The Kill Fields of Sri Lanka

Recently I came across a video footage released by Channel 4 titled “Sri Lanka’s Killing Fields” that features a series of war crimes committed during the ultimate assault launched by the government of Sri Lanka to end the quarter century long civil war of the country. Personally, this perhaps is the most influential video I’ve ever viewed in recent times that changed my entire perception towards war and violence, especially that of my country; Sri Lanka. 

The video documentary was compiled by Channel 4 over the last few months of the battle’s bloody end. The visuals associated were those originally recorded by the cameras of terrorists, army men and trapped civilians themselves. Hence the content is highly visual and contains materials depicting raw execution scenes and sexual harassment unsuitable for minors and people sensitive to such brutality and violence. 

Like many locals of the country, I was under the happy impression that our heroic soldiers did good getting rid of the bad guys; the terrorists. Little did I know that most of them unfortunately lost their humanity in the process and ended up worse than animals. The documentary highlights the war crimes and atrocities committed by the heartless army men of the pearl of the Indian Ocean; shattering the entire respect I had towards our armed forces. Of course the accusation is only against those black sheep who were guilty, the rest of the men were “merely following their orders” yet one should know what is right and what is not; what is moral and what is not. The minute you knowingly fail to make the right choices, you lose your status as a human being; that’s exactly what happened in the killing fields of Sri Lanka.

I still hear the cries and see the creek of blood flow in my mind- the effect of merely viewing the video. I cannot imagine the state of those affected; of those who lost a loved one; who saw it happen right before their eyes. 

 "I lost my 14 year old boy; as a father I couldn't save his life. I watched him die in a blood bath, this will always hurt me and be my life long guilt" 

That was the confession of a father who lost his only son in the war; an extract from the video. But is he the one who should feel the guilt?? Another sad incident depicts the situation of few civilians who thought "they would live" as they approached the SL army seeking refuge. 

"The young girls were made to take their clothes off hug one and other before being shot at"

Said a woman who was among those few refugees who were lucky to be alive; after being sexually assaulted along with her young daughter. Words cannot describe the mentality of those who were affected. This woman was so mentally challenged that she could not directly bring up the word "rape" after that brutal incident.

Towards the fall of the clash of the SL army and the LTTE in May 2009; the entire country celebrated the victory. Our beloved president Mahinda Rajapakse was glorified as a hero; so did I for I saw no more barriers in the country’s development anymore. But this very footage returned myself back to those days when Sri Lanka was still struggling to find her lost freedom. Freedom is the state of mind when a person; in this case a country; is free of limits; of guilt and any charges. Who will account for the lives lost during this blood bath? Who will take the blame? And when they do; who and how will they pay back?