CHOGM Delegates Should Hang Their Heads In Shame

by Pearl Thevanayagam

(November 12,2013, London Sri Lanka Guardian) I ai!riya i bu" one o# "he "arge" o# Sinhala oldier $ I re!rodu%e here an ar"i%le I &ro"e "hree year ago and 'hogm delega"e hould "ake "hi !ie%e a an au"hen"i% do%umen"a"ion no"&i"h "anding "he #a%" "ha" "he !re iden"( bro"her and )e#en%e Se%re"ary Go"abhaya *a+a!ak a &ho i %hallenging "ha" "he &ar on e"hni% Tamil &a geno%ide$ Go"abhaya &an" "ho e a%%u ing "he governmen" o# geno%ide hould go "o ,ague and Geneva$ Li""le doe he kno& "heir re%ord o# &ar %rime are being !ro%e ed in bo"h %oun"rie $ Thi i e-uivalen" "o .orean %om#or" &omen no& &ell in"o "heir "&iligh" year eeking %om!en a"ion #rom "he /a!ane e #or a"ia"ing "heir lu " on "heir !ligh" a Pri oner o# 0ar$ Governmen" oldier &en" on a ram!age, ra!ed Tamil &omen re!ea"edly in 0anni$ 1" lea ", "he /a!ane e have in%e a!ologi ed$ 0hi"her Sri Lanka( governmen" &hi%h "ubbornly denie &ar %rime in%luding &an"on ra!e and !illaging o# Tamil !ro!er"ie $ I ai!riya and many o"her Tamil &omen &ere y "ema"i%ally ra!ed by governmen" oldier and "here i am!le eviden%e$ 'hogm a""endee hould hang "heir head in hame$ (2ar%h 23, 45#ord, Sri Lanka Guardian) I am in a dark room$ Tall bla%k6"runked !almyrah "ree are %ha ing me7 #alling over me and I am running$ 8very nigh" "hi i my re%urring dream$ I &ake u! #righ"ened and "hen I %ry abou" &ha" ha!!ened "o me in "ha" %ell$ The girl &ho &a e5amined by a ! y%hia"ri " in 45#ord ye "erday &a o!ening u! #or "he #ir "

"ime in "&o and a hal# year abou" her horrid e5!erien%e o# being dragged ou" and ra!ed almo " every nigh" #or 19 mon"h by "he governmen" oldier along &i"h #our o"her girl $ I have a""ended a ylum hearing #or "he la " 10 year and I have een !lay6a%"ing "o ob"ain re#ugee "a"u and I have heard enough lie $ :u" &hen I &i"ne ed "he "rauma he under&en" #ir "6hand a he rela"ed her e5!erien%e i" made me #uriou and made me &onder ho& "he governmen" or General ;on eka along &i"h "he main "ream media in 'olombo dare "o ay no %ivilian &ere harmed during "he la " "hroe o# "he &ar$ She al o bore a #emale baby &ho i no& "&o and a hal# year old a a re ul" o# "hi inhumane and barbari% a%" o# de!raved oldier &ho &en" on a ram!age ra!ing Tamil girl in 0anni$ I &ork #or no NG4 u%h a ,uman *igh" 0a"%h or 1mne "y In"erna"ional and I do no" !ro#i" #rom in"er!re"ing #or a ylum6 eeker &ho %anno" !eak 8ngli h and &ho are unable "o ob"ain Legal 1id$ Giving "he bene#i" o# a doub" le" u #orge" 0ikileak and ignore 'hannel 3 video $ <e "erday( e5!erien%e brough" me #la hba%k o# .ri han"hy .umara &amy "he 19 year old %hoolgirl ra!ed and killed by 11 oldier in "he Nor"h in /une 1==> a" a %he%k!oin" a he &a re"urning #rom i""ing her 1?L e5am along &i"h her mo"her (al o ra!ed)$ ,er bro"her and a neighbour &ho &en" in ear%h o# her &ere al o murdered by "he oldier $ The la"e .umar Ponnambalam and I &ere "he #ir " "o ee "he !u"ri#ied and ha%ked bodie brough" "o 'olombo in Se!"ember 1==>a" "he /udi%ial 2edi%al 4##i%er( !la%e and &e &ere no" allo&ed !ho"ogra!h $ The "en%h &a unbearable and "he #le h !eeled like boiled %hi%ken mea" #rom "he "ar!aulin &hi%h &a u ed "o "ie "he ha%ked body !ie%e $ There &ere blue nylon ro!e "ied round ea%h ne%k$ The bodie &ere "hen ordered "o be buried a" governmen" e5!en e o a no" "o dra& !ubli% ou"rage$ I" i "o "he %redi" o# Pre iden" .umara"unga, being a &oman, &ho admi""ed "here hould be a "rial6a" @bar under !re ure #rom 1mne "y In"erna"ional and o"her media %overage and a a re ul" "he oldier &ere %harged &i"h man laugh"er and ra!e and en"en%ed$ :u" adly "he governmen" &hi%h "ook over managed "o relea e "he u !e%" on bail and ub e-uen"ly #reed "hem$ The girl men"ioned earlier &a born &i"h lo& IA and I a& "he %ar o# burn &i"h beedi bu"" on her !riva"e !ar" $ She #ain"ed righ" in #ron" o# me and in+ured her knee$ She #ell !ro "a"e a" "he #ee" o# "he ! y%hia"ri " and !leaded &i"h her no" "o le" her go ou" o# even "he %on ul"ing room in%e he &a %ared "ha" he &ould be ra!ed ou" ide$ She %ould no" bear "o be "ou%hed by "he #emale ! y%hia"ri " and he &a relu%"an" even "o !eak "o me aying very o#"en, B<ou &on(" "ell my i "er, &ill youCD She had a %reaming #i" &hen he a& "he ho !i"al !or"er in uni#orm and ran #or her li#e$ I need no" go on abou" &ha" &en" on during "he "&o hour o# e5amina"ion$ The &ound have healed$

The %hild i ha!!y and heal"hy$ Thank God, aid "he ! y%hia"ri " "ha" i" i a #emale %hild$ 4"her&i e "he mo"her &ould have been unable "o bond i# i" had been a boy, remembering her ra!i " $ Should &e bide "ime and u##er in ilen%e like "he .orean &omen did #or nigh on >0 year #or /a!an "o admi" and a!ologi e$ The !re en" LL*' i an eye6&a h and EN doe no" eem "o be "aking &ar %rime 0ar %rime mu " be inve "iga"ed$ 4"her&i e &e have #ailed a humankind$ eriou ly$

(The &ri"er ha been a +ournali " #or 23 year and &orked in na"ional ne& !a!er a ub6edi"or, ne& re!or"er and ne& edi"or$ She &a 'olombo 'orre !onden" #or Time o# India and ha %on"ribu"ed "o 0all S"ree" /ournal &here he &a on &ork e5!erien%e #rom The Gradua"e S%hool o# /ournali m, E' :erkeley, 'ali#ornia$ 'urren"ly re iding in E. he i al o %o6#ounder o# 8/N (85iled /ournali " Ne"&ork) E. in 200F "he member hi! o# &hi%h i 200 #rom 30 %oun"rie $ She %an be rea%hed a" !earl"hevaGho"mail$%om)