Sexual Violence in Conflict: Sri Lanka -

systematic, deliberate and intended to destroy

05 June 2014
Next week, the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict is due to
take place in London, co-hosted by the U!s "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y, %illiam
&a$ue and the Special En'oy fo# the UN &i$h Commissione# fo# (efu$ees,
)n$elina *olie+
,n the #un up to the ESVC summit, we #e'isit the mountin$ e'idence which
documents the widesp#ead, systematic and on-$oin$ use of sexual
'iolence by S#i Lanka!s milita#y a$ainst -amils, that occu#s with absolute
impunity+
See ou# p#e'ious featu#es.
)n o#$y of #ape in final days /01 *un 10234
(ape, Sexual )ssault and "o#ced 5#ostitution of -amils in 6ilita#y-(un in
,75 camps /08 *un 10234
Sexual 'iolence in detention as to#tu#e 1009-1023 /03 *un 10234
Sexual Violence in Conflict. S#i Lanka - systematic, delibe#ate and intended to dest#oy
5hoto$#aph Salem News
-estimonies collected f#om the 'ictims and f#om those within the S#i Lankan
milita#y su$$est sexual 'iolence a$ainst -amils, fa# f#om bein$ confined to
one #o$ue detention cent#e o# #e$iment, was widesp#ead and systematic+
) fo#me# UN field office#, p#esent du#in$ the final months of the a#med
conflict, told &uman (i$hts %atch.
) la#$e numbe# of women fleein$ f#om the conflict a#eas du#in$ the peak
of fi$htin$ we#e sexually assaulted+ -he abuse was extensi'e, causin$ a
la#$e numbe# of ci'ilians to flee back to the theate# of conflict to escape the
abuse:
Examinin$ 30 cases of sexual 'iolence and to#tu#e in detention facilities
ac#oss the No#th-East and in Colombo, autho#s of the !)n Unfinished %a#.
-o#tu#e and Sexual Violence in S#i Lanka 1009;1023!, which includes
<asmin Sooka, co-autho# of the UN 5anel of Expe#ts #epo#t on mass
at#ocities in S#i Lanka, concluded.
-he simila#ity of the to#tu#e, #ape and sexual 'iolence pe#pet#ated a$ainst
the witnesses confi#ms a well-o#$anised patte#n of systematic abuse on the
pa#t of the Go'e#nment of S#i Lanka secu#ity fo#ces+:
6any analysts ha'e desc#ibed a delibe#ate policy of sexual 'iolence, not
only as a means of to#tu#e on indi'iduals, but to te##o#ise the -amil
population as a whole+
Examinin$ the on-$oin$ use of sexual 'iolence a$ainst -amils in detention
facilities in S#i Lanka since the a#med conflict ended, &uman (i$hts %atch,
in its #epo#t published in "eb#ua#y 1028, !%e %ill -each <ou a Lesson! -
Sexual Violence a$ainst -amils by S#i Lankan Secu#ity "o#ces=, said sexual
'iolence was intended >to instill te##o# in the b#oade# -amil population:+
-he $#oup!s U di#ecto#, 7a'id 6epham, said,
?-he#e is method in this+ ,t is coe#ci'e+ ,t is a delibe#ate policy+ 5eople
th#ou$hout the secu#ity fo#ces in S#i Lanka a#e in'ol'ed+ -his is deeply
ent#enched and systematic+?
&(%!s )sia ad'ocacy di#ecto#y, *ohn Sifton noted.
