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Rights and Reconciliation for Women in Sri Lanka

This programme highlights, through their art, the hopes and fears of minority women and their thoughts on the possibility of reconciliation.

The chapters

178 women affected by war in Sri Lanka used drawing and poetry to explore their feeling about the war, their losses, reconciliation and the future.

  • 01
    Introduction

    Reconciliation is on everyone’s lips in Sri Lanka. But there is still little agreement on what it really means, particularly for those most affected by the conflict – Sri Lanka’s minority women. Today, years after the formal end of the…

    0 min read

  • 02
    What we did

    Meaningful efforts towards reconciliation must involve all the different groups – Tamils and Sinhalese; Buddhists, Christians and Muslims; men and women – to be sustainable. MRG’s previous research had highlighted the absence of a…

    6 min read

  • 03
    What we found

    Most participants did not feel that they were participating or involved in any reconciliation process, nor that they were ready to do so – in many cases, their understanding of reconciliation was overshadowed or suppressed by the trauma they…

    5 min read

  • 04
    MRG’s work in Sri Lanka

    MRG began working in Sri Lanka in 2009, implementing capacity building programmes for minority activists across the country. In addition, because staff members working for many human rights organizations were not allowed into Sri Lanka, it was…

    1 min read

  • 05
    Political background

    Sri Lanka’s 30-year-long civil war ended on 29 May 2009 when the government declared victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who had been fighting for a separate state for minority Tamils in the country’s north and…

    1 min read

  • Reconciliation is on everyone’s lips in Sri Lanka. But there is still little agreement on what it really means, particularly for those most affected by the conflict – Sri Lanka’s minority women. Today, years after the formal end of the conflict in 2009, many still face chronic insecurity, protracted displacement, limited livelihood options and the continued threat of sexual violence. A large number, having been widowed during the war, are now the sole breadwinners for their families. In 2013, MRG, in partnership with local rights groups, initiated a programme to provide minority women with a platform to voice their thoughts on the conflict and its legacy. Working with 178 women in six former conflict areas in the north and east of Sri Lanka, the project employed drawing and poetry as a way for participants to explore their feeling about the war, their losses, the search for justice and their future prospects.

    Flying in the sky is not my desire
    It is just to walk
    Who came as my partner
    Gone far away
    I break at my
    Very simple needs
    Of my only son
    Need to find a job daily
    to have my meals
    God is the only light I have faith in
    That is all my yearning

    Hindu Tamil woman, aged 32

    Though some women were cautiously optimistic about the future, others still felt unable to move on.  Many found it very difficult to trust in the authorities. For a large majority, however, the effects of the conflict were still being felt and justice, security and development – all necessary elements in the reconciliation process – remained unrealized several years on. This project highlights, through their art, the hopes and fears of minority women and their thoughts on the possibility of reconciliation.

  • Meaningful efforts towards reconciliation must involve all the different groups – Tamils and Sinhalese; Buddhists, Christians and Muslims; men and women – to be sustainable. MRG’s previous research had highlighted the absence of a platform for minority women to articulate their thoughts and concerns on the country’s future. To address this, a pioneering project was designed by MRG and a local partner organization, Women’s Action Network (WAN), with the aim of giving a voice to war affected women on the urgent issue of reconciliation.

    As the needs of minority women are especially acute, it was essential to gather first-hand testimony from representatives of this group to gauge their impressions of the steps the country should take to ensure lasting peace. However, as many of them had been traumatized by the conflict, it was understandable that some respondents would find it difficult to articulate their views directly. The project was therefore designed, through art and poetry, to help war affected women explore their feelings in ways they might find more accessible than a standard interview format.

    After designing the process, another partner took on the work of running the project.  They appointed a woman consultant who selected six local organizers – one for each of the target districts – to identify diverse groups of war affected women who were willing to take part in the project. Originally, to allow the women to develop trust in the facilitators and to produce more complex and developed artistic pieces, it was hoped that each woman would attend a three-day workshop. However, as the security situation was tense and it was felt this might attract unwanted attention, the design was changed so that the women attended a one-day workshop but had a preparatory session with the local organizer at their house before the workshop to familiarize them with the format of the event in advance.

    The workshops were held in October and November 2014 in the following districts: Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaittivu, Trincomalee and Batticaloa. The following table shows the number of participants per district and their ethnicity.

