Sri Lankan War Talk Kicks Off Rights Week

Problems with the Rev. S.J. Emmanuel's computer slide presentation about the Sri Lankan Civil War left the audience patiently waiting for the beginning of the weeklong series of events that focus on global human rights issues.

The week is sponsored by the Globe Committee of the Campus Y.

Emmanuel is currently a professor of theology in Germany but grew up in Sri Lanka, which gives him special knowledge of the recent human injustices happening there. "Father Emmanuel is a victim and a witness of the Sri Lankan Civil War," said Clement Rajendra, vice president of North Carolinians for Peace, as he introduced Emmanuel.

Emmanuel made a presentation about the history of the Sri Lankan conflict and his experiences living there and asked for support for justice and peace.

"Sri Lanka has beautiful beaches, mountains and is a meeting place for different religions," Emmanuel said. "Unfortunately, this little island has had much turmoil in the past few decades."

Emmanuel said the conflict began in 1948 when 450 years of colonialism ended. He said with the culmination of British rule, the Sinhalese, the majority ethnic group in Sri Lanka, began oppressing the minority group, the Tamils. "Recently, Sri Lanka celebrated 50 years of independence for the majority but 50 years of oppression for the Tamils," he said.

In the constitution written by the Sinhalese, Emmanuel said, the rights of the Tamils were ignored. They were denied basic freedoms, such as freedom from torture and freedom of religion. Also, the Sinhala government changed the national language, which Emmanuel said was detrimental to Tamil education and employment.

Emmanuel said after 30 years of democratic protest, the Tamils felt they had nothing to resort to except to ask for a separate state of Tamil Eelam. He highlighted the desperation of the situation. "It was a crime of survival," he said.

Tamil protests were met with violence from the Sinhala government, which in turn led the Tamils to resort to terrorism as their means of survival. "They saw no future," Emmanuel said. "They only saw the oppression of the state."

Emmanuel said a full-scale war was waged against the Tamils. Emmanuel cited instances of rape, food and medicine restrictions and economic embargoes on the Tamils.

He said one thing that hurt the Tamils was the media blockades the government placed on international reporters. "It is a war that is going on behind closed doors," he said. Emmanuel said the media seemed to believe Sinhala propaganda against the Tamils.

Emmanuel asked for support from the individuals in the United States through lobbying and for the media to take a closer look at the Sri Lanka situation. "We want the world to hear us," he said. "We want people to stop the war."

Audience members, including freshman Sarah Miller, were impressed with the passion exhibited by Emmanuel.

She said, "It's really great hearing people who have dedicated their lives to informing other people of injustices."

The University Editor can be reached at udesk@unc.edu.