by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai
“I have come to bring good news to the poor,
to set the oppressed free” (Luke 4:18)
As the bells toll around the globe, getting ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, a rare event of sharing experience in Jaffna was initiated by two individuals who visited Jaffna recently. “Christmas hopes from Jaffna was initiated by Ruki Fernando and Angelica Chandrasekaran. It was held on December 21st 2007 at the Centre for Society and Religion in Maradana.
Experiences shared by the individuals at the event are compiled below:
Ruki Fernando:
“I attended a Hindu wedding while I was in Jaffna. Someone told me at the wedding that they are married; they will have children; and they have to worry about their children not getting killed, abducted or conscripted. The people of Jaffna are worried; they just want to lead a normal life”.
Angelica Chandresekaran:
“People of Jaffna do not need anything except peace. They have learnt to lead a life with what is available. But they want long-lasting peace”.
Reverend Father Tissa Balasuriya OMI:
“Many Sinhalese do not know that they are the cause for the idea of “Tamil Eelam” to be created. Bandaranaikes, Jeyawardenas and Chelvanayagams opposed each other’s proposal. Sinhalese are mislead; and they are the reason for the division of the country”.
Reverend Rohan Silva OMI:
“There are Sinhalese who care for the Tamil brethren. The presence of Sinhalese brethren in war torn Tamil areas is essential. Voice for peace is quiet. When we met the people in Jaffna they wanted the Sinhala Catholic priests to stay with them. They felt comfortable sharing their stories with us”.
Dr. Anita Nesiah:
“The streets go deserted after 3pm in the afternoon due to curfew. I was told that a cylinder of LP gas is sold for Rs. 5,000/= in Jaffna. People of Jaffna are frightened; they are helpless and voiceless”.
Sivanandini Doraiswamy:
“Civilians who surrender themselves to the Human Rights Commission due to life threats are kept in prison along with the accused. They get contracted to contagious disease like chicken-pox in prison cells”.
Later a drama was performed by women who have been victims of war. The drama depicted despair, displacement and difficulties in a conflict situation. Most of these women who performed were unborn babies, when the conflict began three decades ago.
Prayers were said for peace and justice; songs of ‘Happy Christmas (War Is Over)’ by John Lennon, ‘Fallen Leaves’ by John Denver and ‘I want to live’ were played. An exhibition of photographs and reports from Jaffna was also held. The event of attend by Catholic priests, nuns and concerned citizens of Sri Lanka.
The participants have decided to fast on Christmas eve in solidarity with the victims of war.
Photographs and reports of Jaffna are displayed
Drama performed by the victims of war
Participants at the event
Reverend Father Tissa Balasuriya OMI sharing his views
Glimpses of life in Jaffna
Newspaper advertisements which appeared in the Colombo based newspapers during the season were displayed to compare the contrast in Colombo and Jaffna
“I have carved you on the palm of my hand” ((Isaiah 49.16)
This structure is in the compound of Fatima Church in Maradana
Banner for peace in the compound of Fatima Church in Maradana put up by CARITAS and Seth Sarana
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Email:dushi.pillai@gmail.com
December 22nd, 2007
by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai
“You live and learn. At any rate, you live”-Douglas Noel Adams- British English author, comic radio dramatist, and dramatist
Tsunami claimed 35,322 lives in Sri Lanka. There were 21, 441 persons injured; and orphaned 1,500 children according to a statement issued by the Secretariat for Co-ordinating the Peace Process (SCOPP) in April 2007. The statement further stated that, over 500,000 people were displaced and many more indirectly affected. Around 100,000 houses were damaged or destroyed and over 150,000 people lost their homes 2/3 rds of the country’s coast line was ravaged. The damage was estimated to be 4.5 of the GDP.
Overall in the North and the East, 77,900 houses were destroyed by the Tsunami. 40,696 new houses have up to date been re-constructed. This figure represents 52% of the requirement. Work is in progress in respect to reconstruction of 28,027 houses. This figure combined with the houses already completed totals a percentage of 88% of the houses required to be built.