    District Ethnicity Religion Total
     Tamil Muslim Christian Hindu
    1 Jaffna 29 0 17  12  29
    2 Killinochchi 34 0 13 21 34
    3 Mannar 23 3 14 9 26
    4 Mullaittivu 31 0 14 17 31
    5 Batticaloa 27 4 11 16 31
    6 Trincomalee 27 0 13 14 27
    Total 171 7 82 89 178

     

    On the day of workshop, the program began with a song meditation and recollection of the participants’ past as well as present experiences. The facilitator discussed the concept of facilitation with them for around 30 minutes. Four hours of the day were allocated to a session on art and another three hours for poetry.

    During the art sessions, the women participants were divided into five groups. Each group was given a scribbled white sheet to find figures in the scribbled lines and paint with oil pastels. This was a joint activity. Within an hour they actively participated and submitted their group work. This was mainly to build confidence among participants as most of them were middle-aged women with little or no prior experience of drawing. The facilitators emphasized that there was no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way of drawing in the exercise: participants were encouraged to present their thoughts and ideas on paper any way they chose.

    The facilitator next handed out narrow strips of white card and requested each participant to fill a square on the edge of the card with their favourite colour. They were then given paper for sketching and were asked to consider their views on reconciliation. The facilitator asked them to draw whatever images came to mind and then, once the sketches were completed, provided each participant with a white board and pastels to paint with their favourite colour pinned to the bottom right corner. The identification of their favourite colour was useful for the facilitator to understand their emotions and traumas: some of the participants did not use this colour in the drawing at all, suggesting that they were not at all happy with their present situation. Finally, when all participants had finished drawing they were given an opportunity to explain what they drew, why they drew it and how they felt during the process of drawing. The best drawings were selected for videoing.

    During the poetry session, the facilitator began with a warm up exercise, working with the participants as one group to identify rhyming words that could be used at the end of each line. The objective of this exercise was again to build their confidence and help them express their experience clearly in poetic form. After this exercise, the facilitator went through three stages of poem writing: participants were first asked to write a poem on the reconciliation of their family, then of their village and finally of the country as a whole. At each stage the facilitator gave opportunities for the volunteers to read their poems and improve their writing through positive feedback. After the final round of composition, the participants were invited to recite their poems to the group or, if they were not willing, individually to the facilitator alone. A number of poems were selected and their authors were filmed reciting them.

    Challenges

    In the precarious context of the former conflict areas where the workshops took place, there were a number of obstacles which affected the project:

    Security

    This project was designed and implemented at a time when raising the issue of reconciliation, outside of the government’s narrative, was dangerous. In addition, it was extremely difficult to work in the former conflict areas due to the high level of surveillance and limited freedom of movement, expression and association. The involvement of an international organization, especially one working on human rights, was also problematic:  events had to be deliberately timed when there was no international focus on the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, such as during a UN Human Rights Council session, as military surveillance around those times typically increases.

    The local partners faced a number of risks working with MRG and receiving foreign funding to implement the project. As there are only a few community-based organizations (CBOs) active on gender issues in the former conflict zone, the risk to them had to be carefully evaluated as, besides the immediate threat to the people involved and the programme itself, this association and type of work could have compromised their future projects. As a result, it took a while before CBOs and some women activists felt comfortable to be associated with the programme.

    Originally MRG and its partners had hoped to use drama alongside poetry and art to explore the reconciliation theme.  However, this element of the design was revised for two main reasons. Firstly, as the workshops were only a single day, it was not possible to work with three different art forms.   Secondly, as parts of each session were being filmed, it was uncertain if participants would be willing to be so visible.

    Continuing distress of participants

    The trainers found there were instances when they were unable to deal with issues of trauma that came up among some participants.

    Education and awareness levels of the participants

    Many of the women who participated in the workshop had a low level of education and literacy. As a result, the facilitators needed to find relevant and meaningful ways to discuss abstract concepts such as reconciliation. In addition, they also lacked confidence in their ability to engage in art and poetry.

    Language

    The translation of the poetry into English had to be done in such a way that the meaning and representation were retained while also replicating the rhythm of the original Tamil.

    Domestic responsibilities of participants: Almost all the women who participated in the workshop were the main carers for their children and elderly relatives. Some of them had difficulties finding alternative care arrangements.

  • Most participants did not feel that they were participating or involved in any reconciliation process, nor that they were ready to do so – in many cases, their understanding of reconciliation was overshadowed or suppressed by the trauma they had suffered during the last stages of the war and their ongoing difficulties.

    Most of the women’s art focused on their current situation, which they explained needed to be addressed before any lasting reconciliation process could take root. In many cases the participants were unable to see beyond their immediate problems, which were often very serious –  the disappearance or death of loved ones, for example, as well as more practical concerns such as access to a job or housing. It was evident that the failure to resolve these issues was a major obstacle to reconciliation in Sri Lanka.

