A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Friday, May 26, 2017
JOINT STATEMENT: THE RIGHT TO MEMORIALISATION OF TAMILS & HARASSMENT OF TAMIL ACTIVIST LEADING MEMORIALISATION
Image: Preparations for the memorialisation includes carving names of the dead relatives on stones.
Fr’. Elil Rajan
We, the undersigned individuals and organisations, strongly condemn the
continued police harassment of Rev. Fr. Elil Rajendram, a Tamil Catholic
Priest belonging to the Society of Jesus (Jesuits), based in
Mullaithivu, Northern Sri Lanka.
Many of us have met and know of Fr. Elil through his human rights
activism. He has been working with Tamil war survivors and families of
victims, supporting their struggles and advocating for their rights. He
is known for his engagement and collaboration with Sinhalese activists
from other parts of Sri Lanka, inviting and hosting them in the North,
and often travelling down to Colombo for dialogues. He has also been
engaging with the international community and the government. Last year,
he had served as the district Chairperson of the Zonal Task Force of
the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms, an initiative
of the Sri Lankan government.
Fr. Elil was instrumental in organizing a memorial service in Mullivaikkaal on 18th May,
the day and place Sri Lanka’s three decade long war came a to a bloody
end. This year, the memorial involved families carving names of their
loved ones who had been killed in the war on stones, and placing them by
a monument that was placed there on the 18th of May last
year. Carving of names on stones was a way for family members to
remember their killed loved ones, especially as most had no grave.
During the preparations, the organizers were subjected to regular
surveillance and intimidation. Fr. Elil and the youth hired to inscribe
names on the stones, were then summoned and questioned by the Police on
16th and 19th May respectively. He was summoned to the Police again on 22nd May,
but was told by a senior police officer not to report to the police,
but that the investigation would continue, implying that he would be
subjected to continued scrutiny. A consistent demand of the police has
been a full list of the names that were, and were to be carved on the
stones. In the meantime, on 17th May, the police had obtained
a Court Order stopping Fr. Elil and others from holding the memorial
event at the pre-planned site in Mullivaikkaal. Though the Order was
challenged in the court, the courts didn’t allow the event to go ahead
as planned, and only allowed a memorial event to be held in the nearby
church.
At the same time, the Sri Lankan government had organized a memorial service for “war heroes” on 19th May,
in Colombo, with the patronage of the President. This was following a
series of such events throughout the country, during the month of May,
which had been named “War Heroes Month”.
The policy and practice of the present and former governments towards
remembrance of the war dead and memorialisation is blatantly
discriminatory towards Tamils, both dead and alive. This is a real
obstacle towards peace and unity, and if continued, would only add to
further polarisation and mistrust.
We affirm that all persons and communities have a right to cry and
grieve for family and community members killed, to erect monuments,
privately and publicly, individually and collectively. For many families
and friends whose loved ones were killed, this is a way to heal their
painful past, and move towards the future.
Thus, we appreciate and fully support the work of Fr. Elil and others,
towards the realisation of this universal right, which is a crucial
element of transitional justice and reconciliation. We express our
solidarity to them in the context of intimidation, threats and reprisals
from the government that they are current facing. We see their work as
crucial towards reconciliation and co-existence, and commit to support
them.
We call on the government to ensure the right to remember and
memorialisation of all communities, and stop the persecution of Fr. Elil
and others working to realise and promote this right. We condemn the
anti-reconciliation policies and actions of the government, extend
solidarity and stand by Fr. Elil and others facing persecution, and
extend our fullest support to them to continue their important work.
