Allegations of State terrorism by Sri Lanka

Various non-governmental organizations and individuals have accused the Sri Lankan government of committing state terrorism. These allegations characterize much of the Sri Lankan government's handling of inter-ethnic relationships dating from 1956, including the civil war against Tamil militant groups and the state response to the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna insurrections, as state terrorism. Specific acts alleged include of civilians, mass graves, torture, unlawful incarceration, forced disappearances and recruitment of child soldiers. The government denies the allegations.

1956-2000

According to the author of The National Question and the Tamil Liberation Struggle, published by Tamil Information Centre in 1983, State terrorism was let loose when Sri Lankan Army occupied minority Sri Lankan Tamil dominant Jaffna Peninsula leading to the formation of rebel movements such as the Tamil New Tigers.Ching-In Moon and Chaesung Chun, "Sovereignty: Dominance of the Westphalian Concept and Implications for Regional Security", Muthiah Alagappa (edit), "Asian Security Order: Instrumental and Normative Features", pp. 128 ] According to them, due to Sri Lankan army occupation of Jaffna and the state terrorism let loose on the people, hostility began to grow and the emotional division between majority Sinhalese and minority Sri Lankan Tamils became more acute. A group of highly organized young Tamil militants, first calling themselves the Tamil New Tigers and later the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, emerged in 1976 to confront the government terrorism by bearing arms. Since then according to James Lutz and Brenda Lutz, this conflict eventually led to the outbreak of violence between the communities, (see Sri Lankan riots of 1977) and this violence quickly generated terrorist actions in a variety of situations. Both government forces and Tamil dissidents became perpetrators. [James M Lutz, Brenda J Lutz, "Global Terrorism", p. 216 ] In 1961, the Sri Lankan government declared a state of emergency and for the first time dispatched military troops to occupy the Tamil areas Northeast of Sri Lanka. This was in the wake of a mass non-violent protest (Satyagraha) in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Trincomalee and Batticaloa causing the entire Northeast to shut down. These were in peaceful retaliation of the Sri Lankan state marginalization of the Tamils in jobs and education.Ponnambalam, "Sri Lanka: The National Question and the Tamil Liberation Struggle", pp. 105-106] Furthermore, state terrorism and the violence on Tamils were parcels of general onslaught on the democratic right and freedom of the people. This violence by the Government of Sri Lanka provoked the attacks on Sri Lankan Army by small group of Tamil youths."World Marxist Review", pp. 64 - 66]

In 1986 Stanley Jeyaraja Tambiah, an American Tamil social anthropologist at Harvard University specializing in studies of Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Tamils, as well as the anthropology of religion and politics, stated that the Sinhalese populace, the Tamil rebels and the Sri Lankan government armed forces were all engaged in "terrorism"; he describes the latter as practicing "deadly terrorism and intimidation". [Tambiah, "Sri Lanka: Ethnic Fratricide and the Dismantling of Democracy", p. 116] Though all parties in the conflict have resorted to the use of terror tactics, in the scale, duration, and sheer numbers of victims, it is the Sri Lankan state that is most guilty of the massive use of terror. [Danieli, Yael, D. Brom, and Joe Sills,"The trauma of terrorism: sharing knowledge and shared care", pp.216 ] [citeweb|url= http://www.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/324/7348/1268.pdf|title= Child soldiers: Understanding the context |accessdate=2008-01-17 |format=html |work= Daya Somasundaram]

This was echoed by the Secretary of Movement for Development and Democratic Rights, a NGO, that terrorism was used in the north as a political tool and the resultant state terrorism restricted their operation in the north. It further claimed that the state viewed killing as an essential tool [for politics] .ACHR, "Sri Lanka: Disappearances and the Collapse of the Police System",ACHR, pp.34-42] This according to Kumar Rupesinghe led to solidification of demand for separate state for minority Tamils called Tamil Eelam under conditions of state terrorism and genocidal situations. Rupesinghe, " Ethnic Conflict in South Asia: The Case of Sri Lanka and the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF)", pp.337] Hattotuwa, "From violence to peace: Terrorism and Human Rights in Sri Lanka", pp.11-13] [cite journal | last = | first = | title = Sri Lanka: testimony to state terror
journal = Race & Class | volume = 26 | issue = 4 | pages = 71–84 | publisher = Institute of Race Relations | location = | year = 1985 | url = | doi = 10.1177/030639688502600405 | id = | accessdate = 2007-01-17 ] The idea of an independent state for Tamils was originally articulated by S.J.V. Chelvanayagam in 1976. [cite news |title= S.J.V.Chelvanayagam Q.C|url=http://www.tamilnation.org/hundredtamils/chelva.htm
work=Tamil Nation |publisher=Tamil Nation |date=2006-11-15 |accessdate=2008-01-18]

