The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in conflict is due to take place in London, co-hosted by the U!s "o#ei$n sec#eta#y, %illiam &a$ue and the Special En'oy fo# the un &i$h Commissione# fo# (efu$ees, )n$elina olie+. We #e'isit the mountin$ e'idence which documents the wide
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Sexual Violence in Conflict Sri Lanka - Rape, Sexual Assault and Forced Prostitution in Military-run IDP Camps
The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in conflict is due to take place in London, co-hosted by the U!s "o#ei$n sec#eta#y, %illiam &a$ue and the Special En'oy fo# the un &i$h Commissione# fo# (efu$ees, )n$elina olie+. We #e'isit the mountin$ e'idence which documents the wide
The Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in conflict is due to take place in London, co-hosted by the U!s "o#ei$n sec#eta#y, %illiam &a$ue and the Special En'oy fo# the un &i$h Commissione# fo# (efu$ees, )n$elina olie+. We #e'isit the mountin$ e'idence which documents the wide
Sexual Violence in Conflict: Sri Lanka - detention
and torture 2009-201404 June 2014
Next week, the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict is due to take place in London, co-hosted by the U!s "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y, %illiam &a$ue and the Special En'oy fo# the UN &i$h Commissione# fo# (efu$ees, )n$elina *olie+ ,n the #un up to the ESVC summit, we #e'isit the mountin$ e'idence which documents the widesp#ead, systematic and on-$oin$ use of sexual 'iolence by S#i Lanka!s milita#y a$ainst -amils, that occu#s with absolute impunity+ See ou# p#e'ious featu#es. An orgy of rape in final days /01 *un 10234 Rape, Sexual Assault and Forced Prostitution of Tamils in Military-Run in IDP camps/05 *un 10234 Sexual Violence in onflict! Sri "an#a $ detention and torture %&&'-%&() 6hoto$#aph &(% 7espite the end of the a#med conflict, the use of sexual 'iolence by S#i Lanka!s milita#y a$ainst -amil women and men continued, with -amils #outinely a##ested and detained indefinitely usin$ the count#y!s d#aconian anti-te##o# laws+ -he#e a#e on-$oin$ #epo#ts of sexual 'iolence a$ainst -amils in detention to the p#esent day, with many 'ictims #ecountin$ sexual 'iolence used as a means of to#tu#e to ext#act confessions+ ,n 1021, -amils )$ainst Genocide /-)G4, examined witness testimonies of -amils depo#ted back to S#i Lanka+ ,n its #epo#t !(etu#nees at (isk. 7etention )nd -o#tu#e in S#i Lanka!, -)G noted. The majority of the cases that reported abuse reported similar forms of physical torture, with 6 verified as having experienced additional forms of sexual torture. In all of the cases reviewed, judges found legitimate claims of severe torture to be supported by photographic evidence and the medical reports as well as through psychological assessment. everal of the applicants suffer from continued physical pain as well as forms of mental illness caused by severe trauma.8 Ea#ly last yea#, &uman (i$hts %atch, in a 232-pa$e #epo#t entitled 9%e %ill -each :ou a Lesson8 - Sexual Violence a$ainst -amils by S#i Lankan Secu#ity "o#ces;, detailed <= cases of #ape, includin$ that of 52 men, 32 women, and th#ee boys a$ed unde# 2>+ )ll cases we#e #epo#ted to ha'e occu##ed f#om 100?