Not only is #ape systematic, but it=s indicati'e of a la#$e# patte#n of abuse+
-his is not #econciliation, but an effo#t to say, @<ou lost the wa#, now we=#e
in cha#$e,:
,n an inte#'iew to Vo), 6# Sifton added,
-he p#oblem is #eally on a systemic le'el+ (e$a#dless of who committed
these specific abuses, a bi$$e# Auestion is, will any hi$h le'el officials in the
S#i Lankan milita#y e'e# be held accountable fo# the fact that they allow
thei# fo#ces to en$a$e in abuses as a matte# of cou#se, as a systemic issue,
and fail to hold them accountable+ 5eople who allow an enti#e milita#y
st#uctu#e to enBoy almost complete impunity in te#ms of #ape, sexual
abuse, and othe# abuses a$ainst -amil ci'ilians, they should be held
accountable fo# that as well, not Bust fo# the actual physical acts of soldie#s,
but fo# thei# de#eliction of duty and thei# failu#es hold thei# own fo#ces
accountable,:
-he extent of sexual 'iolence and st#uctu#al 'iolence inflicted on -amil
women was hi$hli$hted by the #i$hts $#oup, -amils )$ainst Genocide
/-)G4, in a submission made to the UN &uman (i$hts Council ea#lie# this
yea# C !,ntent to dest#oy. Dn$oin$ 'iolence and 'iolations a$ainst -amil
women!+
-he executi'e summa#y is #ep#oduced below.
%omen=s bodies ha'e histo#ically been a seconda#y battlefield in the
theate# of wa#, a space whe#e 'icto#s claim thei# spoils and nations plant
thei# fla$+ ,n S#i Lanka post-1009, -amil women=s bodies in the No#th and
East ha'e become both the site of a 'iolent Sinhalisation+ p#ocess and thei#
only means of su#'i'al in a milita#iEed en'i#onment+ 7i#ect inte#'iews and a
compilation of seconda#y sou#ces #e'eal that in the pe#iod f#om 100F-1028
women lost thei# #ep#oducti'e #i$hts, we#e fo#ced into coe#ci'e sexual
#elationships o# ma##ia$es, and faced the constant th#eat of #ape, e'en as
they despe#ately t#ied to escape the island+ -hese acts collecti'ely hi$hli$ht
the st#uctu#al 'iolence that ma#$inaliEes -amil women and subBu$ates -amil
society+ 7ue to the cultu#al positionin$ of -amil women, these acts $o fa#
beyond the immediate physical and psycholo$ical dama$e to the indi'idual
woman, they also se#'e to humiliate -amil men and #einfo#ce -amil
powe#lessness+ Violations a$ainst -amil women a#e a powe#ful symbolic
display of the domination of the Sinhala Guddhist state and maBo#ityH they
a#e one of the my#iad ways by which the state seeks to dest#oy the
essential foundations of the life of the -amil people+:
See he#e and he#e, fo# #epo#ts of coe#ci'e bi#th cont#ol in the -amil a#eas+
6a#$a#et Dwen, the di#ecto# of %idows fo# 5eace th#ou$h 7emoc#acy, an
o#$anisation that is acti'ely in'ol'ed in launchin$ the G#itish $o'e#nment!s
confe#ence a$ainst sexual 'iolence in conflict next week, said at a panel
discussion in the &ouses of 5a#liament last month that the c#ime was
>o#$anised: f#om the those at the top of the S#i Lankan state+
&i$hli$htin$ sexual 'iolence in conflict, 6s Dwen was nonetheless c#itical of
the continued lack of Bustice and inte#national inaction.
%e need to end this, holdin$ confe#ences, yet denyin$ Bustice fo# these
women,:
,t!s not adhoc+ -hese #apes come f#om the top+ ,t!s o#$anised, it is a fo#m
of $enocide of the -amil people,:
Sexual Violence in Conflict: Sri Lanka -
detention and torture 2009-2014
04 June 2014
Next week, the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict is due to
take place in London, co-hosted by the U!s "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y, %illiam
&a$ue and the Special En'oy fo# the UN &i$h Commissione# fo# (efu$ees,
)n$elina *olie+
,n the #un up to the ESVC summit, we #e'isit the mountin$ e'idence which
documents the widesp#ead, systematic and on-$oin$ use of sexual
'iolence by S#i Lanka!s milita#y a$ainst -amils, that occu#s with absolute
impunity+
See ou# p#e'ious featu#es.
