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Like Slaves In Jaffna

March 12, 2007 at 11:46 am · Categories: Human Rights, Human Security, Jaffna, Peace and Conflict | by Kish

I feel like security forces treat us like slaves, one Jaffna journalist said. Some roads are banned in Jaffna for public transport, only people living in that area can use that road. Last week a journalist went through one of the roads which is banned for public usage. The troops said you canât go this way. The journalist replied that he wanted to go to that garage and pointed to a garage 50 meters away from the junction. âMr, who are the rulers are we or you,â the soldiers replied angrily. The Journalist went back home.

Next day the same journalist was on temple road and met his friend who is attached to the UN. The friend stopped his vehicle, while the journalist also parked his bike and started chatting with his friend. An Army man came and asked whoâs bike is this. The journalist replied that it was his. The soldier told the journalist to take the bike. The journalist said they were talking. The soldier scolded him angrily âgo and talk in your home donât talk on the road.â
Security forces have banned vehicle parking in the town area after claymore attacks made using motorbikes and bicycles.

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JustMal said,

March 13, 2007 @ 7:59 am

Not that different from how the Americans would treat Iraqis or Afghans, is it? This is a war zone and the military has every right (granted by the state of emergency and PTA) to remove suspicious people as they see fit. At least they were courteous enough to address this suspect as Mister. Not very slave-like, is it? Any of these people idling by the road could be a terrorist and any unattended vehicle could be a claymore bomb. These security measures are essential to protect the lives and property of ordinary people.

David Blacker said,

March 13, 2007 @ 7:40 pm

Well, even in Colombo, there are roads closed off to the public, and we can’t park on most roads. So what’s the big deal that you can’t do it in Jaffna?

The Ardvaark goes to war said,

March 13, 2007 @ 11:21 pm

“Any of these people idling by the road could be a terrorist and any unattended vehicle could be a claymore bomb.”

There is a memorable passage in James Blinnâs Gulf War novel The Ardvaark goes to war. In it the hero is asked what makes him feel anxious. His answer offers a telling commentary on the risk communities we now inhabit:

What am I afraid of? Iâm afraid of everything. You think war scares me? Is that what you think? Well, it does, it scares the shit out of me. And so does that airplane. That airplane scares me. And so does nuclear winter and fallout from Chernobyl mutating Finnish reindeer. And toxic fibers in my uniform. And legionnairesâ Disease, that scares me. And killer Bees. And drive-by shootings. And poisoned Tylenol. And crude nuclear devices. And strip mining and the vanishing rain forests and AIDSâ¦and Japanese investors and rising interest rates and falling interest rates and people with accents and Third World population growthâ¦Iâm afraid of my ignorance. Iâm afraid of things I canât see, things I donât even have words forâ¦But the main thing that frightens me is fear.

The Germans have a phrase for it: Angst vor der Angst (anxiety for the sake of anxiety).

JustBon said,

March 13, 2007 @ 11:34 pm

The challenge, and a significant one at that, is the fact that the military isn’t at all geared for the new cultural revolution in military affairs that requires it to engage with local populations in a manner that helps secure and strengthen security, help (reliable) intel gathering and wins over the hearts and minds of the population it seeks to liberate from the clutches of the terrorists.

No easy answer to this. With the LTTE all over the place in the N/E, the Army is right to be suspicious of any activity that they feel to be, through bitter experience, a threat.

But I guess for an ordinary Tamil, caught in the grip of the LTTE and Karuna, this kind of insensitivity is a really bad blow - aren’t liberators supposed to behave better than their enemies? Seems like the Army needs to incorporate PR into their training.

JustMal said,

March 15, 2007 @ 5:18 am

If the Tamils don’t want to go through this, they need to stop supporting terrorism. Our military’s primary concern is Jaffna is protecting the lives and assets of the military itself, and being sensitive to potential terrorists isn’t a big priority. Our army’s doing exactly what any other army would do any in any other country in similar circumstances. We’re no more liberators than what Americans are to Iraq.

Des said,

March 15, 2007 @ 10:22 am

Justmal while you can speak for yourself, I don’t think you can speak for all Sinhalese. I for one expect a lot more from the military and expect them to treat all people well, irrespective of whether they are Sinhalese, Tamil or Muslim.

By no means will I ever accept a military that is carrying out the slightest human rights violation in the name of fighting terrorism and in the name of Sri Lanka’s citizens to whom the military is accountable to.