The reconstruction of houses in Tsunami affected areas of the North and the East has registered a success rate of 88 % compared to the national average of 67 %. 73% of the Tsunami Internally Displaced Persons living in temporary shelters in the North and East have been re-housed in permanent dwellings. Number of Tsunami Internally Displaced Persons in temporary shelters as at Decemebr 2005 was 43, 496. Number of Tsunami Internally Displaced Persons in temporary shelters as at February 27, 2007 was 11,764.
The worst hit
Ampara district was the worst hit; 10, 500 lives were lost in this district. Resettlement process began in tsunami hit areas, but it was slow in certain areas due to the current political situation in the country. There are Internally Displaced Persons, who are still living in temporary shelters in Ampara district. Their lands come under 65 meters buffer zones, they were promised of being resettled somewhere. But promises made were not met yet. They lost their loved ones, and belongings.
Women sit on sand with their children and play with them in the courtyard; men sit in circles and play cards in the backyard. This was the scene, I encountered when I visited the Tsunami Internally Displaced Persons in Galway temporary shelter in Karaithivu, Ampara district.
There are 56 families-320 family members are currently living here. They were affected by the Boxing Day Tsunami in 2004. Afterwards they moved to several welfare camps, and have ended up here as their “temporary house”. They did not choose to leave their houses, but were forced by the nature. Temporary shelters are made out of cadjan leaves, neither electricity, nor ventilation is available. Scorching sun and rising dust from arid earth make them fall sick quite often. Children have nothing, but to play with sand and hard board boxes available in the vicinity. They are not pleased to continue their lives in the temporary shelter, but left with no choice. Happy to have been born as human beings is not felt by anybody in this shelter due to frustration.
Women whispered; men mumbled. Few of them wondered how a journalist can help them or have patience to listen to their sufferings. After some time they have decided to break their silence and share their everyday woes.
Sanitary problems
There are only four toilets; but have no lock. Women manage to use them; men use the open air toilets in the bushes. Water from two wells is used for cooking ,bathing and washing. No organistion cleans it when they become stagnated. The Internally Displaced Persons pool out money and clean the toilets, and wells.
No help from NGOs
They were initially helped by various non-governmental organizations, but nobody looks after them now. The Internally Displaced Persons feel that, nobody will help them in the future, as almost three years have passed by.
Forgotten community
Most of them say that they have been forgotten by the rest in the society. Tsunami affected people are not taken care of by anybody anymore, as war ravages.
Education disrupted
Parents are worried about the children’s education. It got disrupted due to displacement. Few go to school, more children do not go to school. As parents have lost their daily income after displacement, they cannot afford to send their children to school. The future of these children holds nothing.
Illegitimate Relationship
Women are forced to stay with men whom they did not know earlier, because of limited space in the temporary shelter. It leads to abuse, illegitimate relationship and extra marital affair. The Internally Displaced Persons are afraid of Tamil culture and tradition may disappear due to non-practicing of spiritual activities.
No employment
Most of the men here were fishermen before the Tsunami. They have to compete with the host community in Karaithivu. Mostly they are prevented from working in this area by the host community. If they are luck to work , they earn Rs.170/=-Rs.200/= as the daily income. Some men try to work without the knowledge of the host community, but if they get caught, they are hassled and kept an eye on in the future. “Do not blame us for playing cards. We tried to find a job; but very difficult to sort out the issue with the host community. We have families; but have no income and are frustrated” told me when men were found at the backyard while playing cards.
Jewelleries as an asset
Women either pawned or sold their jewelleries to feed their families. Some of them even sold their “Thaalikodi”-which is a traditional symbol of a married Hindu woman, tied by her husband. Women too find it difficult to work as firewood collectors or pluck weeds in paddy fields, because the host community causes problems for them. Women rarely go to some houses in the neighbourhood to do household work and earn Rs. 120/=- Rs.150/= per day.
Irregular Rations
The rations are not regular. Sometimes they receive 2 kilograms of rice, 1 kilogram of wheat flour, 1 kilogram of sugar and 1/2 a kilogram of dhal. Other ingredients for cooking such as chillie powder, oil, vegetables and fish are met by the Internally Displaced Persons on their own. They do not depend on the rations as it is very irregular.