-1021 in both official and sec#et detention cent#es ac#oss S#i Lanka+ Object 1 &(% stated that the #epo#t only accounts fo# 9a tiny f#action of custodial #ape8+ @any of the cases followed simila# patte#ns of detention, followed by to#tu#e and #ape by secu#ity fo#ces, whilst bein$ inte##o$ated about 9L--E acti'ities8+ Victims #epo#ted bein$ fo#ced to si$n confessions in Sinhalese, a lan$ua$e they did not unde#stand, as well as bein$ fo#ced to identify and name othe# potential 9suspects8+ Some of the 'ictims #ecounted that they si$ned Aconfessions; and pointed out people as L--E cad#es, knowin$ that they we#e not, simply to put an end to the to#tu#e+ -amils #etu#nin$ f#om ab#oad we#e also shown photo$#aphs of anti-$o'e#nment p#otests that took place in 6a#is and London, and fo#ced to identify those in the ima$es+ &(% noted. BIn all of the cases documented, the acts of rape and sexual violence were accompanied by other forms of torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment by state security forces.B Cne 51-yea#-old woman, detained in ilinochchi in )p#il 1021, told &(%. I was beaten up and tortured continuously. !n the second day, a man came to my room and raped me. I was raped by different men on at least three days. I can"t remember how many times. They would always touch my private parts after they raped me. They spo#e in inhala but also spo#e some bro#en Tamil. I signed a confession statement as I wanted the rapes to stop. $hile I was in detention, my family tried to lodge a complaint with the %&'( )%ational &uman 'ights (ommission* but they refused to register a complaint. +y family also approached some members of parliament. %obody helped us.8 ) 2<-yea#-old -amil boy, detained in *affna in No'embe# 100D, said. !ne officer performed sexual acts in front of me. &e then raped me. I lost consciousness. I was bleeding heavily from my anus.8 ,n No'embe# last yea#, the EEC #epo#ted on 21 cases of men and women who we#e subFected to sexual 'iolence in detention in 1025+ See he#e fo# the EEC #epo#t, by fo#me# co##espondent to S#i Lanka and autho# of !Still Countin$ the 7ead!, "#ances &a##ison+ -he latest e'idence eme#$ed f#om a #epo#t published as #ecently as "eb#ua#y this yea# - !,n -nfinished $ar. Torture and exual /iolence in ri 0an#a 122341256! - by :asmin Sooka, an autho# of the UN 6anel of Expe#ts #epo#t on mass at#ocities in S#i Lanka, -he Ea# &uman (i$hts Committee of En$land and %ales /E&(C4 and -he ,nte#national -#uth GampH *ustice 6#oFect, S#i Lanka, detailed #epo#ts of sexual 'iolence in detention ca##ied out f#om 100D, till the be$innin$ of this yea#+ -he #epo#t includes 30 swo#n statements f#om -amil witnesses, #ecountin$ abductions and to#tu#e that all occu##ed within the time f#ame of @ay 100D to "eb#ua#y 1023, with o'e# half of the abductions ha'in$ taken place du#in$ 1025 and 1023+ ,ll detainees were sexually assaulted, with many witnesses 7uite young and having no experience of sexual intercourse. ome detainees were mothers of babies or young children. +ost detainees, male and female, were raped, confirming that they had experienced vaginal or anal penetration or both. +any were raped on more than one occasion with most sexual violence occurring in their private holding cell. +ost were raped after enduring repeated physical torture in the torture chamber. $itnesses report being raped violently, usually amid verbal abuse and derision by one or two men, sometimes more. $itnesses allege that the men did not wear condoms when raping them.8 )n 2>-yea#-old male detainee said. The door to where the women were #ept was slightly open. I saw a female cadre lying on her bac# on the floor. he was totally na#ed. I clearly saw a soda bottle shoved inside her vagina. &er arms were spread out wide, as were her legs. The door was not open enough to see the other two girls. I could not tell if the girl or the others were alive. %one of them was ma#ing any sound and the girl I saw was not moving.8 7etention locations a#e mainly in the No#th-East, includin$ @anna#, *affna, ilinochchi, Va'uniya, 6-, -#incomalee and Eatticaloa, whe#e a#bit#a#y a##est and disappea#ances continue despite the passin$ of fi'e yea#s+ ) numbe# of 'ictims also desc#ibe facin$ sexual 'iolence whilst detained in Colombo+ Ext#acts f#om the #epo#t published below. The evidence of the witnesses suggested that the security forces were wor#ing together and in most instances there was more than one branch involved in the detention and torture. 