gendered genocide sri lanka’s war against tamils

8/10/2019 Gendered Genocide Sri Lanka’s War Against Tamils

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Gendered Genocide: Sri

Lanka’s War Against Tamils

Tasha Manoranjan Tamil Guardian 17 Novemer !"1#

The $ollo%ing address %as delivered & Tasha Manoranjan' a graduate $rom (ale La%

School' and $ounder and director o$ )eo*le $or +,ualit& and -elie$ in Lanka .)+A-L/'

at the ’0eminisms' Structural iolence and Transitional 2ustice 3on$erence’ held at

(ork 4niversit&' Toronto last month5

6Tamil %omen have su$$ered dis*ro*ortionatel& throughout Sri Lanka’s

decadeslong ethnic con$lict5 The& have $aced oth the structural colla*se o$

communities as %ell as the erosion o$ societal norms5 8n res*onse' an

increasing numer o$ %omen joined the Lieration Tigers o$ Tamil +elam

.LTT+/ starting in the 19"s and throughout the &ears *rior to !""9' and

ecame an integral *art o$ the armed resistance against the government5

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As a result o$ *rolonged e;*osure to this con$lict' traditional Tamil gender

relations shi$ted dramaticall&5 Within Tamil societ&' %omen %ere historicall&

valued as the earers o$ culture' res*onsile *rimaril& $or maintaining the

home5 )arents care$ull& <*rotected= or controlled %omen $rom childhood

until marriage' %hen authorit& over them %ould trans$er to their husands5

>ue to the $act that %omen’s domains did not t&*icall& e;tend e&ond theirhouseholds' the& %ere generall& e;cluded $rom the *olitical *rocess5 Societ&

rigorousl& maintained the image o$ %omen as sacred earers o$ $amil& and

communit&' utili?ing $emales as s&molic markers to measure *urit& and

res*ect5 This cherished image o$ %omen rendered the violent e;*eriences

Tamil %omen $aced during the %ar traumatic not onl& $or them as

individuals' ut $or the entire Tamil societ& as %ell5

8n more recent &ears' Tamil %omen had joined the LTT+ in greater numers

than their male *eers5 Though $emale cadres had di$$erent *ersonal reasons

$or enlisting' man& joined a$ter e;*eriencing some $orm o$ injustice at the

hands o$ the Sri Lankan Arm&5 Most %omen came $rom the heavil&

militari?ed north5 The *ermanent insecurit& o$ this environment inculcated a

desire $or $reedom and statehood' %hich included the motivation to take u*

arms5 @ne LTT+ $ighter' Senthulasi' descried coming o$ age in 2a$$na' a

heavil&militari?ed cit&: er cousin %as ra*ed and killed & the Arm& on her

%a& home5 Senthulasi said she ran a%a& $rom home at the age o$ 1B' to join

the LTT+ and $ight against the hel*lessness she $elt dail&5 8n s*eaking to me'

she urged me to return to America and tell others aout Tamils’ *light5 She

%anted me to sa& ho% girls %ho should e carr&ing *encils and ooks %ereinstead carr&ing guns' kee*ing %atch over the orders o$ Tamil +elam

instead o$ stud&ing in school5 8 %as struck & the intensit& and commitment

she $elt $or the Tamil struggleC she s*oke so sim*l&' %ith heartreaking

honest&5

Although most %omen initiall& joined the LTT+ to $ind res*ite $rom this

su$$ocating *h&sical insecurit&' their involvement in the armed movement

had unintended' &et *ro$ound' cultural and social conse,uences5 Local

*s&chologists noted that $or Tamil %omen' <joining the militants D%as aElierating act' *romising them more $reedom and *o%erF5 Tamil societ& had

al%a&s su**ressed %omen into a suservient *ositionF it %as the %ar that

has had a lierating role5= Man& o$ the $emale Tamil cadres %ith %hom 8

s*oke e;*ressed their desire to $ight $or the lieration o$ oth their ethnicit&

and also their suservient *osition in Tamil societ&5

When %omen $irst egan to join the LTT+' the& *rimaril& %orked in service



and su**ort roles as caregivers $or the %ounded' ut later took on *ositions

as $rontline soldiers5 This initiall& met %ith o**osition $rom %ithin the

conservative Tamil communit&5 Man& o$ the earlier $emale cadres re*orted

that male Tigers <%anted them to $lee %ith the civilians5= Women had to

demonstrate their strength and com*etence to earn the res*ect o$ male LTT+

cadresC one cadre told me %omen %ere <challenged to li$t igger oms= to*rove themselves5 @ne can also attriute the acce*tance o$ %omen’s

