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Sri Lanka: When the Whole World Isn't Watching
Written by: Joel Charny
Reuters and AlertNet are not responsible for the content of this article or for any external internet sites. The views expressed are the author's alone.
One of the harsh realities of the humanitarian field is that some crises capture public attention, while others do not. The patterns are rather rigid. Crises in Europe and the Middle East, especially Palestine, make headlines. Large-scale natural disasters, even in obscure places, attract interest due to the inherent human fascination with immense forces beyond our control. But crises due to “complex” political conflicts outside the zones of proven public engagement are doomed to obscurity, unless it rises to such a level that “genocide” (read “another Holocaust”) can be invoked.
The contrast between Gaza and Sri Lanka prompts these observations. In Gaza, despite restrictions on international humanitarian and media access imposed by the Israelis, the whole world was watching, counting the civilian casualties minute-by-minute, while the global debate swirled on the legitimacy of Israeli and Hamas conduct in the light of international humanitarian law. The conflict and the suffering that it engendered were daily front page news. Now, with at least a temporary halt in hostilities, assessments of the damage in Gaza will proceed and donors will pledge millions of dollars for the rebuilding process.
While Gaza was the world’s focus, a conflict that raises similar issues and challenges was proceeding in the Vanni region in the north of Sri Lanka. There, the Sri Lankan military is trying to deal the final death blow to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, the guerilla movement that has been fighting for an independent state for the country’s Tamil minority in the northern part of the island. As in Gaza, civilians are trapped. Approximately 250,000 people are caught in the conflict zone, people who have already been displaced numerous times and have suffered from the perpetual difficulty of sustaining humanitarian assistance as the 25-year civil war has dragged on.
As in Gaza, the conduct of both sides has been problematic from the perspective of international humanitarian law and human rights. The Tigers are preventing people, including the local staff of UN agencies and their families, from fleeing the conflict zone. The Sri Lankan army is using heavy weaponry to shell areas where civilians are present. An attempt by the Sri Lankan army to set up a safe zone outside its area of operations foundered in the past few days, with dozens of civilians killed amid mutual recriminations by the combatants. Fewer than 5,000 Tamil civilians have managed to escape the Vanni. They are being held in government-run fenced camps in districts bordering the conflict zone with their freedom of movement restricted, even though they are Sri Lankan citizens.
The Sri Lankan government insisted that international staff of humanitarian agencies leave the Vanni in September 2008, and the conflict has drastically reduced the scale of humanitarian operations. There are few independent witnesses of the consequences of the war and the needs of the civilian population. Those present are afraid to speak out for fear of retaliation by one of the parties. The lack of information makes it even more difficult for the world to focus on the conflict, exactly what the government and the Tigers want. They both prefer to act with impunity, while using the atrocities of the other side to score propaganda points within the narrow confines of the national press and the global Tamil solidarity network.
In short, 50% of the civilian population of the Vanni is displaced; humanitarian assistance is sporadic at best; 250,000 civilians are trapped in a conflict zone, and at least 100 have been killed since January 1st; international access is virtually nil. And while on January 26th the Secretary-General was finally moved to issue a statement pleading for respect for international humanitarian law, the world couldn’t be bothered. As of January 27th, not even Relief Web was listing Sri Lanka as an on-going crisis on its home page. The dying and wounded in Sri Lanka won’t have names or faces.
Bemoaning this neglect won’t change it. The blatant disparities in international attention are just part of “the cost of doing business” in the humanitarian field.
To Sri Lankans crying out for solidarity and assistance, there is little to say. The challenge of addressing their needs falls primarily to local organizations with the courage to defy the conflicting parties, while international organizations, with the exception of the International Committee of the Red Cross, are consigned to the sidelines.
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27 responses to “Sri Lanka: When the Whole World Isn't Watching”
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29 Jan 2009 02:28:24 GMT
I think that this is a balanced article which highlights the difficulties that civilians are undergoing during a war. But I would like to address few areas that need more clarification. The Medical Officer of Health in Mullativu has issued a statement saying that he never said more than 300 people were killed by army shelling. He is still in the uncleared area and in his clarification he mentioned that 8 people were killed due to shelling and he never could say from which direction the shells came. Which means it is not prudent to point the finger only towards army. Further he said around 300 patients were admitted for treatment due to wounds caused by shelling. He did not discriminate here between civilians and LTTE and there is no guarantee that all these patents were unarmed civilians. The second issue is displaced civilians in the detention centres without any freedom of movement. It is common sense that LTTE carders with sinister moves can disguise as civilians and until their identity is verified it is advisable to keep them in a camp. And there are no reports to say that they are tortured there except to say that they are being looked after well. As the author says it is high time to wake up and call for release of these innocent civilians from the LTTE grip. The international community must use everything possible to pressurize LTTE to release them without using them as a human shield and eagerly waiting for them to get killed by security forces. The escapees reported of public execution of fleeing civilians by LTTE and this should be prevented. The international community can take all measures possible to look after them once they come to the safe areas.
