Sri Lanka: The Monument For The Disappeared

October 27, 2011

A Statement by the Asian Human Rights Commission

Large numbers of persons will gather at the Monument for the Disappeared at Raddoluwa Junction, Seeduwa today (October 27, 2011) to pay their respects to the disappeared persons in Sri Lanka and to demand justice on their behalf. This is annual event which has been since 1991 after the bodies of two persons were found near the site where the monument was erected. The formal erection of the monument started in 1999 and it was declared open on February 4, 2000.

These commemorations were a response to the massive number of disappearances which were happening at the time in the South. Between 1987 and 1991, according to government records collected through several commissions which were appointed to inquire into forced disappearances, around 30,000 people disappeared. The unofficial reports, however, give a much larger number. During the same period and the later years there were disappearances also in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Over the years family members of the disappeared from all parts of the country gathered at this monument and expressed their feelings and emotional attachments to the disappeared persons from their families.

The idea behind these commemorations has been influenced by thought movements throughout the world which highlighted the need to stop forced disappearances as one of the most heinous crimes; also the importance of memory in human society in order to prevent a great psychological and social disaster that could arise as a result of causing such forced disappearances; also the recognition of the needs of the families of the disappeared, who, like all other human beings, need to express their grief in the face of the great losses that took place in their families. Internationally, the search for justice for the disappeared became one of the central themes in the human rights discourse. This found expression by the adoption by the United Nations of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. A poem engraved in the monument symbolises these concerns.

This wreath
With no name attached
Is for you
Who has no grave

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I place this
Memorial for you
By the way side
As the place that touch your body
Could not be found

Forgive me
For placing
This wreath for you
By the way side.

The initiators of these commemorations had the support of the family members of the disappeared from the very start. These family members expressed their deep alienation from society as society in general has ignored the problem of forced disappearances and often treated the families of the disappeared as social outcasts. They expressed deep appreciation of these commemorations and the monument for the disappeared as they felt that it was a form of social recognition of the grievances of their families. Several families expressed that the monument has now become the graveyard of their disappeared loved ones and that on all important family days they would come to the monument in order to place flowers and offer prayers to their respective religions.

On the day of the disappearances the commemorations begin with the family members walking towards the photographs of their disappeared family member found in the wall of the monument. This wall is called the Wall of Tears. Thereafter, there is a public meeting at which the leaders of various religions and social movements address the gathering. At noon there is alms giving to the Buddhist monks as many of the disappeared are Buddhists and alms giving to the monks is a traditional way of commemorating the dead. Religious leaders of other faiths also perform ceremonies according to their religious rites.

Since 1991 this celebration has taken place continuously and members of all religions and others with their own idiosyncrasies have cooperated in these events.

However, in early October of this year, the parish priest, Parish priest, Rev. Father Prasad Perera, of the Raddoluwa church made some objections to the commemorations and filed a complaint at the Seeduwa Police Station claiming that the land on which the monuments stands belongs to the church and that the church wants the monument to be demolished. The Families of the Disappeared an, organisation involved in the commemorations were called to the police station and were asked to make a statement. Later, at the inquiry the parish priest accompanied by Fr. SriLal Manoj Perera, the Bishop's property caretaker, a lawyer Mr. Quintus Tissera and members of the church committee came before the police and requested them to demolish the monument.

The representatives of the Families of the Disappeared pointed out that the police have no powers to demolish the monument and in any event, the land where the monument stands has been exclusively used by the Families of the Disappeared for over 20 years during which time no claim has been made by the church about the ownership of the property.

The police told the delegation from the church that they had no power to adjudicate this issue as it is a civil dispute and that the church, if it wished to demolish the monument should go to the district court by way of a civil suit.

The Families of the Disappeared and also thousands of members of disappeared families as well as many others from civil society organisations who participate in these commemorations are shocked by the sudden move of this clergyman. Many believe that there may be some political instigation behind this move.

Today, the commemoration will take place as usual and the Families of the Disappeared and others will take all suitable action to protect this important monument which has now become an important cultural symbol in the locality as well as throughout Sri Lanka.

The readers are encouraged to write to the church authorities to protest this move to demolish the monument for the disappeared. The Asian Human Rights Commission has also written to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith to seek his intervention in this matter.

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About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation that monitors human rights in Asia, documents violations and advocates for justice and institutional reform to ensure the protection and promotion of these rights. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984.

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