An orgy of rape in final days /01 *un 10234
Rape, Sexual Assault and Forced Prostitution of Tamils in Military-
Run in IDP camps/08 *un 10234
Sexual Violence in onflict! Sri "an#a $ detention and torture %&&'-
%&()
5hoto$#aph &(%
7espite the end of the a#med conflict, the use of sexual 'iolence by S#i
Lanka!s milita#y a$ainst -amil women and men continued, with -amils
#outinely a##ested and detained indefinitely usin$ the count#y!s d#aconian
anti-te##o# laws+
-he#e a#e on-$oin$ #epo#ts of sexual 'iolence a$ainst -amils in detention to
the p#esent day, with many 'ictims #ecountin$ sexual 'iolence used as a
means of to#tu#e to ext#act confessions+
,n 1021, -amils )$ainst Genocide /-)G4, examined witness testimonies of
-amils depo#ted back to S#i Lanka+ ,n its #epo#t !(etu#nees at (isk.
7etention )nd -o#tu#e in S#i Lanka!, -)G noted.
The majority of the cases that reported abuse reported similar
forms of physical torture, with 6 verified as having experienced
additional forms of sexual torture. In all of the cases reviewed,
judges found legitimate claims of severe torture to be supported
by photographic evidence and the medical reports as well as
through psychological assessment. everal of the applicants
suffer from continued physical pain as well as forms of mental
illness caused by severe trauma.:
Ea#ly last yea#, &uman (i$hts %atch, in a 232-pa$e #epo#t entitled >%e %ill
-each <ou a Lesson: - Sexual Violence a$ainst -amils by S#i Lankan
Secu#ity "o#ces=, detailed IJ cases of #ape, includin$ that of 82 men, 32
women, and th#ee boys a$ed unde# 2F+ )ll cases we#e #epo#ted to ha'e
occu##ed f#om 100K-1021 in both official and sec#et detention cent#es
ac#oss S#i Lanka+
Object 1
&(% stated that the #epo#t only accounts fo# >a tiny f#action of custodial
#ape:+ 6any of the cases followed simila# patte#ns of detention, followed by
to#tu#e and #ape by secu#ity fo#ces, whilst bein$ inte##o$ated about >L--E
acti'ities:+
Victims #epo#ted bein$ fo#ced to si$n confessions in Sinhalese, a lan$ua$e
they did not unde#stand, as well as bein$ fo#ced to identify and name othe#
potential >suspects:+ Some of the 'ictims #ecounted that they si$ned
@confessions= and pointed out people as L--E cad#es, knowin$ that they
we#e not, simply to put an end to the to#tu#e+
-amils #etu#nin$ f#om ab#oad we#e also shown photo$#aphs of anti-
$o'e#nment p#otests that took place in 5a#is and London, and fo#ced to
identify those in the ima$es+
&(% noted. ?In all of the cases documented, the acts of rape and sexual
violence were accompanied by other forms of torture and cruel, inhuman,
and degrading treatment by state security forces.?
Dne 81-yea#-old woman, detained in ilinochchi in )p#il 1021, told &(%.
I was beaten up and tortured continuously. !n the second day, a
man came to my room and raped me. I was raped by different
men on at least three days. I can"t remember how many times.
They would always touch my private parts after they raped me.
They spo#e in inhala but also spo#e some bro#en Tamil. I signed
a confession statement as I wanted the rapes to stop. $hile I was
in detention, my family tried to lodge a complaint with the %&'(
)%ational &uman 'ights (ommission* but they refused to register
a complaint. +y family also approached some members of
parliament. %obody helped us.:
) 2I-yea#-old -amil boy, detained in *affna in No'embe# 1009, said.
