‘RECONCILING’ Sri Lanka: What the WOMEN Say THIRTY CASE STUDIES ‘RECONCILING’ Sri Lanka: What the WOMEN Say THIRTY CASE STUDIES The views and opinions expressed in this publication do not represent those of FOKUS. Published by: FOKUS WOMEN 34 A, Sulaiman Avenue Colombo 5 SRI LANKA Tel/Fax: +94112055404 Web: http://www.fokuskvinner.no http://www. fokuswomen.lk Published in December 2016 Illustrations : Damayanthi Muthukumaranage All rights reserved. This material is copyright and not for resale, but may be reproduced by any method for teaching purposes. For copying in other circumstances, for re-use in other publications or for translation, prior written permission must be obtained from the copyright owner. Printed and bound in Sri Lanka by Wits Originals FOKUS WOMEN iii Contents Foreword v RECONCILING’ Sri Lanka: What the WOMEN 1 Say - Thirty Case Studies Views on Reconciliation 3 Links between Reconciliation and Transitional 7 Justice, Development and Peace Building Recommendations to Government and Civil 12 Society Case Studies 1 Ferial Ismail Ashraff 17 2 Sarala Emmanuel 21 3 Female Politician 25 4 Udayani Navaratnam 28 5 Vasuki Jeyasankar 32 6 Sharya Scharenguivel 37 7 Shreen Saroor 42 8 Female Ex-LTTE Cadre 47 9 Mahaluxmy Kurushanthan 51 10 Rajany Chandrasegaram 58 11 Menaha Kandasamy 62 12 Psychiatric Counselor 66 13 Anusha Alles 68 14 Dharisha Bastians 71 15 A Lecturer 74 16 A Senior Govenment Official 77 17 A Senior Govenment Official 83 18 Janooriya Begum 88 19 Margaret Croos 94 20 Ex-Military Personnel 102 21 R. A. Neerthi Thanuja 105 22 A Military Widow 108 23 Ms. Sheela Ratnayake 113 24 Ranaweera Mudiyanselage Thakshala 115 25 Prof. Sitralega Maunaguru 118 26 Dr. Fazeeha Azmi 123 27 Juwairiya Mohideen 127 28 Sonali Dayaratne 130 29 Law Student 134 30 Mallawarachchige Chathurani Rasika 137 v FOREWORD What is reconciliation? Is there a link between reconciliation and peace building, between reconciliation and religion and reconciliation and transitional justice? More importantly, what do women from the different communities say about these processes? Is there a space to voice their opinions and for their opinions to be taken into account by policy makers? This report arose out of a need to fill a gap in the current discourse on reconciliation. Although many use the term ‘reconciliation’ in different contexts, we rarely hear what women have to say. The thirty women in the case studies were selected randomly, based on their ethnicity, age, educational background and occupation. An attempt was made to include a diverse range of women’s voices so as to be inclusive and representative. Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and mixed race women were interviewed. The sample included activists, academics, a university student, politicians, a representative from an international organization, government officials, a representative from the corporate sector, a female ex combatant and military widows. FOKUS WOMEN commissioned young women activists who conducted in depth one on one interviews with these women. The identity of the respondent was kept confidential where such a request was made. FOKUS WOMEN would like to thank the following: - Thulasi Muttulingam for writing the analysis of the thirty case studies: - the thirty women who readily agreed to share their opinions on what reconciliation means to them: - Anushani Alagarajah, Hyshyama Hamin, Madara Ranmuthugala, Nivedha Jeyaseelan, and Thulasi Muttulingam who conducted the interviews. FOKUS WOMEN hopes that this report will influence the ongoing reconciliation process and bring the voices of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim women in Sri Lanka into the foreground. Shyamala Gomez Country Director FOKUS WOMEN December 2016 * The interviews in this case study compilation were carried out between May and September 2016 vi ‘RECONCILING’ Sri Lanka: What the WOMEN Say - Thirty Case Studies FOKUS WOMEN 1 ‘RECONCILING’ Sri Lanka: What the WOMEN Say Thirty Case Studies In Sri Lanka’s current post-war development, there has been much discussion on the role that reconciliation can play in uniting the country. How do people, especially women, understand this term in the post-war context? FOKUS WOMEN attempted to find out, through case studies documenting the thoughts of women across different districts, ethnicities, religions, and socio- economic situations. Women from all walks of life were interviewed: women’s rights activists, academics, war-affected female heads of households, ex-combatants, students, government officials, military widows, politicians, women from the corporate sector, journalists et al., representing Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim and Burgher/mixed heritage women from all districts of Sri Lanka. The interviewees were selected randomly, and the case studies attempt to capture their perspectives, in order to include their views on reconciliation in the current discourse. The women collectively offer a comprehensive snapshot of how women across the demographic view their place in society, and their views on reconciliation as a whole. This is significant as men still remain the decision makers and policy makers across all levels of society, from a rural village all the way up to parliament, and women tend to get sidelined in community processes. What role then do women get to play? How can they get their voices to be heard? What do they really think of the reconciliation process, and what impact has it had on them so far? Captured in these thirty case studies is an attempt to gain an insight to their views. 