8iven that the abductors sometimes travel to high security 9ones or military camps they would re7uire inter: agency cooperation amongst the various branches of the security forces, as well as orders and clearances from superiors to enter these areas. +ore broadly travelling through heavily militarised areas with fre7uent chec#points would also re7uire the involvement of other units of the security forces.B ;Interrogation was almost always about 0TT< involvement despite the interrogators, in many cases, being in possession of the answers and often already having the evidence to prove it. $hat they purported to be loo#ing for usually appeared to be a wider understanding both of the status of existing networ#s as well as historical events. They wanted informers. ,nother #ey motive appeared to be the punishment of those who testified before the 0essons 0earned (ommission or whose families reported cases to the &uman 'ights (ommission, or those who had peacefully protested war crimes and human rights abuses from abroad. 02 June 2014 Next week, the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict is due to take place in London, co-hosted by the U!s "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y, %illiam &a$ue and the Special En'oy fo# the UN &i$h Commissione# fo# (efu$ees, )n$elina *olie+ ,n the #un up to the ESVC summit, we #e'isit the mountin$ e'idence which documents the widesp#ead, systematic and on-$oin$ use of sexual 'iolence by S#i Lanka!s milita#y a$ainst -amils, that occu#s with absolute impunity+ See yeste#day!s featu#e. )n o#$y of #ape in final days /01 *un 10234 (ape, Sexual )ssault and "o#ced 6#ostitution of -amils in @ilita#y-(un in ,76 camps 6hoto$#aph &(% - )#unachalam Camp, @enik "a#m 2D )u$ust 100D )s the a#med conflict d#ew to an end in @ay 100D, an estimated 500,000 -amils, who had faced #epeated displacement, shellin$ and a se'e#e lack of humanita#ian aid, we#e fo#ced into ,76 camps #un by the milita#y and detained the#e fo# se'e#al months on end+ (epo#ts of #ape, sexual assault and fo#ced p#ostitution #in$s #un by the milita#y soon be$an to eme#$e f#om the camps+ ) -amil medic, based in the U who had been wo#kin$ as an aid wo#ke# in the Vanni du#in$ the a#med conflict befo#e bein$ detained in the noto#ious @enik "a#m camp, 7amil'any uma#, told -he Cbse#'e#. BSexual abuse is somethin$ that was a common thin$, that , pe#sonally saw+ ,n the 'isito# a#ea #elati'es would be the othe# side of the fence and we would be in the camp+ Gi#ls came to wait fo# thei# #elati'es and milita#y office#s would come and touch them, and that!s somethin$ , saw+ B-he $i#ls usually didn!t talk back to them, because they knew that in the camp if they talked anythin$ could happen to them+ ,t was Iuite open, e'e#yone could see the milita#y office#s touchin$ the $i#ls,B B-amil $i#ls usually don!t talk about sexual abuse, they won!t open thei# mouths about it, but , hea#d the office#s we#e $i'in$ the women money o# food in #etu#n fo# sex+ -hese people we#e despe#ate fo# e'e#ythin$+B 6#ostitution #ackets we#e p#e'alent, despite $o'e#nment officials bein$ made awa#e of the p#actice, said inte#national aid wo#ke#s+ ,nte#national humanita#ian a$encies had little o# no access, due to se'e#e #est#ictions placed by the $o'e#nment+ Cne