Media Release ‘Police Shooting of Two Jaffna University Students in Jaffna:Friday Forum Calls for Reflection on Process of Demilitarisation’issued by the Friday Forum, on 10 November 2016, forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission
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10th November 2016
Media Release
Police Shooting of Two Jaffna University Students in Jaffna: Friday Forum Calls for Reflection on Process of Demilitarisation
The Friday Forum unequivocally condemns the police shooting of the two Jaffna University students, Vijayakumar Sulakshan and Nadarajah Gajan on 21 October 2016. This act of violence by the police in the name of law enforcement is a grim reminder of the brutality that plagues the police force. There is need for extensive overhaul and reform of the police service. In the North and East in particular, people have lost confidence in the state to ensure justice when their rights of personal security and protection are violated by law enforcement agencies. In this context, while five police officers have been arrested and an investigation is taking place, the successful pursuit of justice in this case of police shooting will be a litmus test of addressing impunity for such violations.
The tragic death of these university students should also be a moment to reflect on the extraordinary militarisation of our state and society over so many decades. An entrenched militarised policing culture has seeped into many aspects of our social, economic and political life and requires national reflection towards a far-reaching process of demilitarisation. It was only two years ago that the previous Government brought non-governmental organisations under the purview of Defence. Many of the senior administrators and officials such as Governors and diplomats were chosen from the ranks of the military. While the new Government reversed many of these moves, the pervasive militarisation that came with decades of armed conflict, and the attendant deterioration of the criminal justice system, remains an overwhelming challenge.
The continued militarisation of the post-war North and East is characterised by the extensive land held by the military, its inroads into the local economy and the widespread surveillance apparatuses that trouble the local population. These have to be addressed urgently. But militarisation is not limited to the North and East. It is present in many aspects of our national life including the large allocation in our annual Budget and the hundreds of thousands employed in the Defence sector. This is the fall-out of decades of armed conflict and there are no ready solutions to address them. The many young men and women in the military have to be given alternative opportunities for education and employment as has been found necessary in other countries after an armed conflict. It is worrying that over seven years later, we as a society have failed to even have an open national discussion on the importance of demilitarisation for meaningful peace and democracy.
To this day, many would have it taboo in the North to criticise the LTTE and they are generally thought of as martyrs; even the killings of other Tamils by the LTTE are swept under the carpet in public discourse. Similarly, calling for demilitarisation or criticising the armed force is considered taboo, because members of these forces are only perceived as “rana viru” or national heroes who ensured national security. This contributes to an unwillingness to investigate allegations of acts of abuse by the security forces. In the past and even recently, such abuse has been prosecuted in our courts, and offenders have been convicted and sentenced according to the ordinary law of the country, that must apply to all. Changing this mindset and prosecution of such offenders are both critical to a process of demilitarisation. The point here is not about apportioning blame. It is the responsibility of us all to address the tragic outcome of the conflict. Even as we seek to address the political failures and causes of the armed conflict through a process of a constitutional political solution, we must also take responsibility to address its consequences, including seeking avenues for reconciliation and demilitarisation.
This change of national mindset and critical self-reflection also requires reform and changes to our state institutions which reproduce and institutionalise militarisation. In addition to the reduction of the military, institutions of surveillance such as military intelligence and the Terrorism Investigation Department have to be abolished or reformed. When these agencies continue to function, they reinforce the culture of impunity for abuse of power. Furthermore, the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act, which came during the early years of the armed conflict and created a legal black hole of indefinite detention and abuse, should be repealed. Moves to merely replace one draconian regime with another, is unacceptable. Indeed, the international discourse of “war on terror”, anti-terror laws and counter-terrorism measures have been central to deepening and perpetuating militarisation in different forms. The Friday Forum calls for an honest appraisal and debate about the state of militarisation in our society and the appropriate role for the military in national life.
Mr. Ahilan Kadirgamar Prof. Savitri Goonesekere
For and on behalf of:
Mr. Ahilan Kadirgamar, Prof. Savitri Goonesekere, Prof. Arjuna Aluwihare, Dr. Ms. Selvy Thiruchandran, Rev. Dr. Jayasiri Peiris, Dr. A.C. Visvalingam, Ms. Shanthi Dias, Prof. Camena Guneratne, Bishop Duleep de Chickera, Mr. Priyantha Gamage, Ms. Suriya Wickremasinghe, Mr. Chandra Jayaratne, Mr. Prashan de Visser, Dr. Devanesan Nesiah, Mr. Javid Yusuf, Mr. Faiz-ur Rahman and Mr. S.C.C.Elankovan.