*artici*ation in the %ar to the government’s indiscriminate omings o$

civilian homes and schools: <a clear se;ual division o$ laor in %arF usuall&

disa**ears %hen there is no clear di$$erentiation et%een the attle $ront’

and the home $ront’ or rear’5= Women %ere $orced to *rotect not onl& their

o%n *h&sical integrit&' ut also that o$ their children5 0emale cadres

eventuall& *rided themselves on *er$orming all tasks com*leted & their

male counter*arts5 The LTT+ even estalished male and $emale artiller&

divisions' des*ite douts that %omen could not manage an artiller& team due

to their %eight5 Another $emale cadre' 8saimo?hi' remarked %ith *ride that

the& sur*assed male cadres in certain areas o$ $ighting' such as shar*

shooting5

The LTT+ also e;*licitl& committed itsel$ to gender e,ualit& and %omen’s

em*o%erment5 The LTT+ e;*anded the agenc& o$ oth $emale cadres and

civilian %omen %ithin its territor& & aolishing the do%r& s&stem and

*romoting education5 8 %itnessed the e$$ects o$ this *olic&: 8 sa% illoards

denouncing the do%r& s&stem' encouraging $amilies to value children o$ oth

genders e,uall&5 0emale civilians and cadres con$identl& drove motorc&clesin saris and helmets H unheard o$ a decade ago5

As Tamil %omen advanced to ne% roles in societ&' the& strove to reali?e their

*olitical as*irations5 The $emale cadres %ith %hom 8 s*oke said that Sri

Lankan soldiers $ought onl& $or a *a&check' %hereas the LTT+ $ought $or the

$reedom o$ their *eo*le and land5 8saimo?hi said she aimed to kill on the

attle$ield' ut simultaneousl& regretted that violence %as the onl& %a& to

actuali?e +elam5 8saimo?hi cited the decades o$ *olice rutalit&'

discrimination' and re*ression o$ Tamil rights' and concluded that %ar %asthe onl& *ath to $reedom5 8saimo?hi told me' <Tamils have een living as

slaves $or the Sinhalese $or decades5 We can’t live like that an&more5 We have

to all achieve $reedom or %e have to all die tr&ing5=

Se;ual assault has een a *erennial $eature o$ Sri Lanka’s con$lict' and is

traditionall& considered a $ate %orse than death in the Tamil communit&5

@ne $emale LTT+ cadre' engai' descried to me the strict *olic& o$ never



leaving a $allen cadre’s od& ehind5 She remarked' <8t is %orth risking m&

li$e to save the li$eless od& o$ another $emale cadreF5 8t %ould e easier to

acce*t m& o%n death' than the mutilation o$ their odies and s*irits5= Stories

concerning the ra*e and mutilation o$ %omen are %ellkno%n among

TamilsC Irishanthi Iumaras%ami’s death is *articularl& in$amous5

Iumaras%ami %as an eighteen &ear old Tamil student %ho %as arrested %hile *assing through a Sri Lankan Arm& check*oint in 199J5 er mother'

