Sri Lanka marks the end of the civil war, while Tamils are still waiting for justice
For the first time, Sri Lankans were able to pay homage to the memory of the fallen and the missing in an atmosphere of relative peace and security. Rallies were held in the north and in the capital to remember the end of the war in May 2009 between the Tamil Tigers and the military. Tens of thousands of civilians paid the ultimate price. “Reconciliation without justice,” said Sister Deepa Fernando, “is an empty gesture.”
Colombo (AsiaNews) – For the first time since the end of Sri Lanka’s brutal civil war, which pitted the country’s military against the Tamil Tigers, ordinary people were able to pay homage in an atmosphere of peace and security to the tens of thousands of civilians who died or went missing during the thirty-year conflict.
Commemorations were held last Sunday, 18 May, while the following day the government celebrated "War Heroes" in the capital, in a solemn ceremony attended by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
Thousands of Tamils gathered in Mullivaikkal, in the northern district of Mullaithivu, on the sixteenth anniversary of the end of the conflict. Unlike previous years, the event unfolded without any particular interference from the security forces.
People took advantage of the renewed climate of freedom to light special lamps, pray and mourn their dead and missing loved ones.
Hundreds, many dressed in black, crowded the war memorial to mark the 16th anniversary of the last battle. A camphor lamp and an oil lamp were placed on an iron bar specially placed on the ground, while the organising committee placed a coconut plant in memory of the dead.
Similar commemorations were held at the Northern University, in Mannar, Eastern Batticaloa and Ampara.
Chandramadhi Ragunadan, who came from Wattapola (Mulliyawali), shared her grief with AsiaNews. She lost eight family members, including her father, mother and three younger brothers during the last two days of the war in May 2009. “Except for three, we have found the bodies of the others,” she said.
Another mother, Karunei Malar from Jaffna, came to remember her relatives who disappeared during the war. “There are many daughters and sons in our big family missing or have died."
Sister Deepa Fernando, of the Movement of Christian Women's Voice (MoCWV), said that this year she was deeply affected by the presence of war victims during the commemoration in Mullivaikkal.
“May 18th is not just a date in the calendar – it was a day of deep significance for the Tamil community,” she explained. “What struck me most during this year's remembrance was the undeniable truth that time has not healed the wounds for those who directly experienced the war.”
For the Sister, “Their grief remains raw because justice has not been served. People cannot be expected to forget when the pain they carry is tied to the silence and inaction of the state.”
In fact, “Forgiveness is not about forgetting – it is about having the dignity of truth and justice acknowledged,” she noted. “Reconciliation without justice is not reconciliation – it is an empty gesture.”
On Monday, President Anura Kumara Disanayake attended the 16th War Heroes commemoration at the Battaramulla Memorial in Colombo, where he spoke of unity, peace and reconciliation, noting that remembrance must lead to the promise of no more conflicts in the country.
He described the memorial as “a symbol of love, unity, and brotherhood" and that it is only right to "pay tribute to fallen soldiers and honour the pain of all families, Sinhala and Tamil alike” and finally stop “using ethnic divisions for political gain.”
The Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice notes that “in early 2009, over 300,000 Tamil civilians were trapped between retreating Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) forces and advancing Sri Lankan troops.
“Sheltering in designated ‘No Fire Zones’, civilians endured relentless shelling, starvation, and deprivation by the armed forces. Hospitals and humanitarian facilities were bombarded, while civilians were used as human shields, with firing on those attempting to flee. After the defeat of the LTTE, government forces executed or forcibly disappeared LTTE fighters and suspected civilian supporters.”
The UN Secretary-General's Panel of Experts has ascertained that up to 40,000 civilians were killed in the last few months of the war, although subsequent investigations and witness testimonies by survivors suggest that the figure could be much higher, up to 70,000.
Families were separated in chaos and many of those who surrendered went missing, their bodies never to be recovered.
It is important to note that the Sri Lankan government has not publicly recognised 18 May, Mullivaikkal Day, as a date of commemoration for Tamil civilians.
As the Sri Lankan Campaign for Peace and Justice points out, despite opportunities for change, President Dissanayake has not committed to protecting and acknowledging the commemoration as a moment of unity and a time to heal open wounds.
Thamil Elaivan, a young Tamil from Puthukudiirippu in Mullaithivu, said that because of the war “a large number of people are still suffering. Our province is still backward. Many things have not developed. When we go to Colombo, we understand the difference. There are many educational facilities, educational opportunities in Colombo. It is the same in other things. We are still at a very low level.”
Sixteen years after the war, he stresses, "we still feel that we are backward" and "the current government is still racist. If we continue this way, we will not be able to unite and build the country" and, in the end, "there is no justice for us".
Finally, despite a situation of relative peace and harmony, tensions still flare up from time to time, like on the morning of 18 May in Wellawatta, a district of the capital.
A group of extremists tried to disrupt a ceremony to commemorate the Mullivaikkal massacre and remember the death of Tamil civilians during the last phase of the war. Police eventually intervened and dispersed the troublemakers.
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24/07/2023 18:02
