Sri Lanka the Levels of Violence During the War & After

8/11/2019 Sri Lanka the Levels of ViolenceDuring the War & After

1/5

Sri Lanka: The Levels Of Violence During The War & After

| by Robert C. Oberst

( August 19, 2014,Lincoln - NE , ri L!n"! #u!r$i!n% &i'e ye!rs !go, t e ri L!n"!n security )orces!c ie'e$ * !t !$ been belie'e$ to be !n i+ ossible t!s". ey not only $e)e!te$ t e )orces o) t eL E but "ille$ or c! ture$ !ll o) t eir le!$ers see+ingly en$ing t e 0 ye!r ol$ con)lict. /o*e'er t e

ost-*!r erio$ !s gener!te$ ! $eb!te o'er t e e!ce buil$ing rocess * ic beg!n in !y 2009. A*!r o) *or$s !s been )oug t bet*een t ose * o !rgue t !t t e #o'ern+ent o) ri L!n"! co++itte$*!r cri+es !n$ t e su orters o) t e go'ern+ent * o !'e trie$ to resent t eir 'ictory !s ! +o$el o)

o* n!tions c!n $estroy terroris+. 3e+!n$s )or !n intern!tion!l tribun!l to e !+ine t e con$uct o)t e *!r !'e +et ! ste!$)!st re)us!l by t e ri L!n"!n go'ern+ent * ic re)uses to consi$er t e'!li$ity o) !ny outsi$e e'!lu!tion o) t e *!r !n$ t eir +et o$s to en$ it. A l!c" o) e'i$ence !n$e+ iric!l e'i$ence !bout t e *!r !s re'ente$ ! "no*le$ge!ble $eb!te. is brie) re ort o))ers so+ee+ iric!l e'i$ence !bout t e con)lict t !t +!y be use)ul to t e continuing $eb!te.

is re ort is !n e))ort to o))er so+e e+ iric!l $!t! to t e $eb!te o'er t e *!r. 5t is b!se$ on ! $!t! seto) t e c!su!lties o) t e *!r. e $!t! set begun in 1964 (b!c"$!te$ to t e 1970s% !n$ !s !+!sse$ o'er70,000 c!ses o) 'iolence $uring t e con$uct o) t e *!r )ro+ 1972 t roug 2009 !n$ continuing to t e

resent.

e Lincoln 8ro ect g!t ere$ $!t! )ro+ ri L!n"!n !n$ intern!tion!l ne*s sources. ere is li+ite$s !ce in t is re ort to )ully $iscuss t e +!ny +et o$ologic!l issues cre!te$ by t e $!t! g!t ering. e+ost i+ ort!nt li+it!tion o) t e $!t! is t !t i) !n e'ent is not re orte$ in t e ress or by so+e grou , itis not inclu$e$ in t e $!t!. /o*e'er, *it out ! co+ re ensi'e !n$ reli!ble source o) in)or+!tion )ort e nu+ber o) $e!t s !n$ in uries $uring t e *!r, t is is one o) t e +ost co+ re ensi'e sources o) $!t!
http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2014/08/sri-lanka-levels-of-violence-during-war.htmlhttp://srilankaguardian.org/http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9VIuxjEp9t0/UPvrtwBMzOI/AAAAAAAAOu0/xgZaRo4p9Os/s1600/logo-srilankaguardian-new.pnghttp://www.srilankaguardian.org/2014/08/sri-lanka-levels-of-violence-during-war.htmlhttp://www.srilankaguardian.org/2014/08/sri-lanka-levels-of-violence-during-war.html


2/5

on t e ri L!n"!n *!r !n$ its c!su!lties. Ob'iously, t e +ost signi)ic!nt li+it!tion in t e $!t! is t eli+ite$ in)or+!tion re orte$ )ro+ t e l!st ye!r o) t e *!r. e go'ern+ent o) ri L!n"! sto e$re orting its o*n c!su!lties in +i$-2006 !n$ o) course ulti+!tely b!nne$ re orters !n$ outsi$ers )ro+t e *!r :one.