!ne officer performed sexual acts in front of me. &e then raped
me. I lost consciousness. I was bleeding heavily from my anus.:
,n No'embe# last yea#, the GGC #epo#ted on 21 cases of men and women
who we#e subBected to sexual 'iolence in detention in 1028+
See he#e fo# the GGC #epo#t, by fo#me# co##espondent to S#i Lanka and
autho# of !Still Countin$ the 7ead!, "#ances &a##ison+
-he latest e'idence eme#$ed f#om a #epo#t published as #ecently as
"eb#ua#y this yea# - !,n -nfinished $ar. Torture and exual /iolence in ri
0an#a 122341256! - by <asmin Sooka, an autho# of the UN 5anel of
Expe#ts #epo#t on mass at#ocities in S#i Lanka, -he Ga# &uman (i$hts
Committee of En$land and %ales /G&(C4 and -he ,nte#national -#uth
LampH *ustice 5#oBect, S#i Lanka, detailed #epo#ts of sexual 'iolence in
detention ca##ied out f#om 1009, till the be$innin$ of this yea#+
-he #epo#t includes 30 swo#n statements f#om -amil witnesses, #ecountin$
abductions and to#tu#e that all occu##ed within the time f#ame of 6ay 1009
to "eb#ua#y 1023, with o'e# half of the abductions ha'in$ taken place
du#in$ 1028 and 1023+
,ll detainees were sexually assaulted, with many witnesses 7uite
young and having no experience of sexual intercourse. ome
detainees were mothers of babies or young children. +ost
detainees, male and female, were raped, confirming that they had
experienced vaginal or anal penetration or both. +any were raped
on more than one occasion with most sexual violence occurring in
their private holding cell. +ost were raped after enduring repeated
physical torture in the torture chamber. $itnesses report being
raped violently, usually amid verbal abuse and derision by one or
two men, sometimes more. $itnesses allege that the men did not
wear condoms when raping them.:
)n 2F-yea#-old male detainee said.
The door to where the women were #ept was slightly open. I saw
a female cadre lying on her bac# on the floor. he was totally
na#ed. I clearly saw a soda bottle shoved inside her vagina. &er
arms were spread out wide, as were her legs. The door was not
open enough to see the other two girls. I could not tell if the girl or
the others were alive. %one of them was ma#ing any sound and
the girl I saw was not moving.:
7etention locations a#e mainly in the No#th-East, includin$ 6anna#, *affna,
ilinochchi, Va'uniya, 5-, -#incomalee and Gatticaloa, whe#e a#bit#a#y
a##est and disappea#ances continue despite the passin$ of fi'e yea#s+ )
numbe# of 'ictims also desc#ibe facin$ sexual 'iolence whilst detained in
Colombo+
Ext#acts f#om the #epo#t published below.
The evidence of the witnesses suggested that the security forces
were wor#ing together and in most instances there was more than
one branch involved in the detention and torture. 8iven that the
abductors sometimes travel to high security 9ones or military
camps they would re7uire inter:agency cooperation amongst the
various branches of the security forces, as well as orders and
clearances from superiors to enter these areas. +ore broadly
travelling through heavily militarised areas with fre7uent
chec#points would also re7uire the involvement of other units of
the security forces.?
;Interrogation was almost always about 0TT< involvement despite
the interrogators, in many cases, being in possession of the
answers and often already having the evidence to prove it.
$hat they purported to be loo#ing for usually appeared to be a
wider understanding both of the status of existing networ#s as
well as historical events. They wanted informers. ,nother #ey
motive appeared to be the punishment of those who testified
before the 0essons 0earned (ommission or whose families
reported cases to the &uman 'ights (ommission, or those who
had peacefully protested war crimes and human rights abuses
from abroad.
+ost detainees are tortured every time they are interrogated.
Indeed, almost all witnesses reported torture continuing after they
had admitted their involvement with the 0TT<.;
) male 'ictim #ecounted the to#tu#e he expe#ienced.