Signatories:Individuals
- Ainslie Joseph – Convenor/Chief Animator, Christian Alliance for Social Action (CASA)
- Ajayakumar M. K. – India
- Anandaraj L. Ponnambalam – New York, USA
- Annemari de Silva
- Anthony Mary Bastian Coonghe
- Anthony Row – General Secretary, Methodist Church in Malaysia
- Anthonyaiah Everest Dias CMF
- Antony Arulraj – Chennai, India
- Gowthaman
- Bishop Duleep de Chickera
- Bishop Kumara Illangasinghe
- Kangatheran
- Caryll Tozer
- Chandrika de Silva – Writer
- Crystal Fernando
- Damaris Wickremesekera
- Deanne Uyangoda
- Deekshya Illangasinghe
- Deshakeerthi Dr. Muhammed Muzzammil Cader – Chairperson, Zonal Task Force – Central Province
- Deshamanya Godfrey Yogarajah
- Dinal Edirisinghe
- Joe William
- Maureen Ernest
- Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu
- Dylan Perera – South Asian Centre for Legal Studies (SACLS)
- Jayasree – India
- Emil van der Poorten – A supporter of human and civic rights for ALL
- Farah Mihlar
- Frances Harrison
- Francis Xavier – India
- Fred Carver
- Freddy Gamage – Editor, Meepura
- George Mathen – India
- George Pulikuthiyil – India
- Hamshi Karunarajah
- Herman Kumara
- Hilary Wirasinha – Diocese of Colombo
- Yardsan Figurado
- A.N. Neil Priyantha Fernando – Activist for Social Justice
- Jacob Thacharattil – India
- Jake Oorloff – Artist
- Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala
- Jeanne Samuel
- Jey Iyadurai
- Joanne Senn
- John Kavalakkatt – India
- Johnson Ainikal – India
- Aingkaran – Attorney-at-Law
- J. Brito Fernando
- Kalani Subasinghe
- Kochurani Abraham – India
- Kolitha Bandara
- Kumaran Nadesan
- Kusumam Joseph – India
- Lakshan Dias – Christian Rights Front
- Leslie Augustin
- Logan Rasiah
- Lourdes Joseph
- Lucille Abeykoon
- L. Rohan Peries
- Manju Kulappuram – India
- Mario Arulthas
- Mario Gomez
- Marisa de Silva
- Melani Manel Perera – Journalist
- Melisha Yapa
- Mohammed Majeed Jansila – Women Activists, Mullaithivu
- Mohammed Thahir Kubais – Social Activists, Mullaithivu
- N. Gokuldas – India
- Nagulan Nesiah
- Nigel Nugawela
- Nilshan Fonseka
- Nirmanusan Balasundaram
- Nishanthini Stalin George – Women Activist
- Selvaratnam
- Sunilkumar – India
- J. Williams
- M. Mujeebur Rahman – Journalist and Human Rights Defender
- N. Singham – Activist
- Parakrama Niriella – Dramatist
- Paul Joseph Kattookaren – India
- Prathibha Perera
- Jayantha Seneviratne
- Kumar David – LSSP (MG) – Signing in a personal capacity
- Ralston Weinman
- Bro. Jurinesz R. Shadrach – Church of Ceylon, Diocese of Colombo
- Bro. Marious Croos
- Bro. Shabilaash
- Dr. Jayasiri T. Peiris – Principal, Theological College of Lanka, Pilimatalawa
- E.C. Handy
- Fr. A.A. Surendrakumar, CMF
- Fr. Aloysius Pieris, SJ
- Fr. Chandran Crispus
- Fr. F.J.G. Croos (Nehru)
- Fr. J.C. Paul Rohan
- Fr. Jeevantha Peiris
- Fr. Jeevaraj Thangarasa, SJ
- Fr. Jeyabalan Croos
- Fr. Lionel Peiris, SSF (Society of St. Francis – Anglican Franciscans)
- Fr. M. V. E. Ravichandran
- Fr. Manoj Rasanjana, OP (Order of Preachers)
- Fr. Nandana Manatunga
- Fr. Nandana Saparamadu
- Fr. Niroshan de Mel
- Fr. Oswald Firth, OMI
- Fr. Pan Jordan
- Fr. Reid Shelton Fernando
- Fr. Rohan Dominic
- Fr. S.D.P. Selvan
- Fr. Sarath Iddamalgoda – Christian Solidarity Movement
- Fr. Sherard Jayawardane
- Fr. Terence Fernando
- Jason J. Selvaraja – Assembly of God, Chavakachcheri
- Maxwell Doss
- Sr. Beatrice Fernando, SDS
- Sr. Jenita Ragel
- Sr. Jeyam
- Sr. Matilda Lazarus
- Sr. Naomi
- Sr. Nichola
- Sr. Noel Christine Fernando
- Sr. Patricia Sandana Savary, SDS
- Sr. Rajeswary Arokianathar, SDS
- Sr. Rasika Pieris
- Rex Bowie
- Richard Gowing
- Rohini Hensman – Writer and Activist
- Revd. Dan Kgomosotho Dd(Hc) – Bishop of Mpumalanga, South Africa
- Ruki Fernando
- C.C. Elankovan
- Sampath Samarakoon – Editor, Vikalpa
- Sarah Arumugam – Attorney-at-Law
- Sebastian K. Jose – India
- Selvaraja Rajasegar
- Selvy Thiruchandran
- Shayma Silva
- Sheila Richards
- Shenali De Silva
- Shiran Illanperuma
- Shreen Abdul Saroor
- Sinthuka Vivekananthan – Youth Activist
- Sivasanthirabos Sureshkumar
- Sivasaravanabavan Sunthareswaran – Civil Society Activist, Tamil Civil Society
Forum (TCSF), Jaffna - Sunanda Deshapriya
- Suren D. Perera
- Suresh Babu – India
- Balamurukan
- Theepa So
- Thomas Htang Shan Mong – Director, Justice and Peace Commission (CBCM),
Yangon, Myanmar - Thyagi Ruwanpathirana
- Udaya Kalupathirana
- Jemstan Loga
- Perera
- Yasmin Sooka
Organisations
- Centre for Police Alternatives (CPA)
- Families of the Disappeared (FoD)
- Human Rights Office, Kandy (HRO)
- INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre
- International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP)
- Mannar Social and Economic Development Organization
- National Christian Evangelical Alliance of Sri Lanka (NCEASL)
- National Fisheries Solidarity Organization (NAFSO)
- Sri Lanka Campaign (SLC)