29 Jan 2009 02:28:53 GMT
Thank you for the Sri Lanka: When the Whole World Isn't Watching
My cousins family with 2 young children are caught up in the Vanni region. We had not been able to contact them for a few months (since the start of Kilinochchi offensive) My family is very very distressed... please continue to write and tell the truth about the major humanitarian crisis in the North and the ongoing violations/disapperances/29 Jan 2009 11:03:21 GMT
It's so true that the Tamil people are dying in Vanni, but as stated before the international community doesn't seem to be bothered about the war in Sri Lanka...I really pray that people will open their eyes and do something about it! We need a ceasefire, because it's just turning out to be a disaster.
29 Jan 2009 11:07:28 GMT
Prasad must be living in a dream world. The true face of the Sri Lankan (SL) government and its military is well known to all the Tamils living in North and East of Sri Lanka. Why can't the SL govt allow NGOs and independent journalist to enter the Vanni region, so called 'safe area' by the SL army. Recent shelling by the army is in 'safe area'. I am not sure why International community is not interested in knowing the truth, just blaming LTTE for everything.
29 Jan 2009 11:55:05 GMT
Prasad must be living in a dream world. The true face of the Sri Lankan (SL) government and its military is well known to all the Tamils living in North and East of Sri Lanka. Why can't the SL govt allow NGOs and independent journalist to enter the Vanni region, so called 'safe area' by the SL army. Recent shelling by the army is in 'safe area'. I am not sure why International community is not interested in knowing the truth, just blaming LTTE for everything.
29 Jan 2009 11:56:36 GMT
What happened to the "political process" that was being encouraged by the International Community in Sri Lanka for the past several years.?
Evicting civilians from their homeland and livelihoods and then not allowing them to return is long been the practice of Sri Lanka Governments. When discriminated Tamils asked for equality and self determination since 50 years ago, Sri Lanka uprooted Tamils and forced them away to foreign countries by organized programs. Now the war is unleashed on villagers for a generation, depriving their livelihoods. These people are not looking for 'handouts' from aid agencies; peace and dignity will not come in the war euphoria that is trumpeted by the Sri Lanka Government. Isn't there are better ways to protect the lives of civilians than asking them to move into refugee camps?29 Jan 2009 11:58:04 GMT
I thank the author for covering on the conflict in Sri Lanak. The conflict in Sri Lanka is century old. In 1948 after Sri Lanka it's independence from British government the conflict between Tamils and Sinhalese resumed.
With respect to present the Sri Lanka government is much to blamed as it's deliberately removing International NGO's and journalist from the conflict area in the name safety to hide it's genocidal war on Tamil minority. Even it's ready to kill the moderate Sinhalese journalist who wrote about the government on power's corruption. To know more about this indecent please read the article by Lasantha Wikramatunga just before his murder http://www.thesundayleader.lk/29 Jan 2009 11:59:03 GMT
What Joel Charny is pointing out is the similarities in the Israeli/Hamas situation in Gaza and the GoSL/LTTE in the Vanni but one situation gets attention and other does not. Thank you Joel for making the camparison.
The international community is not asking the Palestinians to leave Gaza and go into Israel. Why then does the IC want Tamils to leave Vanni and go into GoSL internment camps? Will the IC look after the Tamils once they come to the safe areas - more likely let them linger in the internment camps and the Open Prison as in the "liberated" East. Wherever did anyone read the author saying "it is high time to wake up and call for release of these innocent civilians from the LTTE grip". The comments sounds like coming from a GoSL mouthpiece.29 Jan 2009 11:59:24 GMT
To say only 9 were killed by indiscriminate shelling and bombing seems more than absurd! Aerial bombing of schools and safety areas agreed on is casuing very large killing and injuries. India is wanting this to happen!
Civilians released were prisoned and some raped and injured by the army. This is the reason most civilians do not want to leave the zone. Even a single infant injured or killed is so much highlightd in the West and in Gaza. How many infants have been killed in the safety zone. What medicines or ICRC facility is allowed to serve in this area? I can go on and on. Any reading of the articles by media can be seen - though very limited. If white vans and abductions are allowed to occur in the CITY OF COLOMBO, without any care, what can happen in the war zone is so obvious!29 Jan 2009 11:59:54 GMT
Globe and Mail had an article yesterday which was very well written. The author has pointed out that 'unknown to the outside world, there is a long line of people waiting to go to LTTE controlled areas!!'. This article could be useful in countering the propaganda of human shield by GOSL.