2 ‘RECONCILING’ Sri Lanka: What the WOMEN Say - Thirty Case Studies FOKUS WOMEN 3 What the WOMEN Say: Views on Reconciliation We are often told that Sri Lanka as a country is diverse, and so are the opinions, views and experiences of its people. If there is one thing this study reinforced even within its limited purview, it is the range of diversity across our people. The interviewees’ opinions on the reconciliation process captured herein run the gamut from positive and hopeful, to negative and sceptical. Many of them stressed that they have high hopes of the present government in its work towards reconciliation. Yet they have also observed numerous setbacks over the years, which cause them to temper their optimism with watchful wariness. Captured below are a few of their thoughts: “In the present Sri Lankan context, Reconciliation means the strengthening of relationships between races. Secondly, it is also a healing process that restores normality or a state of affairs prior to conflict.” Juwairiya Mohideen, Development Practitioner, Muslim, Puttalam In contrast, here is another view of a woman development professional from the East: Reconciliation is a term that I am uncomfortable with, especially in this post-war context in Sri Lanka. Given the historical context of structural inequalities for decades on certain communities of people, I am sceptical about how that terminology is being utilized. The term seems to be telling the affected people to forgive, to reconcile, to move on. yet where is the justice and the accountability for all that has happened in the past, to go with it? Sarala Emmanuel, Development Practitioner, Batticaloa Many of the other interviewees either concurred or demurred, with their views falling somewhere within this spectrum. Of the 30 interviewees, it could be observed that the Sinhalese in general held out more positive hopes for reconciliation, while the Tamils and Burghers tended to be rather wary and skeptical. 4 ‘RECONCILING’ Sri Lanka: What the WOMEN Say - Thirty Case Studies The Muslims tended to be cautiously optimistic but also pointed out that the reconciliation process often centered around Sinhala – Tamil relations, thus sidelining the Muslim community who too have suffered during the war (and post-war as in the Aluthgama / Beruwala incidents). “I perceive that my duty is to help students unpack their own understanding of reconciliation, rather than define it for them. Defining it for them will be contrary to my critique that the state is quick to mainstream definitions for reconciliation, something very personal.” A Lecturer, Tamil, Colombo “As a woman born to the Muslim community in the North, reconciliation personally for me is about returning to our identity as a Tamil-speaking northerner. Our identity was stripped from us in 1990 when we were evicted at gun point by the LTTE. Currently we are identified only by our religion and IDP status, not by our ethnicity or where we belong. For me, acknowledging my community’s ethnicity, roots and heritage are important for reconciliation”. Shreen Saroor, Activist, Muslim, Mannar Women’s Reasons for Optimism on Reconciliation t A pro-reconciliation Government: Many of the interviewees expressed relief that the current government headed by President Maithripala Sirisena is working towards reconciliation. There had been apprehensions about the previous government pitting one community against the other, which they say has come to a halt now, allowing for reconciliation work to progress. t Similarity of cultures: It was also often observed that the communities living in Sri Lanka have similar cultures and have no problem getting along with each other if left to their own devices. t Relief that the war is over, and the wish to promote peace across communities: The long drawn out civil war affected everyone within the country, majority and minority communities, privileged or poor, alike, although admittedly some suffered far more than others. There is a widespread yearning across the country therefore to preserve peace and foster goodwill among the communities. Women’s Reasons for Scepticism on Reconciliation t Lack of Transparency and Trackability: A fair number of the women interviewed, themselves development professionals or community leaders co-opted by the Government to work towards reconciliation, brought up the matter of how they had no idea what strategies the government was employing overall towards the reconciliation process, what it was doing with all the data and documentation gathered thus far, FOKUS WOMEN 5 and what the follow-up was going to be on the work they had already done.