aid wo#ke#, who #epo#ted p#ostitution #ackets in 6ulmoddai camp, told -he )ust#alian, B,t!s been b#ou$ht to the attention of senio# $o'e#nment officials but no one seems to be doin$ anythin$ about it+B B,t!s ha#d to know whethe# it!s coe#ci'e o# not, but the#e is an a'e#a$e of th#ee families li'in$ to a tent and it can be ext#emely difficult t#yin$ to $et p#i'acy+ :ou can ima$ine the milita#y comin$ in and askin$ fo# somethin$ in #etu#n fo# mo#e space o# mo#e fa'ou#s+B Cne woman, with links to the camps, told Sky News of #apes and disappea#ances within the camps. B, belie'e the#e is sexual assault and ha#assment in the camps+ , belie'e that these child#en and youn$ ones a#e $oin$ to $et disappea#ed, but we don!t know what is happenin$ to them, because the#e is no info#mation, the#e is no t#anspa#ency, we Fust don!t know what is happenin$+B -he S#i Lankan $o'e#nment #eFected all #epo#ts of sexual 'iolence in the ,76 camps, with officials often accusin$ fellow detainees o# inte#national aid wo#ke#s of abuse, o# dismissin$ #epo#ts as consensual+ 6alitha ohona, then Sec#eta#y to the "o#ei$n @inist#y, and subseIuently S#i Lanka!s 6e#manent (ep#esentati'e to the UN, #eFected any alle$ations of sexual 'iolence by the state!s secu#ity fo#ces as Babsolute #ubbishB+ B-hese Jmilita#yK a#e the $uys who a#e winnin$ the wa# - they could ha'e #aped e'e#y sin$le woman on the way if they wanted to+ Not one sin$le woman was #aped+B 7ismissin$ #epo#ts of p#ostitution #in$s, ohona added, B, am su#e in a mass of people the#e may be indi'iduals who want to make a Iuick buck one way o# anothe#, but you ha'e to #emembe# the tents a#e so close to$ethe# you can!t do anythin$ without the enti#e nei$hbo#hood knowin$+ ,f you had a #acket $oin$, thousands of people would know about it+B S#i Lanka!s 7efence Sec#eta#y, Gotabaya (aFapaksa, accused the E#itish -amil aid wo#ke#, 7amil'any uma# of fab#icatin$ the sto#y in an inte#'iew with &eadlines -oday. BNow, she J7amil'any uma#K says that the#e had been all these alle$ed #ape and mu#de# and all these thin$s+ Now she is one pe#son who will $et att#acted by soldie#s, because she is so diffe#ent f#om othe#s+ , want to know whethe# she was #aped+ She was the#e fo# one yea#+ She came with the ,76s, and she was in the ,76 camps+B -he pe#manent sec#eta#y to the @inist#y of 7isaste# @ana$ement and &uman (i$hts, (aFi'a %iFesinha, statin$ that alle$ations of #ape by the milita#y lacked sufficient details to be substantiated, told -he Cbse#'e#. B%e #ecei'ed a #epo#t that a soldie# went into a tent at 22pm and came out at 5am+ ,t could ha'e been sex fo# pleasu#e, it could ha'e been sex fo# fa'ou#s, o# it could ha'e been a discussion on )ncient G#eek philosophy, we don!t know+B Cn anothe# occasion when asked by a Sky News #epo#te# about the alle$ations of sexual 'iolence within the camps, @# %iFesinha #eplied. B-he#e a#e a few blue eyed child#en in that camp, so you know that some of the NGCs ha'e had a Folly $ood time when they we#e up in Va'uniya, so when you $o up Fust ha'e a look and t#y and identify them+B 7espite the passin$ of fi'e yea#s, fea# of #ep#isal, psycholo$ical t#auma and social sti$ma, ha'e #esulted in many 'ictims #emainin$ silent+ &e#e is an ext#act f#om the testimony of one woman, published in a #epo#t - !)n Unfinished %a#. -o#tu#e and Sexual Violence in S#i Lanka 100DL1023! - by :asmin Sooka, an autho# of the UN 6anel of Expe#ts #epo#t on mass at#ocities in S#i Lanka, -he Ea# &uman (i$hts Committee of En$land and %ales /E&(C4 and -he ,nte#national -#uth G *ustice 6#oFect, S#i Lanka. -he fi#st time the soldie#s #aped he# in the #ehabilitation camp, she sta$$e#ed to the toilet to wash the blood