The author of "State, Nation, and Ethnicity in Contemporary South Asia" states that as a result of ethnic assault of Tamils, the Sri Lankan social democracy was tainted by State Terrorism.Ishtiaq Ahmed, "State, Nation, and Ethnicity in Contemporary South Asia", Continuum International Publishing Group, 1996, p. 55. ISBN 1855675781.] Dias Hewagama and Wiswa Warnapala claim that experience of State terrorism could not be erased from the mind of people from Jaffna and this is what prompted the UNP to attack Jaffna. W. A. Wiswa Warnapala, L. Dias Hewagama, "Recent Politics in Sri Lanka: The Presidential Election and the Referendum", Navrang (Original from the University of Michigan), 1983, p. 29. ASIN: B000II886W.]

JVP insurrection

From 1985 to 1989, according to Gananath Obeyesekere, Sri Lanka practiced state terrorism against the Sinhalese majority as part of the counter insurgency measures against the uprising by the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party. [Gananath Obeyesekere, "Narratives of the self: Chevalier Peter Dillon's Fijian cannibal adventures", in Barbara Creed, Jeanette Hoorn, "Body Trade: captivity, cannibalism and colonialism in the Pacific", Routledge, 2001, p. 100. ISBN 0415938848. "The 'time of dread' was roughly 1985-89, when ethnic Sinhala youth took over vast areas of the country and practiced enormous atrocities; they were only eliminated by equally dreadful state terrorism."] As part of pacifying the support base of JVP a wide range of acts of cruelty including the torture and mass murder of school children were carried out by the state. [citeweb|url= http://www.ndpsl.org/political_analysis/JVP-LessonsfortheLeft,2003.DOC |title= JVP: Lessons for the Genuine Left|accessdate=2008-01-17 |format=html |work= Imayavaramban]

Likewise, state terrorism came to peak among the Sinhala population during 1989-1990 [cite book | last = Handelman | first = Don | title = The Manchester School: Practice and Ethnographic Praxis in Anthropology
pages = 142 | publisher = Berghahn Books | location = | year = 2006 | url = | doi = | id = | accessdate = 2008-03-15 ]

Chandrika Kumaratunga, the President of Sri Lanka from 1994 to 2005, has also stated in an in interview with David Frost that at the time that her husband Vijaya Kumaranatunga was assassinated, "Sri Lanka had a killing fields, there was a lot of terror perpetrated by the government itself, state terrorism. [citeweb|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/breakfast_with_frost/1624615.stm
title= BBC Breakfast with Frost Interview: President Chandrika Kumaratunga of Sri Lanka |accessdate=2008-01-17 |format=html |work= David Frost] This was supported by a report released by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organization based in Hong Kong and associated with the United Nations, also claimed that there was widespread terrorism by the state organ during the same period.cite web |url=http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?ItemID=2618 |title= Tell the truth or you will be killed |accessdate=2007-08-11 |format= |work= ]