&ounger rother' and a neighor %ent to the check*oint that a$ternoon to

$ind her' re$using to leave until she returned sa$el& %ith them5 The soldiers

killed all three o$ them5 An hour later' the& gang ra*ed Irishanthi and uried

her od&5 -e$lecting the signi$icance o$ this crime %ithin the Tamil

communit&' a Tamil schoolteacher )admini Ganesan' said' <+ver& Tamil

rememers the Irishanthi caseF5 0or us' the check*oints are slo%motion:

the trauma and the $ear that %e go through5=

o%ever' these stories do more than re$lect on the vulnerale *osition o$

%omen in con$lict5 0or man& Tamils' the high rates o$ se;ual assault against

Tamil %omen in the %ar re*resented an attack on the integrit& o$ their

communit&5

>i$$erence et%een %omen *re and *ost!""9

Women have een uni,uel& a$$ected and indeed' targeted' throughout Sri

Lanka’s %ar5 )ost !""9' Tamil %omen have een targeted *articularl& ecause o$ the active role the& *la&ed during the armed struggle5 Women

%ho %ere in the LTT+' or are *erceived as eing su**ortive o$ the LTT+ H as

all anni Tamils are *erceived H are *unished as a collective & trium*hant

Sri Lankan $orces5

A re*ort released in March !"1# & (asmin Sooka' one o$ the e;*erts

a**ointed & the 4N Secretar&General to re*ort on Sri Lanka' $ound:

<Aduction' aritrar& detention' torture' ra*e and se;ual violence have

increased in the *ost%ar *eriod F 5 These %ides*read and s&stematic violations & the Sri Lankan securit& $orces occur in a manner that indicates

a coordinated' s&stematic *lan a**roved & the highest levels o$

government5=

8n testimonies revealing the e;tent o$ se;ual assault committed a$ter !""9'

survivors re*orted eing ra*ed & uni$ormed male o$$icers $rom the Sri

Lankan militar&51 @ne %oman %as told' <&ou Tamil' &ou slave' i$ %e make



&ou *regnant %e %ill make &ou aort F &ou are Tamil %e %ill ra*e &ou like

this' this is ho% &ou %ill e treated' even a$ter an aortion &ou %ill e ra*ed

again5=

-ecent re*orts $rom local human rights grou*s have documented hundreds

o$ Tamil %omen in northern Sri Lanka eing $orced to acce*t surgicalim*lantation o$ longterm irth control5 These re*orts add to *revious

re*orts o$ $orced sterili?ation o$ Tamil %omen oth during and a$ter the %ar5

0orced irth control

8n Ma& !""7' a con$idential cale $rom the 4nited States +mass& in

3olomo discussed <an +)>) medical doctor named >r5 Sinnathami' %ho

*er$ormed $orced aortions' o$ten under the guise o$ a regular checku*' on

Tamil %omen sus*ected o$ eing aligned %ith the LTT+5=

A ealth >e*artment re*ort $rom the Northern )rovince in !"1! $ound a K"

times higher rate o$ irth control im*lants o$ Tamil %omen in Mullaitivu'

com*ared to the much more densel&*o*ulated 2a$$na5 8n August !"1K'

government health %orkers $orced mothers to acce*t surgicall&im*lanted

irth control in three villages DDeravil' Ieranchi' alai*adduEE in

Iilinochchi5 When the %omen ojected' the nurses said that i$ the& did not

agree to the contrace*tive' the& could e denied treatment at the hos*ital in

the $uture5

According to the ome $or uman -ights .-/' an organi?ation %orking

to *rotect the $undamental rights o$ those living in Sri Lanka' more than

" *ercent o$ Tamil %omen in central Sri Lanka %ere o$$ered a lum* sum

*a&ment o$ usuall& B"" ru*ees in return $or their ailit& to re*roduce5 A$ter

receiving this *a&ment' %omen under%ent surgical sterili?ation5 Though

seemingl& small' the sum is large $or these *redominatel& *lantation

%orkers5 The *o*ulation o$ this Tamil grou* has dro**ed annuall& since

199J & $ive *ercent' %hereas the *o*ulation o$ the countr& overall has

gro%n & 1# *ercent5 - said: <This s&stematic *attern o$ authorit&sanctioned coerced sterili?ations ma& amount to an intentional destructionF

o$ the Tamil estate *o*ulation5=

8n contrast' *olice and arm& o$$icers have een encouraged to have a third

child' through *a&ment o$ 1""'""" ru*ees $rom the government5 The

o$$icers taking advantage o$ this o$$er are over%helmingl& Sinhalese5



3ases o$ coerced irth control and $orced sterili?ation are clear evidence o$

genocide5 The Genocide 3onvention oligation to *revent and *unish

genocide is not a matter o$ *olitical choice or calculation' ut one o$ inding

international la%5 The 4N Securit& 3ouncil should re$er Sri Lanka to the

8nternational 3riminal 3ourt $or investigation and *rosecutions into %ar

crimes' crimes against humanit& and genocide5 3oncurrentl&' courts incountries that ma& e;ercise jurisdiction over the events and alleged