off, befo#e #etu#nin$ to he# tent in silence+ She didn;t b#eathe a wo#d fo# shame M and fea# that one of the othe# fo#me# -amil -i$e# #ebels in the tent mi$ht be an info#me#+ 9, did not tell the othe# women ,;d been #aped as it is not somethin$ we would discuss in ou# cultu#e+ , suspected the othe# women in my tent we#e also bein$ #aped but , did not ask them about it+ C'e# the enti#e pe#iod , was in this #ehabilitation camp none of us e'e# spoke about the #apes+8 ,t;s ha#d to ima$ine the loneliness and mist#ust in that tent+ Vasantha noticed sc#atch ma#ks f#om fin$e#nails on othe# women;s faces+ %hen they washed in the open ai# showe#s, fully clothed, she spotted the b#uises on thei# le$s+ Sometimes she hea#d sc#eamin$ f#om the main buildin$ whe#e they we#e taken fo# inte##o$ation+ She watched othe# women bein$ taken away at ni$ht and always #etu#nin$ 'ia the toilet and she knew why+ Vasantha was a 'i#$in until that ni$ht when two d#unken S#i Lankan soldie#s placed a ba$ sp#ayed with pet#ol o'e# he# head and then #aped he#+ Some months late#, she was taken fo# inte##o$ation a$ain+ ) soldie# o#de#ed he# to st#ip naked and when she t#ied to fi$ht him off, he knocked he# to the $#ound and #aped he#, di$$in$ his nails into he# back so ha#d that the sc#atches bled+ Eefo#e Vasantha could put he# ski#t back on a$ain, anothe# man came into the #oom and sta#ted takin$ off his shi#t, t#ouse#s and unde#wea#+ 9&e pushed me to the floo#+ , t#ied to put up a #esistance but he #aped me+ , could smell the alcohol on his b#eath+ , was exhausted and fainted+ , cannot #ecall clea#ly what was happenin$ but , hea#d doo#s bein$ opened and closed and , think othe# people came into the #oom+8 ,n pain and bleedin$ hea'ily, Vasantha e'entually #etu#ned to he# tent, 'ia the toilet once a$ain+ -he next time she was called fo# inte##o$ation, the soldie# used his ci$a#ette butt to bu#n he# se'e#al times on the a#ms and thi$h, while sayin$ somethin$ in Sinhala that she couldn;t unde#stand+ Cnce he;d finished #apin$ he#, a second man #aped he#+ Vasantha #emembe#s these fi#st two smelt st#on$ly of ci$a#ettes+ ) thi#d man came, slapped he# ha#d when she t#ied to #esist, and #aped he#+8 , think the#e was a fou#th and fifth man as well,8 she says, 9, was in and out of consciousness by then+B Jmo#eK Eack$#ound U "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y %illiam &a$ue calls fo# pe#pet#ato#s of sexual 'iolence in S#i Lanka!s conflict to be b#ou$ht to account, speakin$ in Colombo, No' 1025 -he ESVC summit follows the 7ecla#ation of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, tabled by the @# &a$ue and endo#sed by two-thi#ds of UN membe# states, which condemns the on-$oin$ use of sexual 'iolence in conflicts and pled$ed to ensu#e Fustice fo# 'ictims+ S#i Lanka was hi$hli$hted by the US Sec#eta#y of State &illa#y Clinton as a key count#y whe#e #ape was used as a tactic of wa#, in Cctobe# 100D, only a few months afte# the a#med conflict ended+ )dd#essin$ an UN Secu#ity Council focused on #ape in wa#, she said. BNow, #eadin$ the headlines, one mi$ht think that the use of #ape as a tactic of wa# only happens occasionally, o# in a few places, like the 7emoc#atic (epublic of the Con$o o# Sudan+ -hat would be bad enou$h, but the #eality is much wo#se+ %e;'e seen #ape used as a tactic of wa# befo#e in Eosnia, Eu#ma, S#i Lanka, and elsewhe#e+ ,n too many count#ies and in too many cases, the pe#pet#ato#s of this 'iolence a#e not punished, and so this impunity encou#a$es fu#the# attacks+ Speakin$ in Colombo in No'embe# last yea#, the U "o#ei$n Sec#eta#y %illiam &a$ue calledfo# accountability and Fustice fo# 'ictims of sexual 'iolence by S#i Lanka!s