?&e used one hand to s7uee9e my nec# while I was standing and
then he reached down with his other hand and s7uee9ed my penis
and testicles. &e told me you are a Tamil dog and should not
have any future generations. &e s7uee9ed hard and it caused me
terrible pain. &e told me to hold his penis. $hen I refused he
slapped me and told me Tamil dog you will be dead if you do not
hold it. In fear I held it. = !n one occasion one of the army
guards came in and urinated on me. $hile doing so he told me,
you Tamils need a separate state. If you want a separate state
you will have to ta#e a bath in our urine.:
02 June 2014
Next week, the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict is due to
take place in London, co-hosted by the U!s "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y, %illiam
&a$ue and the Special En'oy fo# the UN &i$h Commissione# fo# (efu$ees,
)n$elina *olie+
,n the #un up to the ESVC summit, we #e'isit the mountin$ e'idence which
documents the widesp#ead, systematic and on-$oin$ use of sexual
'iolence by S#i Lanka!s milita#y a$ainst -amils, that occu#s with absolute
impunity+
See yeste#day!s featu#e. )n o#$y of #ape in final days /01 *un 10234
(ape, Sexual )ssault and "o#ced 5#ostitution of -amils in 6ilita#y-(un in
,75 camps
5hoto$#aph &(% - )#unachalam Camp, 6enik "a#m 29 )u$ust 1009
)s the a#med conflict d#ew to an end in 6ay 1009, an
estimated 800,000 -amils, who had faced #epeated displacement, shellin$
and a se'e#e lack of humanita#ian aid, we#e fo#ced into ,75 camps #un by
the milita#y and detained the#e fo# se'e#al months on end+
(epo#ts of #ape, sexual assault and fo#ced p#ostitution #in$s #un by the
milita#y soon be$an to eme#$e f#om the camps+
) -amil medic, based in the U who had been wo#kin$ as an aid wo#ke# in
the Vanni du#in$ the a#med conflict befo#e bein$ detained in the noto#ious
6enik "a#m camp, 7amil'any uma#, told -he Dbse#'e#.
?Sexual abuse is somethin$ that was a common thin$, that , pe#sonally
saw+ ,n the 'isito# a#ea #elati'es would be the othe# side of the fence and
we would be in the camp+ Gi#ls came to wait fo# thei# #elati'es and milita#y
office#s would come and touch them, and that!s somethin$ , saw+
?-he $i#ls usually didn!t talk back to them, because they knew that in the
camp if they talked anythin$ could happen to them+ ,t was Auite open,
e'e#yone could see the milita#y office#s touchin$ the $i#ls,?
?-amil $i#ls usually don!t talk about sexual abuse, they won!t open thei#
mouths about it, but , hea#d the office#s we#e $i'in$ the women money o#
food in #etu#n fo# sex+ -hese people we#e despe#ate fo# e'e#ythin$+?
5#ostitution #ackets we#e p#e'alent, despite $o'e#nment officials bein$
made awa#e of the p#actice, said inte#national aid wo#ke#s+ ,nte#national
humanita#ian a$encies had little o# no access, due to se'e#e #est#ictions
placed by the $o'e#nment+
Dne aid wo#ke#, who #epo#ted p#ostitution #ackets in 5ulmoddai camp,
told -he )ust#alian,
?,t!s been b#ou$ht to the attention of senio# $o'e#nment officials but no
one seems to be doin$ anythin$ about it+?
?,t!s ha#d to know whethe# it!s coe#ci'e o# not, but the#e is an a'e#a$e of
th#ee families li'in$ to a tent and it can be ext#emely difficult t#yin$ to $et
p#i'acy+ <ou can ima$ine the milita#y comin$ in and askin$ fo# somethin$ in
#etu#n fo# mo#e space o# mo#e fa'ou#s+?
Dne woman, with links to the camps, told Sky News of #apes and
disappea#ances within the camps.
?, belie'e the#e is sexual assault and ha#assment in the camps+ , belie'e
that these child#en and youn$ ones a#e $oin$ to $et disappea#ed, but we
don!t know what is happenin$ to them, because the#e is no info#mation,
the#e is no t#anspa#ency, we Bust don!t know what is happenin$+?
-he S#i Lankan $o'e#nment #eBected all #epo#ts of sexual 'iolence in the
,75 camps, with officials often accusin$ fellow detainees o# inte#national aid
wo#ke#s of abuse, o# dismissin$ #epo#ts as consensual+
5alitha ohona, then Sec#eta#y to the "o#ei$n 6inist#y, and subseAuently
S#i Lanka!s 5e#manent (ep#esentati'e to the UN, #eBected any alle$ations of
sexual 'iolence by the state!s secu#ity fo#ces as ?absolute #ubbish?+
?-hese Mmilita#yN a#e the $uys who a#e winnin$ the wa# - they could ha'e
#aped e'e#y sin$le woman on the way if they wanted to+ Not one sin$le
woman was #aped+?