Post 2000 events

Since the collapse of peace talks since 2006, human rights agencies such as the Asian Center of Human Rights (ACHR), the University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR), and pro LTTE political parties such as the Tamil National Alliance, have claimed that government of Sri Lanka has unleashed state terrorism as part of its counter insurgency measures against the rebel LTTE movement.cite web |url=http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2006/141-06.htm |title= Sri Lanka: Terror Vs State Terror |accessdate=2007-08-11 |format= |work= ] [http://www.uthr.org/bulletins/bul40.htm#_Toc138040843 University Teachers for Human Rights ] , "UTHR", October 28, 2001.] cite web |url=http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/EKOI-6PQ85Q?OpenDocument |title= Claims of state terror and genocide by LTTE attempts at justifying terrorism |accessdate=2007-08-11 |format= |work= ] To which the government has claimed that such claims by the LTTE is an attempt at justifying terrorism of the LTTE.cite web |url=http://www.priu.gov.lk/news_update/Current_Affairs/ca200605/20060511claims_terror_genocide_by_ltte.htm |title= Claims of state terror and genocide by LTTE attempts at justifying terrorism |accessdate=2007-08-11 |format= |work= ] The ACHR has also reported that, "since the collapse of the Geneva talks of February 2006", the government of Sri Lanka has perpetrated a campaign of state terrorism by targeting alleged LTTE sympathizers and Tamil civilians. [cite news |title=Sri Lanka: Terror Vs State Terror |url=http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2006/141-06.htm |work=ACHR Weekly Review |publisher=Asian Human Rights Commission |date=2006-11-15 |accessdate=2007-07-28] As noted by Brad Adams, Asia Director, Human Rights Watch, quote|"The Sri Lankan government has apparently given its security forces a green light to use ‘dirty war’ tactics". [citeweb|url= http://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/08/03/slanka16573.htm|title=Sri Lanka: Government Abuses Intensify |accessdate=2008-01-18 |format=html |work= Human Rights Watch] Many commentators have requested international intervention in Sri Lanka to protect the civilians from State terror. [citeweb|url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/sinhala/news/story/2007/10/071003_mano_jvp.shtml
title= Tamils 'entitled to' international help |accessdate=2008-01-16 |format=html |work= BBC] [citeweb|url= http://www.boloji.com/analysis2/0281.htm
title= Sri Lanka Trauma: International Community Revisits its Response |accessdate=2008-01-17 |format=html |work= V S Subramaniam ] Subsequently the United States has stopped military supplies to Sri Lanka. [citeweb|url= http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2008/1/23276.html
title= US stops military supplies to Sri Lanka after truce abrogation
accessdate=2008-01-18 |format=html |work= Lanka Newspapers]

Civilian deaths

The Padahuthurai bombing, in which 15 civilians died, was termed as state terrorism and a Crime against humanity by the Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph, who was accused as pro-LTTE by the Sri Lankan Government. [cite web |url=http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=20787
title=Padahuthurai bombing|accessdate=2006-01-07 |format= |work=Tamilnet.org ] cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6224121.stm|title=Sri Lanka raid 'kills civilians' |accessdate=2006-01-07 |format= |work=BBC.com ] [cite news | title= The Road to Pesalai Attack | date=2007-07-06 | publisher= Official Srilankan army website | url =http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20060627_03| work =| accessdate = 2007-07-06 ] When referring to the massacre of five school kids in Trincomalee , and the subsequent incidents of intimidation of the witnesses and the perceived lack of investigative vigor, the local human rights group UTHR termed it an act of state terror. [cite news | title= 2.0 State Terror in Trincomalee| date=2007-07-06 | publisher= UTHR | url =http://www.uthr.org/bulletins/bul40.htm#_Toc138040843
work =| accessdate = 2008-01-17 ]

Forced disappearances

Sri Lanka has suffered numerous forced disappearances over the last few years, these acts according pro-LTTE [cite news |first=Amantha |last [equal tongue] erera |title=MEDIA-SRI LANKA: Press Left to Fend for Itself |url=http://ipsnews.net/interna.asp?idnews=33117 |work=Inter Press Service |date=2006-05-04 |accessdate=2007-07-27] Tamil daily "Uthayan", published from Jaffna, include the forced disappearances of number of individuals in the north and east of the country. [Hayner, "The Unspeakable Truths : Confronting State Terror and Atrocity", pp.161]

Recruitment of children

According to the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), the Rome Statute of International Criminal Court identifies "conscripting or enlisting children under the age of fifteen years into armed forces or groups or using them to participate actively in hostilities" as a war crime. The agency has accused that Sri Lankan government backed paramilitary forces of recruiting children, describing is a "state terror" and has appealed to the international community to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court for investigation into the violations of the Rome Statute. [cite news |title=Sri Lanka: Terror Vs State Terror |url=http://www.achrweb.org/Review/2006/141-06.htm |work=ACHR Weekly Review |publisher=Asian Human Rights Commission |date=2006-11-15 |accessdate=2007-07-28]

Torture and Rape

The International Federation of Tamils, a pro-LTTE consortium of Tamil groups, [cite web| url = http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1709/17090640.htm
title= Extending a ban ] alleged that the systematic use of torture and rape is instruments of state terrorism.cite web |url=http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/1998/38/ |title= Sri Lanka: Investigate Crimes Against Humanity |accessdate=2007-08-11 |format= |work= ] David Jeyaraj a prominent Sri Lankan journalist from Canada has termed the act of torture, rape and murder of a family in the Vankalai massacre as an act of State terrorism. Human Rights groups have condemned this massacre and demanded an independent investigation.cite web| url = http://www.themorningleader.lk/20060614/focus.html |title= Another family wiped out in Vankalai] In "Trauma of Terrorism" author Yael Danieli states that the Sri Lankan state is the most guilty in the use of terror. It further claimed that state terrorism became institutionalized into very law of structure of society and mechanism of governance. [Danieli, "The Trauma of Terrorism", p. 216]