*er*etrators should *rosecute these crimes5

>ee*l& entrenched' institutionali?ed im*unit& $or Sri Lanka’s *ast crimes

against Tamils has enaled ongoing violations against Tamil %omen to

$lourish5 Tamils currentl& live in an environment asent o$ oth %ar and

*eace5

3urrentl&' there is 1 soldier $or ever& K Tamils in the North: an

unconscional& high ratio given that %ar ostensil& ended over B &ears ago5

8n Tamils*eaking areas' the Sri Lankan militar& has increased its economic

role' e;*anded the amount o$ land it controls' and is essentiall& estalishing

itsel$ as a *ermanent' occu*&ing *resence5

The e;treme level o$ militari?ation uni,uel& a$$ects Tamil %omen5 There are

a**ro;imatel& 9"k $emaleheaded households a$ter the end o$ the armed

con$lict5 These %omen are es*eciall& vulnerale to se;ual violence due to the

militar&’s *redator& *ractices5

NG@s such as -W and 0reedom $rom Torture have re*orted on

%ides*read and s&stematic se;ual violence in$licted on Tamil %omen and

men' including in detention and <rehailitation= centres5

Local NG@s $ocusing on %omen’s rights have re*orted on $orced

conscri*tion o$ over 1"" .1"9/ &oung Tamil %omen and girls $rom anni into

the 99 Sinhalese militar&' under the *rete;t o$ *er$orming clerical %ork5

These %omen %ere not allo%ed to leave or contact their $amilies %henin$ormed that the& %ould e *er$orming militar& duties5 8n >ecemer !"1!'

thirteen o$ these %omen %ere admitted to Iillinochchi os*ital H man& %ere

unconscious5 The& %ere denied access to hos*ital sta$$' their $amilies' and a

local Tamil *arliamentarian %ho in,uired a$ter their condition5

3onclusion



Sri Lanka’s su$$ocating *olitical environment %ill onl& reed $urther violence

and instailit&5 Tamil %omen must *la& a greater role in the economic and

*olitical develo*ment o$ the northeastern regions o$ the countr&' and a just

*olitical solution must address their historicall& disadvantaged situation5

The LTT+ made strides in this direction %hen it conscientiousl& emraced a

*olic& o$ gender e,ualit&' oth in its armed movement and in its state uilding a**aratus5 The lives o$ %omen in LTT+controlled areas graduall&

ut markedl& im*roved over time5

These advances have een steadil& corroded a$ter the government’s

genocidal assault in earl& !""95 Where %omen once $elt sa$e and secure' the&

are no% vulnerale under the militar&’s ga?e and thum5

As evidence o$ ongoing atrocities adds to evidence o$ the !""9 massacres H

such as the mass graves $ound in Mullaitivu this &ear H international

*ressure $or justice $or Tamils is gro%ing5 The 4N 3- is currentl&

investigating violations o$ international la% in Sri Lanka' and %ill re*ort to

the 4N -3 ne;t March aout its $indings5 There are still signi$icant

ostacles im*eding a $uture in %hich Tamils live $reel& and in *eace' ut %e

must recogni?e ho% $ar %e have come since the horri$ic loodath o$ !""95

The %orld no% recogni?es SL as an authoritarian dictatorshi* that cannot e

trusted %ith the $ate o$ thousands o$ Tamils %ho %ere killed in !""95 0rom

this reali?ation' the %orld must recogni?e that SL cannot e trusted %ith the

*olitical $uture o$ Tamils either5=

)osted & Thavam

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gendered genocide sri lanka’s war against tamils

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