with no food or water.
I suppose they look for votes and they look at the numbers that can vote – this seems to be more important than civilians’ death!
This is bad for a country that cries about HUMAN RIGHTS.
A very brave and honest speech, very Australian brave to speak the truth, Unlike JG KR who tries to hide behind something but are liberal with the words such as “Australian / Un Australian human rights and democrazy”. The wider Australian community is capable of knowing the reasons for their silence and inaction. If you cant speak out and speak up you have no right to speak about human rights democracy or Australian values etc. these are mere slogans to fool the people.
What has happened in US and UK about the UN report has been objectively highlighted hereto by this speech. The Sydney Tamil community is grateful to Brami, in particular, for her positive efforts. Inspite of the cold and my advanced age,
I take pride that I was able to pay my rerspects to the sacred lives lost in Mullival and Nanthikadal.Tamil conciousness has be tuned a little more.
Thanks for all the comments on this and the additional information. The Tamil community here has been united on this issue and I am hopeful we can get some movement from the Australian government in the not too distant future. There are troubling rumours of an Australian delegation attending a “how to” demonstration on breaking separatists movements put on by the Sri Lankan government. It looks like a course on human rights abuse that we need to ensure the government does NOT attend.
hi david im sinhalese and i have nothing against tamils as do many sinhalese in colombo. please i beg of you to go to sri lanka before you make any judgements. if you go to colombo you will alot of tamils living along with sinhalese . my best firends are tamils i have gone to there houses , had meals with them , played with them, my best teachers were tamils and i loved to learn from them. how then can you portray all sinhalese as racist.
also i suppose the child soldiers that the ltte had forced to fight in battle are fine by everyone. it seems to me that no one knows that even sinhalese people have lost their families too due to the bus bombings that happened every week without fail in colombo. as for the reports on war crimes by sri lanka , yes i am disgusted by by what happened there but let me tell you even the ltte committed such war crimes . for people in colombo the war was not sinhalese against tamils it was inhalese and tamils against ltte. i once met a man on my way to canada who was a tamil . he said he was running away because the ltte had forced him to join them to join in battle. he was limping and seems to have been shot in the leg . he said he was running away. please try and jusify this from your perspective.