    True reconciliation can only begin once citizens feel secure

    ‘The problem is not over yet.  We are not sure if the kidnappings are over.’

    Hindu woman, 53, Trincomalee

    There were recurring references to continuing rights violations and limitations on freedoms. One of the participants claimed that arrests by government forces were ongoing, with civilians kept in detention while family members were not provided any information on their situation.

    ‘They are continuously involved in arresting our people. Now they are keeping them in prison permanently. They don’t have intension to release our people.  So we are living with fear and we have no difference between now and the past. Still we are living restless lives.’

    Hindu woman, 44, Trincomalee

    Reconciliation will not happen until people can speak freely and without fear

    ‘Our lives are still bounded by barbed wire.’

    Christian woman, 24, Mannar

    Basic freedoms in many former conflict zones in Sri Lanka continue to be severely restricted. This repressive climate, described by a number of participants, is a major barrier to any meaningful steps towards reconciliation.

    ‘In Sri Lanka, we don’t have freedom. When compared with other countries we are living without basic freedoms here. We want to enjoy the right to speak. We cannot express our thoughts and concerns freely.’

    Muslim woman, 40, Mannar

    Reconciliation must begin with justice for the families of those who were killed, disappeared or arrested and never returned

    The search for truth and accountability resonated in many of the poems and art work. Women whose family members had disappeared or were arrested felt there could be no reconciliation until the fate of their loved ones was known and acknowledged. They also wanted justice. Almost every participant had lost a loved one during the last stages of the war and their continued grief was evident in their work.

    Reconciliation may begin when trust starts to rebuild – but do 30 years of war mean 30 years of distrust?

    A key finding was the continued lack of trust in the Sri Lankan government at the time. This, as described by many participants, made any engagement in reconciliation suspect. Many pieces displayed considerable scepticism about the intentions of authorities and any attempt by them to build trust:

    Reconciliation is a
    Cunning drama of government to protect itself.
    It is a plan to cheat us
    and pull us into a bottomless pit.
    Those who trust it are like
    the deer who run after a mirage.

    Hindu Tamil woman, 52, Mannar

    There were also references to the military and government agents as occupiers, with one painting depicting sweets, butterflies and scorpions spilling from the mouth of a figure identified as a politician who lies and convinces people he is doing good when he is doing bad.  In most cases, black and dark colours were used to draw soldiers or state symbols, indicating that participants had a negative association with them.

    So, will you do as you promised?
    Once you are seated on the throne again, will you disrespect us?
    It’s fine!
    You will again become a normal man- then you will understand who we are!

    Hindu woman, 34, Mullaittivu

     

    Reconciliation is a fraud
    It is a drama of dissembling…

    Christian woman, 44, Mannar

    Reconciliation requires equal access to resources such as land, housing and livelihood opportunities

    ‘This place is like this when we came here after displacement and still it looks like the same.  We are not given a house though we are three members in our family. But my husband lost his left hand completely. We are still residing in a temporary shelter in this place.’

    Hindu woman, 52, Mullai

     

    All I need is –
    Work for survival
    Meals three times a day
    I trust God, for
    There will be a dawn!

    Hindu woman, 32, Killinochchi

    There were frequent references to the impact of displacement. Some pictures were focused around houses, highlighting how a home is associated with stability and security as well as dispossession and dislocation. In their narratives some participants talked of their lands and houses being occupied by others, with most referencing the military.

    ‘Our land belongs to us. Others should not occupy it forcefully and deprive us of our land.

    Hindu woman, 47, Mullai

    Another recurring issue raised by participants was the limited income opportunities available and their lack of access to resources, including water:

    ‘We are not happy as we are not able to live in our original places. We are struggling to get drinking water.’

    Hindu woman, 60, Trincomalee

    What public assistance has been made available to communities can create further problems. For example, one participant reported that government support was not equitably distributed amongst all victims, which was causing conflict in the village.

    Reconciliation is still possible – but only if the traumatic legacy of the conflict is addressed

    The most obvious finding that emerged from this project, through observations of the trainers and interpretation of the work, was the acute level of trauma that many of the victims continue to face. This was evident in the fact that hardly any of the participants used their favourite colour in their pictures and instead employed dark shades, including black – which has a negative representation in Tamil culture – and red. Many paintings also focused on the war, depicting marching soldiers and bombing raids, suggesting that their memories on the conflict were still raw several years on.