3es ite, t is, t ere *ere !+il sources re orting b!ttle $e!t s !n$ "illings until A ril 2009 !n$

continue$ re orts being co+ ile$ by u+!n rig ts grou s. 5n !$$ition, sources *it in t e +ilit!ryre orte$ so+e o) t e c!su!lties $uring t e )in!l ye!r o) )ig ting. e st!tistics re orte$ by t e Lincoln8ro ect $!t! 'ery cle!rly un$erre ort t e nu+ber o) $e!t s $uring t e )in!l o))ensi'e !g!inst t e L E./o*e'er, t ey o))er ! clue !bout t e +!gnitu$e o) t e "illing. e $!t! !lso ro'i$e !n in$ic!tion o)t e i+ !ct o) t e *!r on t e ri L!n"!n et nic co++unities !n$ t e e))ect on ci'ili!ns.

Anot er li+it!tion o) t e $!t! is t !t it is const!ntly being u $!te$ *it ne* in)or+!tion;es eci!lly)ro+ t e l!st b!ttles o) t e *!r in 2009. e si:e o) t e $!t! set !n$ t e !rri'!l o) ne* $!t! li+it t e!bility o) t e $!t! to be u $!te$ ? t ous!n$ $e!t s !re recor$e$ in t e $!t! set t roug !y 2009. is is ! 'ery ignu+ber )or ! society o) roug ly 20 +illion eo le. /o*e'er, t e )ull i+ !ct o) t e *!r c!n be seen byt e )!ct t !t t e o'er* el+ing i+ !ct o) t e *!r )ell on t e !+il o ul!tion * ic *!s t e +ostseriously !))ecte$ by t e *!r *it ne!rly 72@ o) t e $e!t s being !+ils or +ore t !n 119,000 o) t ose"ille$. e !+il eo le e erience$ t e )ull brunt o) t e *!r. 3es ite, ! l!rge nu+ber o) *i$ely

ublici:e$ +!ss!cres o) in !lese by t e L E, t e $!y to $!y b!ttles !n$ )ig ting in t e nort !n$ e!stresulte$ in t e o'er* el+ing tot!l o) c!su!lties. e !+il $e!t toll co+ rises !bout ? ercent o) t etot!l !+il o ul!tion o) ri L!n"!.

3es ite being !))ecte$ by ! nu+ber o) l!rge sc!le (!n$ *i$ely re orte$% +!ss!cres, t e usli+ o ul!tion co+ rise$ less t !n 2 ercent o) t e $e!t s. e ri L!n"!n !n$ *estern +e$i! ten$e$ to)ocus on t ese orri)ic e'ents * ile t e $!ily $e!t toll o) ci'ili!ns (+ostly !+il% +ounte$ in t e nort!n$ e!st on ! $!ily b!sis.

ost o) t e c!su!lties in t e *!r *ere co+b!t!nts *it ci'ili!ns co+ rising less t !n 0@ o) t e$e!t s. Once !g!in t is )igure +!y be un$erst!te$. e un$erre orting o) ci'ili!n c!su!lties in t e )in!lst!ges o) t e *!r !s *ell !s t e ten$ency o) t e go'ern+ent to re ort !ll "ille$ in b!ttles !s L E, e'en* en so+e o) t e c!su!lties *ere ci'ili!ns. !+ils co+ rise$ ne!rly 64@ o) t e ci'ili!n c!su!ltiesonce +ore re)lecting t e bur$en o) t e *!r on t e !+il eo le.


3/5


4/5

it !lso s o*s +uc less o ression o) !+ils in t e ost *!r er!. Ag!in using ! 'ery liber!linter ret!tion o) et nic +inority $e!t s, t e nu+ber o) !+ils !n$ usli+s $ying in t e ost *!r

erio$ !s $ro e$ )ro+ ! ig o) !bout t ree ! *ee" in 2009 !n$ t*o ! *ee" in 2010 to current tot!lso) !bout one $e!t e'ery 1 $!ys in 201 !n$ 2014. /o*e'er, t e nu+ber o) et nic +inority"i$n! ings !'e re+!ine$ rel!ti'ely ig )or e!ce ti+e )ro+ !bout ! *ee" )ro+ 2009 until 201 .5n t e )irst > +ont s o) 2014 t e nu+ber !s $ro e$ s !r ly to less t !n one ! *ee".