Media Freedom

Opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe has charged that the government of Sri Lanka has turned into a junta, "This junta has control over the economy, business activities and defense. They have unleashed corruption and terror on the country." He claimed that the attack on the Sunday Leader press facility, an independent English weekly could not have occurred without the knowledge of Sri Lankan Defense Ministry, since its located in a High Security Zone, neighboring military air force base, defense academy and a military camp . [citeweb|url= http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=4941&PHPSESSID=c724f4710cc8d593362f235e23c89fa9|title= No one can attack on the Leader Publications press without the knowledge of the Defence Ministry." -Opposition Leader|accessdate=2008-01-17 |format=html |work= Lanka News]

Furthermore, UTHR, a local human rights organization claimed that the media has been repressed by State Terrorism. [citeweb|url=http://www.uthr.org/SpecialReports/spreport26.htm |title= Can the East be won through Human Culling?|accessdate=2008-03-16 |format=html |work= UTHR]

Ethnic cleansing

On June 7, 2007 at least 376 Ethnic Tamils were expelled from Colombo by the Sri Lankan Police. Human rights groups, Local think tank and other observers have termed this act as "Ethnic Cleansing". [citeweb|url= http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6729555.stm|title= Police evict Tamils from Colombo|accessdate=2008-01-17 |format=html |work= BBC] [citeweb|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1631473,00.html|title= "Ethnic Cleansing" in Sri Lanka?|accessdate=2008-01-17 |format=html |work= The Time ] [citeweb|url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2097984,00.html|title= Ethnic cleansing claim after police move Tamils at gunpoint|accessdate=2008-01-17 |format=html |work= The Guardian (UK)]

ee also

*State terrorism
*State sponsored terrorism
*Allegations of Iranian state terrorism
*Allegations of state terrorism by Russia
*Allegations of state terrorism by the United States

Notes

References

*cite book | last=Alagappa | first=Muthiah | title=Asian Security Order: Instrumental and Normative Features | publisher=Stanford University Press | year=2003 | | pages = 238 |isbn=080474629X
*cite book | last = Lutz | first = James M | coauthors = Brenda J Lutz | title = Global Terrorism | publisher = Routledge | year = 2004 | pages = | isbn = 0415700507
*cite book | last = Ponnambalam | first = Satchi | title = The National Question and the Tamil Liberation Struggle | publisher = Zed Books Ltd | year = 1983 | pages = | isbn = 0862321980
*cite book | last = | first = | coauthors = | title = World Marxist Review | publisher = Central Books | year = 2007 | pages = | isbn = 05123305
*cite book | last = Tambiah | first = Stanley James | title = Sri Lanka: Ethnic Fratricide and the Dismantling of Democracy | publisher = Chicago University Press | year = 1991 | pages = 205 | isbn = 0226789527
*cite book | last=Danieli | first=Yael | coauthors = D. Brom, and Joe Sills
title= The Trauma Of Terrorism: Sharing Knowledge and Shared Care| publisher=University of Hawaii Press | year=1989 | isbn= 0-8248-1211-5
*cite book | last = Asian Center for Human Rights | first = | title = Sri Lanka: Disappearances and the Collapse of the Police System
publisher = ACHR | year = 1991 | pages = 205 | isbn = 0226789527
*cite journal | last = Rupesinghe | first = Kumar | title = Ethnic Conflict in South Asia: The Case of Sri Lanka and the Indian Peace-Keeping Force (IPKF) | journal = Journal of Peace Research | volume = 25 | issue = 4 | pages = 337 | publisher = | location = | year = 1988 | url = | doi =10.1177/002234338802500402 | id = | accessdate = 2007-01-17
*cite journal | last = Hattotuwa | first = Sanjana | title = From violence to peace: Terrorism and Human Rights in Sri Lanka | journal = The online Journal of Peace and Conflict Resolution | volume = 5 | issue = 1 | pages = 14 | publisher = | location = | year = 2003 | url = | doi = | id = 1522-211X | accessdate = 2007-01-17
*cite book | last=Hayner | first=Priscill | title=The Unspeakable Truths : Confronting State Terror and Atrocity | publisher= Routledge | date=2009 | isbn= 0415924774

Further reading

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