Please give us the link to this article. Thanks. It is the following one: http://www.theglobeandmail.29 Jan 2009 12:00:14 GMT
Yes, I agree with prasad about the balanced reporting. I too would like to clarify that the 5000 odd escapees from LTTE are kept in temporary living conditions while proper lodging is being built constantly and they are screened, as the LTTE, as in most other times will be disguising them as civilians to mingle into the crowd to carry out urban guerrilla attacks. Further, the government did not expect the LTTE to march the civilians with them, at gun point, to whereever they withdrew to. Since yesterday, LTTE has started firing from among the civilian who moved to a government declared safe zone, expecting the forces to retaliate causig civilian casualties, so that they can capitalize on it. But that did not happen. Instead of writing to 'awake the IC to this matter', in order to resolve the problem, the tamil diaspora if they are really keen on the safety of the fellow civilan tamils, and the media, including Reuters, should write! to encourage the IC to pressurize the LTTE to release the civilians without using them as a human shield.
29 Jan 2009 12:00:34 GMT
Dear Parasad, If Government of Sri Lank (GOSL) telling the truth, ���Why did they barred the journalist from conflict zone? ���Why did GSOL the barred all the NGO���s from conflict zone? ���Who is killing the journalists and denying the media freedom? ���Why GOSL refused to establish the UN Human Rights office in colombo?
This is all done by GOSL not by LTTE.29 Jan 2009 12:01:02 GMT
Thanks for the coverage. Daily around 50 civilians are killed by the army. http://www.tamilnet.com">http://www.tamilnet.com" target="_blank">http://www.tamilnet.com">www.tamilnet.com
29 Jan 2009 12:01:22 GMT
Thank you for your views.
My brother including his family with four children is still living in Vanni. I couldnt contact for two months. Last time he called me and said they were moving into another village due to the artillery barrage. It is obivious that Sri Lanka governement forces attacks with artillery shells towards rebel-held terrirtory where those innocent people looking for shelter. It is also well known that one person from each family living in Vanni has to work with LTTE better known as tamil tigers if you like or not. So Can LTTE attack its own people or its own family? Sri lanka governemnt forces kills its own citizens. Who can justify these kind of indiscriminate attacks over the civilians?29 Jan 2009 13:13:27 GMT
please have a look at these helpless people at
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=29 Jan 2009 16:06:28 GMT
Thank you Mr Joel Chaney for presenting a sixty year old internationally forgotten ethnic cleansing to light that has killed and uprooted millions of defenseless Srilankan Tamil civilians. Many Nations including USA India and UK are responsible for this mass sufferings and nobody is concern about the crack down on media disappearances and extra judicial killings that is taking place every day. Apart from the fighting and the IDPs which is happening for the last 25 years. When Tamil's peaceful protest were raised in 1956 in the legislature against the Srilankan govt ethnic cleansing,Tamil leaders where kicked out in front of armed forces. This lead to the Tamil youth to take up arms against the state. Many nations came to the help of Srilanka's govt branding the Tamil youth resistance as terrorist attack. Today supply of free Arms training and financial help by many nations has produced a big Sinhalese only ethnic armed forces with the highest human rights violences. Many nations are openly supporting this ethnic cleansing of Tamils and other minorities in Sri Lanka and even openly congratulating the success of this armed force. When there is an ethnic cleansing in Balkans or in Georgia many nations are raising voices against atrocities but for them this Srilankan sixty years old ethnic cleansing is an action against terrorist.
30 Jan 2009 02:45:07 GMT
The problem is that the LTTE uses guerilla warfare tactics, so how is anyone meant to distinguish them from civilians...
The part that upsets me the most is how the LTTE can directly and intentionally put civilians between them and the bullet, and then blame the party that's pulling the trigger... The terrorist group should let the civilians and UN workers leave the danger area. Think about it, it's only a danger area, cos the LTTE is there...30 Jan 2009 15:18:40 GMT
The writer is spot on. So what next. Cats and dogs have charities but hundreds of Tamil civilians dying due to lack of medicine food and shelter from bombardment raises only comments, opinions and arm-chair criticism of various parties to the conflict and no action.Why is the West pussyfooting on this issue and calling it an internal conflict. When the British invaded Ceylon in 1815 they did it with brutal force. And when they handed over the administration to the Sinhalese in 1948 they did it to save their skin in the face of neighbouring India's bloody struggle with scant regard for the minority Tamils. Today they are up to the same trick. When Tamils eventually wake up from the numbness they feel it will not be just the LTTE they have to contend with it. It will be many more insurgent groups that Jews agitation against Palestinians would seem like a tea-party. The West is testing our endurance.
