Journey to Jaffna: hopes for reconstruction, amidst past and current violence
Jaffna (AsiaNews) - After decades of civil war, the Sri Lankan government is concerned about the development of North Sri Lanka. But not its human development. Residents of Jaffna, mostly victims of war, accuse the government led by the Sinhalese victors "have destroyed our education system and economy." They are asking Colombo to correct the many mistakes that have destroyed thousands of lives and property. "You have done this".
The National Fisheries Solidarity Movement organized a solidarity trip to Jaffna, 11 to June 13, of about 52 people. The AsiaNews correspondent recounts her experience. Although three days to visit Jaffna, to meet the people and hear their story is little.
In the area of Jaffna, the continuous army checkpoints have been removed. There are no more zealous soldiers who ask where you are going and check everything. For the first time after decades of civil war. Only in Alimankada, Elephant Pass, must travellers stop, register their vehicles, listen to instructions from the army. The soldiers handed us a sheet with 20 warnings, written in Sinhala, on how we should behave in the Jaffna peninsula. Some information is important, such as "Jaffna is a sacred territory." "Today you are entering a historical and sacred area where simple and peaceful people live, who have been seriously tried". "The area is not completely calm and therefore you must be careful", "acting with the utmost respect for Hindu places of worship".
On the A9 road there are many small shops, tea rooms, but they are overshadowed by popular Jana Avanhala restaurants, more modern and well furnished, run by the military. There are about 10 restaurants of this type, operated by different divisions and brigades of the military. We stop for lunch in the area of Mankulam. An elderly man with a small cart is selling ice cream. He vents his frustration; “we [the local people] have nothing, we have to start from scratch and slowly build our business. The army has the resources to build large structures, coolers, tables and chairs, everything, they also have people to work. Visitors arriving by bus and vans from the south to go the big restaurants run by the army. They do not come to us. Many tourists are Sinhalese and prefer to go to restaurants operated by Sinhalese soldiers. So even though thousands of buses and vans travel the A9 road, we have little business and it's really hard to improve and develop our tearooms”.
The Sri Lankan army also provides tourists places to stay at a reasonable cost for one or more days without problems. Along the A9 towards Kilinochi and Elephant Pass, as well as in local villages such as Pooneryn, there are monuments built by the military. These monuments symbolize the victory of the military and government, but for most of the Tamils with whom I spoke they are a sign of the military domination of their land. And the celebration of a war that killed or crippled thousands of people they love. There is no monument in memory of the thousands of Tamil civilians killed or disappeared during the war. I asked several times in different places to different people if there are monuments to commemorate the thousands of civilian casualties, but there were none. Even worse is the destruction of cemeteries of rebel Tamil Tigers (LTTE) carried out by the army. In Jaffna this destruction is widespread. I have repeatedly said that the Tamil Tigers, despite their violence and brutality, have always had the tradition of honouring their dead and to ensure that family and friends could visit the graves of their loved ones and to perform religious rituals, especially in recurrences such as the day of birth or death. But now these families no longer have a place to commemorate their loved ones. (Yesterday, the Sri Lankan government commemorated its war heroes with great fanfare).
In the town of Kilinochchi, where the great tower was destroyed by the LTTE, near the main road we met an old man who complains of not being able to return to his homeland. He tells us that "I once tried to return to my land, but a military man suddenly took me by the throat and told me to leave. But that's my land. I do not know how to explain to the army that this land is mine and I want to go back”. His tears fall as he tells us his story.
We met many people in Jaffna, the leaders of fishermen's groups and popular organizations, academics and students and many refugees. Over the three days we were there we spoke with them at length. Residents are still suspicious towards the Sinhala South. They explain that the Sinhalese government, which has led Sri Lanka for the past 3-4 decades, destroyed their education system and economy. They want the same rights as the Sinhalese. They ask us to tell the Sinhalese population to understand them, to understand the Tamil culture and faith, to understand that - as the President Mahinda Rajapaksa says - Sri Lanka has only two groups of people: those who love the country and who betray it. "We – they tell us - need a political solution, not aid or the construction of roads and bridges and buildings. We have a rich, red soil, we have enough resources, let us live in a peaceful and just society. "
Along the A9 road and the area around Jaffna is very calm and quiet. There are many grocery and liquor stores, restaurants, hotels and more, Jaffna looks like a modern city like Colombo. Many forecast its rapid development, both material and cultural.
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16/01/2023 12:07