Cle!rly t e $!t! s o*s t !t t ere !'e been u+!n rig ts i+ ro'e+ents (!s +e!sure$ by $e!t s !n$"i$n! ings% in t e !+il !re!s o) ri L!n"! since 2009. = et er t e $ro s in 2014 !n$ 201 !re t eresult o) incre!se$ intern!tion!l ressure !n$ scrutiny c!nnot be $eter+ine$ )ro+ t e $!t! but *oul$ be! re!son!ble e l!n!tion )or t e $ro . /o*e'er, t e nu+ber o) et nic +inority $e!t s !s $ecline$s !r ly )ro+ t e 2009 !n$ 2010 tot!ls. Anot er sign o) t e i+ ro'ing situ!tion !s been ! $ecline int e nu+ber o) !+ils !rreste$. 5n 2012, +ore t !n > !+ils *ere !rreste$ ! $!y )or olitic!l !cts or onsus icion. 5n 201 !n$ 2014 t e r!te $ro e$ to !bout 2 to ! $!y.

3es ite t e i+ ro'ing situ!tion, it c!n e!sily be !rgue$ t !t t e e!ceti+e tot!ls be)ore 201 -14 *eretot!lly un!cce t!ble !n$ t e lo*er le'els in t e l!st 16 +ont s !re still +uc ig er t !n s oul$ be!cce t!ble in ! n!tion !t e!ce. e current tot!ls !re still ig er t !n t e r!tes in t e ye!rs 1960 to1962 * en ri L!n"! *!s le!$ing u to *!r. 5t s oul$ !lso be note$ t !t !+il co+ l!ints !bout l!n$encro!c +ent by t e +ilit!ry !n$ in !lese settlers is not +e!sure$ by t is $!t!. Also not inclu$e$ int e $!t! !re t e !rrests o) t e 10,000 !+ils !rreste$ $uring t is ti+e erio$ )or trying to illeg!llyi++igr!te to Austr!li! !n$ else* ere.

e +yt o) !n et nic *!r in ri L!n"! t !t "ille$ 100,000 eo le un$erst!tes t e intensity o) t e *!r.5n !$$ition, t e $!t! on et nic $e!t s in ri L!n"! o))ers su ort )or t e use o) e cessi'e )orce !g!inst

!+il ci'ili!ns $uring t e l!st st!ges o) t e *!r but t e ost-*!r $!t! o))ers so+e signs o) i+ ro'e+ent but still un!cce t!bly ig le'els o) 'iolence !g!inst et nic +inorities in ri L!n"!. 5n !$$ition, i) t e$ro in 'iolence in 2014 is t e result o) intern!tion!l ressure, t ere is no re!son to not e ect it toincre!se i) t e intern!tion!l co++unity rel! es its ressure on ri L!n"!.

5n su++!ry, t e $!t! s o*s t e intense i+ !ct t e ri L!n"!n *!r !s !$ on t e !+il o ul!tion !n$+ore i+ ort!ntly, t e continuing nee$ )or reconcili!tion !n$ e!ce buil$ing in ri L!n"!.

Robert C. Oberst is 8ro)essor !n$ C !ir o) 8olitic!l cience !t Nebr!s"! =esley!n Dni'ersity !n$ !s*ritten e tensi'ely on t e ri L!n"!n olitics !n$ con)lict. /e is !lso ! co-!ut or o) #o'ern+ent !n$8olitics in out Asi!, 7t e$ition.End Notes: 1. Almost all of the data was gathered from Sri Lankan sources English, Sinhala and Tamil newspapers,

news sites and reports ! the go"ernment and human rights groups. #nitiall! it was limited to print media ut added electronic sources at the! grew.$. The riot totals are a "er! small percentage of the total deaths from the war and their inclusion has "er!little impact on the results.%. This percentage is a little misleading ecause, there was limited reporting of whether war casualties were#ndian Tamils or Sri Lankan Tamils. &hile the o"erwhelming total of fighters and residents in the northand east were Sri Lankan Tamils, there are some #ndian Tamils residing in these areas. #n addition, thepercentage is ased on static population figure while the war e'isted o"er a %( !ear period and thus, the


5/5

total population who li"ed during the war is higher than the static total used in this percentage.). &hen reports contradicted the go"ernment*s claim of LTTE deaths, the! were included as an option inthe data. +owe"er, most reports of LTTE deaths were not contradicted.

. This is ased on !ears with more than -((( deaths.-. #n the last stages of the war, the LTTE recruited/ large num er of Tamil !ouths to fill its depleted forces.

This can e'plain some of the discrepanc! as the! rushed underage com atants to the war front to increasedepleted forces. +owe"er, as earlier noted, ci"ilians killed in go"ernment attles were almost alwa!sreported ! the go"ernment as LTTE mem ers during the war unless the! were killed ! the LTTE.

Documents

Sri Lanka the Levels of Violence During the War & After