Happiness Lost
The day they left their houses their happiness was also lost. After the destruction, they were slowly thinking of rebuilding their lost lives. But it never became a reality for these Internally Displaced Persons. Although they were not living the most luxuriest live in their houses before the Tsunami, at least they were leading a normal life without having to think what are we going to do for our next meal? Even during the peak of war, they had dry fish in the kitchen to fry and feed the family, and now they cannot afford to stock foodstuffs. All of them lead a deplorable life.
Lost hope
They are desperate; hope is lost by them about having a better future in the “promised permanent houses”. They do not trust anybody, who promises to help them rebuild their lives, because they feel that they were cheated.
These Internally Displaced Persons say they have learnt to live, while facing numerous hardships behind the cadjan curtains.
“I lost my mother, younger sister and younger brother in Tsunami. I have nobody to play with. I feel very sad when I think of Tsunami. I do not have a mother to love and care. I survive, but I could not safe my mother, younger sister and younger brother” Vasanthakumar Ilamaran (12) sorrowfully shared his bitter experience
They feel forgotten and abandoned
The Internally Displaced Persons have to share their tiny house with their extended family members
Children have no space in their cramped houses to play
“I have no work, because I am relocated here after Tsunami, and the host community does to allow me to work here. They say I am not from this area, therefore they will not let me find a job here. On the other hand, I am not financially fit to move to another place or to my home town to find a job. I sometimes do some day labourer job, but if the host community finds out about it, they hassle me” said frustrated Velupillai Puvanasingham (28).
Parents hardly have money to educate their children
Most of the them have been displaced multiple times in the past due to war
Shabby temporary houses with meagre facilities where privacy is non-existent
A first baby is an incomparable joy for any parent anywhere in the world. But Uma Lingam (34) had to worry about whether her son Thisanthan’s delivery would be a normal delivery or not due to the facilities available where she lives. She says that, there are lot of women who suffer complications during pregnancy, but nobody takes a note of these pregnant women in the temporary shelters
Many have lost hope of permanent houses
Childhood is spent in shelters
“We do not trust the politicians, who make false promises. We are caught up by Tsunami and war. The people who were affected by the Tsunami have already got permanent houses in the South. We are still suffering the cadjan curtains.Nobody cares about us, we are alone to suffer till we die” said by frustrated Edward Anton (33), who is a mason
Many fear the recent escalation in their surroundings
They want to lead a normal life
Options are closed for the Internally Displaced Persons
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Email: dushi.pillai@gmail.com
December 8th, 2007
by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai
Silavaththurai was in the news locally and internationally in August-September 2007.
I was one of the first few journalists who were on an embedded tour with the Sri Lankan Army to Silavaththurai in September 2007. We went to Naanaattan by van, from Naanaattaan to Arippu by Unicorn, crossed Arippu lagoon by boat and then finally from Arippu to Silavaththuari by tractor. We walked through jungles to witness the former territory controlled by the LTTE. The journey from Arippu to Silavaththurai on a red sandy and dry road took almost two hours, because of the condition of the road.
Civilians got displaced as fighting broke out between the Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE. People from this area came to Murungan and stayed in welfare camps.
Abandoned LTTE camp in Silavaththurai
A medical camp of the LTTE
Sri Lankan Army solider looking at a Johnny mine
Bombed LTTE sea tiger base in Silavaththurai
Civilians abandoned their boats in Arippu due to fighting and displacement
Soldiers in Arippu
Abandoned bullock cart in Arippu
LTTE bunker is Silavaththurai
Sri Lankan Army soldier walks pass a bunker in Silavaththurai
Houses are sealed to protect the belongings from looting
Soldiers in Arippu
Boats abandoned by the civilians are being recovered by the soldiers and taken for a safe place, and will be handed over to the owners
Another camp used by the LTTE in the jungle of Silavaththurai
Desserted Arippu
Photojournalist of the Sunday Times Saman Kariyavasam taking photos in Arippu
Destroyed monument in Arippu
Divisional Secretariat of Musali
Another bunker used by the LTTE in Silavaththurai
Roman Catholic Vidyalayam in Arippu
Recovered weapons are displayed at the Thallady camp
LTTE flag is displayed at Thallady camp
Portraits of martyrs are displaced among the recovered items
Cut-out among the displayed
Main street in Mannar town
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Email: dushi.pillai@gmail.com
November 30th, 2007