JustMal said,

March 15, 2007 @ 4:21 pm

“By no means will I ever accept a military that is carrying out the slightest human rights violation”

No army has ever fought any war - anywhere in the world - in the history of mankind, without carrying out at least the slightest human rights violation. This is a reality that any sane pragmatic person in the real world would accept.

The army is not treating anyone badly just because they feel like it. The reality is that suicide bombers and terrorists hide among ordinary people, and this being a war zone, it’s acceptable for the soldiers to order suspicious gatherings of people to disperse. They’ve used claymores hidden in trishaws and bicycles numerous times to kill people in the past, so it’s natural for soldiers to inquire about suspicious unattended vehicles. From what I hear, it’s the same in Colombo, not just in Jaffna.

As I’ve told Indi, the army is not fighting the war to satisfy people like you and your noble concerns. They are fighting to win the war, and they will do what it takes to achieve their goals. They are not doing anything that armies of other countries don’t do in similar circumstances. They may not be perfect, but the army is the lesser evil. If they don’t do exactly what they are doing right now, they will lose the war and I’d choose them over the LTTE any day. Clearly the Tamils in the East agree, because otherwise they would not be trekking through the jungles to seek refuge in cleared areas instead of going back deep into LTTE territory. How could you possibly shed tears for these people when they’ve unanimously chosen the oh so evil army over the sole representatives.

Sunimal Alles said,

September 19, 2007 @ 1:57 am

I know this first hand as I was beaten up for NO REASON by police officers when buying bread from a Sinhalese bakery, while on holiday in Jaffna, during the week of April 25, 1975. Though I complained to higher-ranking officers in Colombo, I was dismissed as a youth who was STUPID and had no right to question the âpolicies and proceduresâ of the national police force. Later someone (3rd hand information) told me that most of the policemen in Jaffna were beating people up, as they were those that were on âPunishmentâ and unhappy of having to serve in Jaffna. So I ASSUME that anyone they saw who was happy was a threat to their peace of mind, as they were jealous. This situation aggravated and today we have wars where many are displaced and children in the ranks of fighting forces. (Sri Lanka, Cote dâIvoire and DR Congo) for reasons other than freedom, peace and economic development. What do you think readers, should I take the matter of my being beaten up in 1975 with the highest authority in the land and make a fuss, so that here will never be any beatings anymore? Do you think I will be compensated or will I be wasting my time? You can send me an email with the advice to: sunimal_alles@yahoo.com

Des said,

September 19, 2007 @ 1:11 pm

What exactly happened Sunimal?

Sunimal Alles said,

September 20, 2007 @ 7:41 pm

Des,

I was in Jaffna in 1975 and was buying bread when two policemen on the other side of the street called me to their side and asked me where I was walking. I replied that I came to buy bread and was returning to where I was staying. They did not want to know all that, but started hitting me. I asked them for what reason I was being beaten.They were mad that I could even ask them that. What ever I said was of no use, as they seemed annoyed that I could keep my head up and question them. I was later taken to the police station but released without any charges. I did not speak anymore as I was scared that I would get into more trouble. Then I left as I did not know what to do. In Colombo, I was not listened to, maybe because I was only 25 and not taken seriously. So that is why I say that I know all to the comment “Like slaves in Jaffna”

Des said,

September 21, 2007 @ 5:42 pm

Thanks Sunimal, its interesting that that was an experience you had back in 1975 even though some people think ethnic tension started after 1983.

suntzu said,

September 24, 2007 @ 1:42 pm

Ethnic tension started in 1948 when the British left Ceylon!

1. All any human being wants, is to be able to speak his/her own language (be it Sinhala, Tamil or English)
2. And to follow his/her own religeon and live according to his/her cultural values.

NOBODY wants a majority or a minority to impose their language, religeon and cultural values on them, like it was done to the minorities after independence!

I hope that people like JustMal will one day be reborn as a minority into country that is governed by a majority ethnic group that imposes its language, religeon and cultural values on the minorities! Probably then he/she will understand what it means be a minority!

nandasena said,

September 25, 2007 @ 4:51 am

The people in the east who lare iving in the LTTE held territory had no alternative except to come to the govt. held territory because of the heavy shelling and aerial bombardment by the government. They did not come to the govt. held territory for the love of the govt. In addition they are deprived of their livelihood, their ancestral homes. They are being denied the basic neccessities like food and medicine, the liberty to go anywhere they want. If this is not slavery, what is it? Anyone who thinks that the people will love the government which is bombing its own citizens must be living in his/her own fantasy world!! Their heads need to be examined!!

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