By Dilrukshi Handunetti
COLOMBO, Sri Lanka
Women's rights groups in Sri Lanka on Tuesday called on the winner of the country's presidential election to focus on justice for those who died and went missing during the country's three-decade long civil war.
The signatories, who call themselves "Women Affected By War," said Thursday's election presents an opportunity to the people of Sri Lanka to call for justice and accountability.
The appeal highlights numerous challenges faced by women in particular, in rebuilding their lives after the war that ended in 2009.
They said a presidential commission initiated in 2013 for the purpose of investigating disappearances during the civil war became a probe into a broader range of human rights violations.
"That raised questions as to whether the present government is genuinely interested in revealing the fate of the tens of thousands missing. Although around 20,000 complaints were received, the Commission so far has moved at a snail’s pace,” their statement said.
Thousands of people from both sides went missing during Sri Lanka's decades-long civil war, which was fought between the Sinhalese-majority government in the south and Tamil separatists who operated in the north and east of the country.
The army ended the war in 2009, after almost 30 years, but has been accused of using tactics that were tantamount to committing war crimes.
Many of the Tamil rebels arrested at the end of the war have not been seen by their families since, leaving them in the dark about whether or not they are alive.
They called on the government to demilitarize the country which still has a heavy security force presence, identify sites of mass graves and allow greater freedom of expression for civil society groups without state pressure. This included a request for families to mourn their dead, something which has been a concern for many Tamil families.
They also called for more rights to be given to prisoners, including ending torture and sexual violence against detainees, releasing or trying those detained without charge under anti-terror laws, and allowing them access to their families and legal counsel.