02 Feb 2009 02:45:10 GMT
Thank you for presenting this article Mr. Charny
Since you are drawing parallels to the Gaza conflict and Sri Lankan conflict, I will do so as well. What the Sri Lankan goverment is exactly the same as Israel. Israel's mindset is that since the people of Gaza elected Hamas official into parliament they will suffer all the consequences of Hamas actions. Since the Tamil people are supporting the cause of LTTE (which is a seperate land for Tamils) they want everyone to suffer consequence of their actions. Whether every single Tamil person supports LTTE is an arguable questions but every single Tamil person of Sri Lanka wants a seperate land for Tamils. Todays South Asia section headlines on most newspapers reads "Sri Lankan Army to "free" civilians"!!!!!! Free them from whom?? from their own homes....their own businesses...their relatives....their neighbours!!! Atleast Israel is not asking all the Palestinians to get out Gaza and come into Israel so they can bomb the whole place!!!! It is hightime the Sri Lankan goverm!ent realize that Tamil people do not want to be part of a country run by extremists.09 Feb 2009 11:05:02 GMT
The world must declare why being quite on Sri lankan Conflict?
16 Feb 2009 15:19:13 GMT
Thank You for an unbiased viewpoint.
The international should help the people and bring about a humanitarian end for the conflict.17 Feb 2009 13:48:18 GMT
Thank you for your balanced article Mr. Charny. As everybody knows now it is the LTTE that holds back innocent civilians as a shield. LTTE knows well that they cannot fight with the superior SL Army. So LTTE has resorted to a cowardly act of hiding behind innocent civilians. Although LTTE may have started their armed struggle with noble intentions with the inflow of billions of Rupees from the Tamil diaspora had changed all those noble intentions. With related to the article, I would like to mention two reason for holding civilians in the safe Zones. One is that the LTTE while retreating had sowed millions of Anti Personal Mines to slow down the forward march of SL Army. These mines still remain uncleared in the areas where civilian settlements were, before SL Army captured those. Until the mines are cleard the SL government may not allow civilians to return to their original villages. The second reason is that while retreating the LTTE had removed all the furniture, roofs, doors and windows of all the buildings in those ! towns and villages to prevent the SL Army using them. So there are no proper shelters for the displaced civilians. Unfortunately those who are now enjoying a luxury life in countries such as Australia, UK, US, Canada, France etc were not aware of these facts.
22 Feb 2009 18:20:31 GMT
Tisrt stop the Genocide and We the Tamils cannot divide into Tamil civilians and Tamils Tigers.Srilanka says terrist and killng Tamils. Also UN and IC community included Canada and India. Their dream that thay killing Tigers (one old and 101 years old).
23 Feb 2009 19:03:47 GMT
Can all the perpetrators of this genocide in the name of so called liberation of tamil people , with ulterior motives, can bear even a pin prick??. These Sri Lankan current rulers living with all comforts simply ordering the genocide of these innocent tamils, and all the international humanitarian agencies and governments mandated with all powers to stop this brutall killing of innocent and unarmed tamils including women and children, can't they put themselves in the position of these hapless people even for a few minutes to realize the torture and suffering with an imaginary feel of it??
What is needed urgently is unfetted access to these areas by humanitarian agencies and the world media that would considerably alleviate the killing spree and sufferings. Come on IC.24 Feb 2009 08:28:43 GMT
Who believes the murderer's version of the story???!! in this case, the Murderer, the Criminal is the Sri Lankan Govt/Army/Air Force who are killing innocent Tamils.
INDICTMENT against Sri Lanka: War Crimes http://tamilnation.org/27 Feb 2009 16:59:50 GMT
Why are people quick to blame the government whenever there are civilian casualties. The current civilian situation is clearly the fault of the LTTE. You dont need to be a genius to figure out that the civilians are clearly being used by prabakaran as a shield to protect his own hide. Look at NATO operations in iraq and afganistan. How many civilians died there? The Americans spending over 300billion on sofisticated millatary equipment ranging from laser guided weopanry to gps satalite technology and still there are civilian casualites by the thousands. Pretty much every week you hear about Civilian casualties on the pakistan border. The Sri Lankan government / army with only a war budget of 1bn is taking as much precaution as it can to avoid civilian casualties with only very few casualties these last 2 years. Why cant any of u ppl compare these 2 situations instead of bitching at the SL govt? How about instead of blaming the government u blame the real culprits who are responsible for this? the ltte terrorists?
28 Feb 2009 13:30:22 GMT
most people view and comments on anti base or pro base on either party, no one ever made a comment on neutral, as i feel its my duty to express a neutral comment, as far as i seen this conflict, i have to blame both parties, after referring history, situation and the cause of conflict, i realized this conflict has been generated by a third party and fueled over a decade, human never can go beyond natural and fate.