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Human rights riddle - the carnage in the Northeast

• land confiscated by the military from the civilians, making the civilians long term refugees. There are 300,000 refugees created by the militarized zones.
• child recruitment by the LTTE and
• blocking reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in the Northeast.

Of these the one most hotly discussed in the international forum is the child recruitment issue. Three hundred thousand refugees forced out of their homes by the militarization of their civilian space was NOT deemed an issue worth discussing as hotly as the child recruitment. Blocking reconstruction and rehabilitation, the crowning of which was the abandoning of the Joint Mechanism for tsunami reconstruction, was also not discussed as earnestly as the child recruitment issue.

Few years down the track, what were the effects of these debates and discussions in the international forums? The Child Protection Authority of the LTTE peace secretariat released a report ( LTTE Child Protection Authority report) describing the context and the efforts taken by the LTTE regarding the protection of children at risk of which the child recruitment is just one aspect. The report shows with facts and figures the efforts made and improvements achieved.

Compare this with the issue of militarization of civilian space that was deemed not worthy of persistent discussion in the international forums. This excessive militarization of the civilian space has today evolved into the present situation of carnage where nearly 1000 civilians have been killed by the Sri Lankan military and armed forces supported by it. Arrested people are disappearing into black hole in large numbers or are surfacing as bodies. That the degree of militarization of civilian space which existed at the early stages of the ceasefire period will most certainly evolve into the present situation was and is easy to predict. Yet, this was not deemed worthy of earnest discussions in international forums.

Even as the carnage grew in the Northeast and picked up its deadly pace after President Rajapakse’s election, the international discussion of this carnage remained muted.

A large contingent of reporters was recently taken to Jaffna by the Sri Lankan military. Were these reporters able to report on the carnage going on? The reports that were filed by these reporters betray the real nature of the situation for the obvious reason. The military is not going to stand by while the families come and tell the reporters what has happened to them or why they gather in large numbers at night for protection.

Just think about the fate of the lone Muslim survivor of the massacre in Amparai on 18 September? It is easy to extrapolate and understand what the military is capable of to block people speaking out.

24 September 2006

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