7ismissin$ #epo#ts of p#ostitution #in$s, ohona added,
?, am su#e in a mass of people the#e may be indi'iduals who want to make
a Auick buck one way o# anothe#, but you ha'e to #emembe# the tents a#e
so close to$ethe# you can!t do anythin$ without the enti#e nei$hbo#hood
knowin$+ ,f you had a #acket $oin$, thousands of people would know about
it+?
S#i Lanka!s 7efence Sec#eta#y, Gotabaya (aBapaksa, accused the G#itish
-amil aid wo#ke#, 7amil'any uma# of fab#icatin$ the sto#y in an inte#'iew
with &eadlines -oday.
?Now, she M7amil'any uma#N says that the#e had been all these alle$ed
#ape and mu#de# and all these thin$s+ Now she is one pe#son who will $et
att#acted by soldie#s, because she is so diffe#ent f#om othe#s+
, want to know whethe# she was #aped+ She was the#e fo# one yea#+ She
came with the ,75s, and she was in the ,75 camps+?
-he pe#manent sec#eta#y to the 6inist#y of 7isaste# 6ana$ement and
&uman (i$hts, (aBi'a %iBesinha, statin$ that alle$ations of #ape by the
milita#y lacked sufficient details to be substantiated, told -he Dbse#'e#.
?%e #ecei'ed a #epo#t that a soldie# went into a tent at 22pm and came out
at 8am+ ,t could ha'e been sex fo# pleasu#e, it could ha'e been sex fo#
fa'ou#s, o# it could ha'e been a discussion on )ncient G#eek philosophy, we
don!t know+?
Dn anothe# occasion when asked by a Sky News #epo#te# about the
alle$ations of sexual 'iolence within the camps, 6# %iBesinha #eplied.
?-he#e a#e a few blue eyed child#en in that camp, so you know that some
of the NGDs ha'e had a Bolly $ood time when they we#e up in Va'uniya, so
when you $o up Bust ha'e a look and t#y and identify them+?
7espite the passin$ of fi'e yea#s, fea# of #ep#isal, psycholo$ical t#auma and
social sti$ma, ha'e #esulted in many 'ictims #emainin$ silent+
&e#e is an ext#act f#om the testimony of one woman, published in a #epo#t
- !)n Unfinished %a#. -o#tu#e and Sexual Violence in S#i Lanka 1009;1023!
- by <asmin Sooka, an autho# of the UN 5anel of Expe#ts #epo#t on mass
at#ocities in S#i Lanka, -he Ga# &uman (i$hts Committee of En$land and
%ales /G&(C4 and -he ,nte#national -#uth L *ustice 5#oBect, S#i Lanka.