    Nevertheless, despite the overwhelming suffering of many participants and the continued distrust of the authorities, some women expressed tentative hopes for a more harmonius future in Sri Lanka:

    Love is reconciliation
    Relationship is reconciliation
    Reconciliation is like a flower with fragrance
    Pleading you, reconciliation, come to us
    We have an eye on you…
    We have dreams…
    Don’t pass as a dream… come alive…
    Reconciliation…

    Muslim woman, Mannar, 40

  • MRG began working in Sri Lanka in 2009, implementing capacity building programmes for minority activists across the country. In addition, because staff members working for many human rights organizations were not allowed into Sri Lanka, it was one of the few international organizations to publish a number of first-hand research reports on human rights violations, focusing particularly on minorities. It became evident through its work with activists that the situation for minority women in the former conflict zones was worsening, and in 2013 MRG began a programme of work specifically on this issue. This research highlighted the fact that, while there was much debate and discussion on reconciliation in Sri Lanka, minority women – who were amongst the worst affected by the conflict – were still sidelined and their understanding of the concept was not making it into mainstream discourse.

  • Sri Lanka’s 30-year-long civil war ended on 29 May 2009 when the government declared victory against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who had been fighting for a separate state for minority Tamils in the country’s north and east. However, the formal end of the conflict left behind countless military and civilian casualties, as well as many victims of systematic dispossession of land and rights violations. In the last stages of the war, in particular, as fighting intensified, national and international human rights organizations drew attention to violations by both sides, including forced recruitment by LTTE militants, government embargos on basic necessities like medicines and the bombing of civilian protection zones, known as no-fire zones.

    An end to the war had been unthinkable to most Sri Lankans and was celebrated in many parts of the country. In the war-torn areas of the north and east, however, it was a different story, with hundreds of thousands of civilians who had survived the fighting forced into internment camps. International and national human rights monitors, humanitarian workers and the media were prevented from accessing these camps, and displaced people were not allowed any public contact. Many people, women in particular, were parted from their loved ones at army check points and did not hear from them again. Hundreds of Tamils, men in particular, were disappeared following their detention. To this day, the fate of many of these individuals remains unknown.

    Allegations of violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, were levelled against the Sri Lankan government by a number of international actors. Finally, following heavy international pressure, authorities opened up the internment camps in 2010 and released the detainees, who then returned to bombed out villages with little or no remaining infrastructure.   Thousands were not able to return to their homes because their lands had been taken over by the military to create High Security Zones or allocated for new development opportunities in the area. These people had to remain in displacement camps. Meanwhile, the military presence in the area was still alarmingly high, while most of the survivors were single women who were especially vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation. In addition, surveillance by plainclothes intelligence officers and members of former paramilitary groups continued. In this environment, Tamils had very limited freedom of expression, association or movement: for many it was like being imprisoned in their own homes.

    In May 2010, in a bid to appease criticism, the government appointed the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) to investigate allegations of violations of international law. However, the LLRC lacked impartiality and its report, released in November 2011, was accused by critics of whitewashing the military. Nevertheless, it included some good recommendations on reconciliation – though the government failed to implement these fully. This followed the dismissal by Sri Lankan officials, some months before, of the findings of an expert UN panel that in March 2011 reported credible allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by both sides. The government subsequently refused to cooperate with any further international investigations and condemned several subsequent UN resolutions calling for an independent investigation into human rights abuses during the conflict.

    The government’s failure to ensure an equitable and secure environment for civilians, particularly minorities, in the aftermath of the conflict has meant that Sri Lanka’s human rights record continues to be characterized by killings, torture, abductions and other violations against a backdrop of impunity. Journalists and civil society activists have received death threats or been physically attacked. In her visit to the country in 2013, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights reported that Sri Lanka was slipping towards becoming an authoritarian state, while calls for justice and accountability for victims of the war were ignored or suppressed. Because of blanket censorship towards the end of the war, however, most Sri Lankans outside the affected areas were unaware of what had happened and felt the country was being unfairly targeted.

    Nevertheless, increasing disenchantment towards the government due to allegations of corruption and authoritarianism led to an unexpected victory against the incumbent Sri Lanka Freedom Party in national elections in January 2015. While the new President, Maithripala Sirisena, campaigned on the promise of a policy of ‘compassionate governance’ for the country, the implications for its conflict affected populations remain uncertain. Nevertheless, tentative hopes remain that the change of power could signal a broader transformation in the situation of minorities within Sri Lanka.