Q&A with John Sifton: Abuse Allegations in the Sri Lankan Military

FILE - Sri Lankan military personnel march during the country's 66th Independence Day celebrations in the central town of egalle! about "# kms from the capital $olombo% Frances Alonzo-April 28, 2014

Ap ril 28, 2014 10:58 PM Startling new abuse allegations a!e poppe" up again against t e Sri #an$an %ilitar&' (owe!er, w at %a$es t ese allegations "i))erent is t at t ere is %obile p one !i"eo o) wo%en recruits su))ering abuse at t e an"s o) %ore senior sol"iers' * e Sri #an$an %ilitar& as accepte" t e aut enticit& o) t e !i"eo an" sa&s an in!estigation is to be carrie" out b& t e countr&+s %ilitar& police' ,o n Si)ton, t e Asia A"!ocac& A"!isor wit (u%an -ig ts .atc , e/plaine" to 01A+s Frances Alonzo t at abuse allegations b& t e Sri #an$an %ilitar& are not new, but t ere is ope t at t e a"%ission b& t e go!ern%ent %a& lea" to %ore accountabilit& wit in t e ran$s o) t e %ilitar&'
23A wit ,o n Si)ton: Abuse Allegations in t e Sri #an$an Militar&

S4F*15: * e allegations ca%e to lig t in late April' * e Sri #an$an %ilitar& as ple"ge" to

in!estigate t e%' 6ut, t is is in"icati!e o) t e )act t at t e Sri #an$an %ilitar& as a terrible recor" o) se/ual !iolence against t e general population' An" i) t is is ow t e& treat t eir own recruits, one can onl& i%agine ow ba" t e abuses are against or"inar& *a%il ci!ilians an" Sri #an$an ci!ilians' * ere was a !er& big report t at ca%e out recentl& about se/ual !iolence b& t e %ilitar&' 2uite si%pl& put, t e Sri #an$an %ilitar& as a terrible recor"' A#1571: So w at appens now8 . at recourse "o t ese wo%en a!e8 S4F*15: * ere is going to be an in!estigation accor"ing to t e Sri #an$an Ar%&' 6ut t is will be a %ilitar& police an" %ilitar& 9ustice in!estigation' An" it ob!iousl& "oesn+t a!e t e sa%e a%ount o) transparenc& t at we woul" li$e to see in a ci!ilian setting' :enerall& spea$ing, o) course, t e Sri #an$an %ilitar& an" t e Sri #an$an go!ern%ent "on+t a!e a great recor" o) transparenc& or accountabilit& )or abuses' * ese allegations a!e not been %a"e in a !acuu%' 4ncre"ibl& serious !iolations o) se/ual abuse a!e been %a"e against t e Sri #an$an %ilitar& last %ont , last &ear, t e &ear be)ore, in conte/t o) t e )inal con)lict against t e *a%il *igers in 200;' An" t ere is a w ole slew o) allegations against t e% t at a!e &et to be in!estigate" properl&' So t e )act t at t e& are in!estigating or sa& t e& are in!estigating t is recent case is an e/ception to t e rule' A#1571: . o will ol" t e% accountable8 . at is t at c ec$ an" balance )or t e %ilitar&8 4s t ere one8 S4F*15: * ere is a %ilitar& 9ustice s&ste% an" one can ope t at per aps t e )act t at t ere was a !i"eo o) t ese attac$s an" t at it is una%biguous t at t e& occurre" an" t at t e& a!e been a"%itte" t at per aps so%e %e%bers o) t e %ilitar& will be el" accountable' 6ut t e proble% is reall& on a s&ste%ic le!el' -egar"less o) w o co%%itte" t ese speci)ic abuses, a bigger <uestion is, will an& ig le!el o))icials in t e Sri #an$an %ilitar& e!er be el" accountable )or t e )act t at t e& allow t eir )orces to engage in abuses as a %atter o) course, as a s&ste%ic issue, an" )ail to ol" t e% accountable' People w o allow an entire %ilitar& structure to en9o& al%ost co%plete i%punit& in ter%s o) rape, se/ual abuse, an" ot er abuses against *a%il ci!ilians, t e& s oul" be el" accountable )or t at as well, not 9ust )or t e actual p &sical acts o) sol"iers, but )or t eir "ereliction o) "ut& an" t eir )ailures ol" t eir own )orces accountable' A#1571: . at &ou are "escribing is a little "e%oralizing' 4t 9ust see%s as t oug t e& can co%e across an" sa& =>es, t e !i"eo e/ists' >es, we a"%it it' >es, we are in!estigating'? An" t at+s t e en" o) it' S4F*15: @n)ortunatel&, t is is all too co%%on wit Sri #an$a' 4 %ean, t ere was a stu"& publis e" in Marc b& t e Sout A)rican u%an rig ts law&er an" @5 a"!isor, >as%in Soo$a, w o was also on a @5 co%%ittee t at is in!estigate" cri%es b& Sri #an$a "uring t e ci!il war' An" it allege" a w ole set o) incre"ibl& terrible se/ual abuse cases o) et nic %inorit& *a%ils' 4 %ean it was reall& "isgusting stu))'

* is is all a)ter t e ci!il war t at rage" until 200;' An" to <uote "irectl& )ro% er report, s e sa&s <uote, =t e ig est le!els? o) Sri #an$a+s go!ern%ent were co%plicit in t e cri%es' @n)ortunatel& t is is all too co%%on wit t e Sri #an$an %ilitar&' * e& rac$ up t ese terrible allegations against t e% an" t e& s ow al%ost no interest in ol"ing an&bo"& accountable' A#1571: So now, in &our !iew, t roug &our e/perience, w at will appen now8 . at+s ne/t8 S4F*15: @n)ortunatel&, not ing will appen i) t e nor% carries on' * e )act t at t ere was !i"eo )ootage an" t e&+!e ple"ge" to in!estigate, suggest t at per aps a )ew low le!el sol"iers will be el" accountable' 6ut al%ost certainl& t ere won+t be an& ig er le!el accountabilit&' 6ut wit t at sai", go!ern%ents )ro% t e @nite" Aing"o%, to t e @nite" States, to Australia all go!ern%ents t at a!e regular "ealings wit Sri #an$a are beginning to realize t at t is is a countr& wit a go!ern%ent t at as no interest in ol"ing its own agents accountable )or u%an rig ts abuses an" it+s starting to a!e an i%pact on t e countr&+s bilateral relations ips across t e boar"' * e& are su))ering )ro% %ilitar& to %ilitar& assistance issues, 4 %ean t ere are all $in"s o) t ings t e Sri #an$an go!ern%ent is starting to realize t e& are not going to en9o& because o) t eir orrible u%an rig ts recor"' An" we can ope t at because o) t at pressure an" t eir increasing isolation in t e international co%%unit& t at t e& will start to t in$, =.ow, we reall& nee" to crac$ "own on t is i%punit&' .e can+t 9ust a!e a %ilitar& t at runs wil" an" "oes w ate!er it wants to "o'?