The True Face of Sri Lanka's War

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The True Face Of Sri Lanka's War

The True F ace Of Sri Lanka's War-

15 Aug 2013

--By Shelley MorrisTamil asylum seekers who arrive inAustralia by boat are in many cases thelucky ones - many who suffer cannotleave, as these photographs fromShelley Morris show. Warning: graphicimages

Despite the armed conflict finishing in 2009,the humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka

remains grim, and human rights abusescontinue. The government of Sri Lanka hasdone little to promote reconciliation andrehabilitation and bring about justice forvictims. Both the Sri Lankan Government andthe Australian Government paint anoptimistic picture of the current situation innorth Sri Lanka. The reality is much different.

It had been almost three years since I hadfirst visited north Sri Lanka, at which time the

war had only recently finished. I was unsurewhat to expect this time. Extensive development has been widelypublicised by the government and applauded as an indication of restorationbeing implemented throughout the North.

It was when I travelled to the interior that I started to see and hear thestories of what life is really like for the majority of Tamil people. Thecarnage left behind after such a brutal war is horrific, and three years on,severe psychological trauma is vast and pervasive.

These images show the legacy of a war where safe zones were routinely

targeted, where bloody battles took place right in the midst of homes andlives, and where the civilian sacrifice was significant. It uncovers theeveryday struggle of living with agonising disfigurement, harrowingmemories and departed loved ones.

CHOGM being held in Sri Lanka in November suggests that the internationalcommunity, Australia included, is looking the other way and turning a blindeye to the war crimes committed by the government.

Keywords:

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tamils

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These are the lives of people who have still not been granted justice.

All photos by Shelley Morris. The full photoset may be viewed here.Warning: Graphic and distressing images follow.
http://www.shelleymorrisphotography.com/NORTH-SRI-LANKA-1http://www.shelleymorrisphotography.com/NORTH-SRI-LANKA-1


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This man suffers acute psychological and emotional disorders from his experience during the

war. Rajah can hear but he cannot speak, and his frightening and erratic behaviour makes life


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miserable for his wife and eight year old son.

This boy's father lost his leg during the war, and sustained critical wounds by cluster shelling.

His injuries have rendered him totally dependent on his wife for all his needs. The boy and his

brother are seven and four years of age. Before they were displaced the family owned a small

cinema from which they earned their living.


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Dayudshan was resting in a chair with a fan on him when I arrived. He lost his right hand and

one leg during the war. His father died in the war. He has three siblings. His mother is a

seamstress, but does not earn enough income to look after the family. Dayudshan has to

change his prosthetic leg often as he is growing. He doesnt want to use his false arm as it

hurts him.


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Her mother and father were killed during the war, she and her three siblings live with their

aunty, who is a widow and has four children of her own children. They all live together in a

very small house made of mud.


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Sinnathamy lost both his arms and one leg while digging a bunker for his family for safety

from shelling. The boy who was helping him died on the spot.


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Survivor of torture inflicted by the SL military, which has seen him lose all his fingers and both

legs. His wife works doing de-mining to provide for their three children.

Vijitha lost her father in the war, and she lives with her mother and her two younger siblings

in a temporary house. My future is bleak and barren for me without my right hand. I hate to

look at myself in the mirror.


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This man is paralysed after he was hit with shrapnel. Day and night he lies dreaming about a

bright future, which he very well knows will never become a reality. He always talks highly of

his wife, who earns a living by working in the dangerous de-mining program every day.


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During the war, one bullet found its way into one side of her forehead and came through the

other side, blinding both eyes.


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Nine-year-old Dayanthan survived the war with shrapnel wounds to his head. You dont need a

stethoscope to know his heart beat; the right side of the skull-less skinned area beats like his

little heart. He is paralysed down one side and cannot walk or sit up. He spends his days

laying in a rattan chair in their front yard.


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This 27-year-old girl was paralysed by shrapnel. She lays on a leaking water mattress at her

mother's home. There is no support system in place for people with disabilities, and she can

see no hope or future for herself.


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Blinded by shrapnel. He lives in a small hut with his wife and daughter. Theyown some large cooking pots which they loan out for a small income.

All photos by Shelley Morris. The full photoset may be viewed here.
http://www.shelleymorrisphotography.com/NORTH-SRI-LANKA-1http://www.shelleymorrisphotography.com/NORTH-SRI-LANKA-1

The True Face of Sri Lanka's War

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