-he fi#st time the soldie#s #aped he# in the #ehabilitation camp, she
sta$$e#ed to the toilet to wash the blood off, befo#e #etu#nin$ to he# tent in
silence+ She didn=t b#eathe a wo#d fo# shame C and fea# that one of the
othe# fo#me# -amil -i$e# #ebels in the tent mi$ht be an info#me#+
>, did not tell the othe# women ,=d been #aped as it is not somethin$ we
would discuss in ou# cultu#e+ , suspected the othe# women in my tent we#e
also bein$ #aped but , did not ask them about it+ D'e# the enti#e pe#iod ,
was in this #ehabilitation camp none of us e'e# spoke about the #apes+:
,t=s ha#d to ima$ine the loneliness and mist#ust in that tent+ Vasantha
noticed sc#atch ma#ks f#om fin$e#nails on othe# women=s faces+ %hen they
washed in the open ai# showe#s, fully clothed, she spotted the b#uises on
thei# le$s+ Sometimes she hea#d sc#eamin$ f#om the main buildin$ whe#e
they we#e taken fo# inte##o$ation+ She watched othe# women bein$ taken
away at ni$ht and always #etu#nin$ 'ia the toilet and she knew why+
Vasantha was a 'i#$in until that ni$ht when two d#unken S#i Lankan
soldie#s placed a ba$ sp#ayed with pet#ol o'e# he# head and then #aped he#+
Some months late#, she was taken fo# inte##o$ation a$ain+ ) soldie# o#de#ed
he# to st#ip naked and when she t#ied to fi$ht him off, he knocked he# to
the $#ound and #aped he#, di$$in$ his nails into he# back so ha#d that the
sc#atches bled+ Gefo#e Vasantha could put he# ski#t back on a$ain, anothe#
man came into the #oom and sta#ted takin$ off his shi#t, t#ouse#s and
unde#wea#+ >&e pushed me to the floo#+ , t#ied to put up a #esistance but he
#aped me+ , could smell the alcohol on his b#eath+ , was exhausted and
fainted+ , cannot #ecall clea#ly what was happenin$ but , hea#d doo#s bein$
opened and closed and , think othe# people came into the #oom+: ,n pain
and bleedin$ hea'ily, Vasantha e'entually #etu#ned to he# tent, 'ia the
toilet once a$ain+
-he next time she was called fo# inte##o$ation, the soldie# used his
ci$a#ette butt to bu#n he# se'e#al times on the a#ms and thi$h, while sayin$
somethin$ in Sinhala that she couldn=t unde#stand+ Dnce he=d finished
#apin$ he#, a second man #aped he#+ Vasantha #emembe#s these fi#st two
smelt st#on$ly of ci$a#ettes+ ) thi#d man came, slapped he# ha#d when she
t#ied to #esist, and #aped he#+: , think the#e was a fou#th and fifth man as
well,: she says, >, was in and out of consciousness by then+?
Mmo#eN
Gack$#ound
U "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y %illiam &a$ue calls fo#
pe#pet#ato#s of sexual 'iolence in S#i Lanka!s
conflict to be b#ou$ht to account, speakin$ in
Colombo, No' 1028
-he ESVC summit follows the 7ecla#ation of Commitment to End Sexual
Violence in Conflict, tabled by the 6# &a$ue and endo#sed by two-thi#ds of
UN membe# states, which condemns the on-$oin$ use of sexual 'iolence in
conflicts and pled$ed to ensu#e Bustice fo# 'ictims+
S#i Lanka was hi$hli$hted by the US Sec#eta#y of State &illa#y Clinton as a
key count#y whe#e #ape was used as a tactic of wa#, in Dctobe# 1009, only
a few months afte# the a#med conflict ended+
)dd#essin$ an UN Secu#ity Council focused on #ape in wa#, she said.
?Now, #eadin$ the headlines, one mi$ht think that the use of #ape as a
tactic of wa# only happens occasionally, o# in a few places, like the
7emoc#atic (epublic of the Con$o o# Sudan+
-hat would be bad enou$h, but the #eality is much wo#se+ %e='e seen #ape
used as a tactic of wa# befo#e in Gosnia, Gu#ma, S#i Lanka, and elsewhe#e+
,n too many count#ies and in too many cases, the pe#pet#ato#s of this
'iolence a#e not punished, and so this impunity encou#a$es fu#the# attacks+
Speakin$ in Colombo in No'embe# last yea#, the U "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y
%illiam &a$ue calledfo# accountability and Bustice fo# 'ictims of sexual
'iolence by S#i Lanka!s a#med fo#ces as pa#t of the !O-ime-o)ct! campai$n.
?-o date, too little has been done, to hold people to account fo# c#imes of
sexual 'iolence+ -he alle$ations include #epo#ts f#om the UN panel of
expe#ts that #ape was used by $o'e#nment fo#ces du#in$ the final sta$es of
the conflict, and befo#e+:
>Claims f#om &uman (i$hts %atch that sexual to#tu#e has been used to
ext#act confessions and continued conce#ns of the 'ulne#ability of the
women and $i#ls to sexual ha#assment and abuse, pa#ticula#ly the ninety
thousand wa# widows li'in$ in a#eas with a la#$e milita#y p#esence+:
D#$y of (ape in "inal 7ays
5hoto$#aph Channel 3
)s the a#med conflict d#ew to an end, S#i Lanka!s soldie#s committed acts
of sexual 'iolence a$ainst -amil women and men, both ci'ilians and L--E
cad#e, at will+
Dne S#i Lankan soldie# told Channel 3 in *uly 1022.