a#med fo#ces as pa#t of the !N-ime-o)ct! campai$n. B-o date, too little has been done, to hold people to account fo# c#imes of sexual 'iolence+ -he alle$ations include #epo#ts f#om the UN panel of expe#ts that #ape was used by $o'e#nment fo#ces du#in$ the final sta$es of the conflict, and befo#e+8 9Claims f#om &uman (i$hts %atch that sexual to#tu#e has been used to ext#act confessions and continued conce#ns of the 'ulne#ability of the women and $i#ls to sexual ha#assment and abuse, pa#ticula#ly the ninety thousand wa# widows li'in$ in a#eas with a la#$e milita#y p#esence+8 C#$y of (ape in "inal 7ays 6hoto$#aph Channel 3 )s the a#med conflict d#ew to an end, S#i Lanka!s soldie#s committed acts of sexual 'iolence a$ainst -amil women and men, both ci'ilians and L--E cad#e, at will+ Cne S#i Lankan soldie# told Channel 3 in *uly 1022. B-hey JS#i Lankan soldie#sK shoot people at #andom, stab people, #ape them, cut thei# ton$ues out, cut women!s b#easts off+ , ha'e witnessed all this with my own eyes+ , ha'e seen small child#en layin$ dead+B B,f they wanted to #ape a -amil $i#l, they could Fust beat he# and do it+ ,f he# pa#ents t#ied to stop them, they could beat them o# kill them+ ,t was thei# empi#e+B BCne day , saw a $#oup of six soldie#s #apin$ a youn$ -amil $i#l+ , saw this with my own eyes+B @uch of the photo$#aphic and 'ideo e'idence of sexual 'iolence in the final sta$es of the a#med conflict eme#$ed in the fo#m of !t#ophy 'ideos!, filmed by S#i Lankan soldie#s themsel'es whilst committin$ the c#imes+ Cne of the latest 'ideos to eme#$e depicts soldie#s pe#fo#min$ acts of sexual 'iolence on the st#ipped, dead bodies of -amil L--E fi$hte#s+ Object 2 7esc#ibin$ the foota$e, acclaimed documenta#y make# and di#ecto# of !S#i Lanka!s illin$ "ields!, Callum @ac#ae said, BScatte#ed in the clea#in$ a#e the bodies of what appea# to be -amil -i$e# #ebels+ -he women, but not the men, ha'e been st#ipped in a manna# su$$estin$ sexual assault+ -hou$h many of these ima$es a#e too dist#essin$ to be shown on tele'ision+ )t a couple of points as soldie#s lau$h, acts of $#otesIue sexual 'iolence a#e pe#pet#ated on the bodies of one of the women+B Simila#ly, the #ape and killin$ of L--E news ancho#, ,saiyap#iya, has come to li$ht th#ou$h a se#ies of photo$#aphs depictin$ he# pa#tially naked in the custody of milita#y pe#sonnel, befo#e bein$ sexually 'iolated and killed+ Object 3 7espite the $#owin$ numbe# of independently authenticated 'ideo foota$e and photo$#aphs depictin$ soldie#s committin$ acts of sexual 'iolence, the S#i Lankan $o'e#nment!s flatly #eFects all accusations+ (espondin$ to 'ideo foota$e published by Channel 3 News, the S#i Lankan &i$h Commission in the U said in @a#ch this yea#. B:ou# latest attempt to deni$#ate S#i Lanka is a continuation of you# pe#nicious campai$n that has al#eady been exposed in the book Co##upted *ou#nalism Channel 3 and S#i Lanka+ :ou# alle$ations a#e such unmiti$ated and unsubstantiated #ubbish that you make e'en $utte# Fou#nalism appea# to be 6ulitOe# 6#iOe-winnin$ p#ofessionalism+ %hat makes you# Fou#nalism doubly dubious and obnoxiously unbalanced is that you expect us to comment on foota$e which, in fai#ness, we ha'e not e'en been $i'en the oppo#tunity of seein$ o# hea#in$+ ,t is a pity that you# continuin$ p#opa$andist 'endetta a$ainst S#i Lanka only continues to unde#mine the p#ocess of #econciliation and healin$ that we ha'e unde#taken afte# a nea# th#ee-decade lon$ te##o#ist wa#+ ,t is ce#tainly not $oin$ to help those in S#i Lanka you p#etend you a#e helpin$ but who only wish to li'e in peace without exte#nal meddlin$ and postu#in$+ :ou# c#ude Fou#nalism exposes both Callum and you# calumnyB+