?-hey MS#i Lankan soldie#sN shoot people at #andom, stab people, #ape
them, cut thei# ton$ues out, cut women!s b#easts off+ , ha'e witnessed all
this with my own eyes+ , ha'e seen small child#en layin$ dead+?
?,f they wanted to #ape a -amil $i#l, they could Bust beat he# and do it+ ,f
he# pa#ents t#ied to stop them, they could beat them o# kill them+ ,t was
thei# empi#e+?
?Dne day , saw a $#oup of six soldie#s #apin$ a youn$ -amil $i#l+ , saw this
with my own eyes+?
6uch of the photo$#aphic and 'ideo e'idence of sexual 'iolence in the final
sta$es of the a#med conflict eme#$ed in the fo#m of !t#ophy 'ideos!, filmed
by S#i Lankan soldie#s themsel'es whilst committin$ the c#imes+
Dne of the latest 'ideos to eme#$e depicts soldie#s pe#fo#min$ acts of
sexual 'iolence on the st#ipped, dead bodies of -amil L--E fi$hte#s+
Object 2
7esc#ibin$ the foota$e, acclaimed documenta#y make# and di#ecto# of !S#i
Lanka!s illin$ "ields!, Callum 6ac#ae said,
?Scatte#ed in the clea#in$ a#e the bodies of what appea# to be -amil -i$e#
#ebels+ -he women, but not the men, ha'e been st#ipped in a manna#
su$$estin$ sexual assault+ -hou$h many of these ima$es a#e too
dist#essin$ to be shown on tele'ision+
)t a couple of points as soldie#s lau$h, acts of $#otesAue sexual 'iolence
a#e pe#pet#ated on the bodies of one of the women+?
Simila#ly, the #ape and killin$ of L--E news ancho#, ,saiyap#iya, has come to
li$ht th#ou$h a se#ies of photo$#aphs depictin$ he# pa#tially naked in the
custody of milita#y pe#sonnel, befo#e bein$ sexually 'iolated and killed+
Object 3
7espite the $#owin$ numbe# of independently authenticated 'ideo foota$e
and photo$#aphs depictin$ soldie#s committin$ acts of sexual 'iolence, the
S#i Lankan $o'e#nment!s flatly #eBects all accusations+
(espondin$ to 'ideo foota$e published by Channel 3 News, the S#i Lankan
&i$h Commission in the U said in 6a#ch this yea#.
?<ou# latest attempt to deni$#ate S#i Lanka is a continuation of you#
pe#nicious campai$n that has al#eady been exposed in the book Co##upted
*ou#nalism Channel 3 and S#i Lanka+
<ou# alle$ations a#e such unmiti$ated and unsubstantiated #ubbish that you
make e'en $utte# Bou#nalism appea# to be 5ulitEe# 5#iEe-winnin$
p#ofessionalism+
%hat makes you# Bou#nalism doubly dubious and obnoxiously unbalanced is
that you expect us to comment on foota$e which, in fai#ness, we ha'e not
e'en been $i'en the oppo#tunity of seein$ o# hea#in$+
,t is a pity that you# continuin$ p#opa$andist 'endetta a$ainst S#i Lanka
only continues to unde#mine the p#ocess of #econciliation and healin$ that
we ha'e unde#taken afte# a nea# th#ee-decade lon$ te##o#ist wa#+
,t is ce#tainly not $oin$ to help those in S#i Lanka you p#etend you a#e
helpin$ but who only wish to li'e in peace without exte#nal meddlin$ and
postu#in$+
<ou# c#ude Bou#nalism exposes both Callum and you# calumny?+