 |
| Image: Wiki Commons |
By Taylor Dibbert
Pervasive militarization throughout the island nation’s historically Tamil areas continues to result in a range of problems.
During a recent visit to Sri Lanka, I (unsurprisingly) saw a lot of military personnel. Many times they were riding around in vehicles. On other occasions the interaction was a bit more personal. In Jaffna, as I was purchasing a new SIM card, a pair of Sri Lanka Army members entered the shop. In Trincomalee, I walked into town to grab the Sunday newspapers. There’s a place I remembered from a previous visit; it’s right by the bus stand. When I got there, two members of the Sri Lanka Army were inside picking up papers. (Should I at least be encouraged that they’re reading something?) After I bought three papers and was walking back to my hotel, I saw a pair of Navy men drive by.
If you’re visiting Sri Lanka and you leave your hotel room in Colombo, the capital, chances are you’re going to see at least a few military personnel during the course of the day. Without question, the situation is far more noticeable in the Northern and Eastern Provinces. Sri Lanka’s civil war ended in May 2009, but a military drawdown still hasn’t happened. Since Mahinda Rajapaksa was thrown out of power in January 2015, the military may be intervening less in civilian affairs, but much more needs to be done. The military’s intervention into civilian life has undoubtedly continued under the new government, which has shown no indication of wanting to decrease troop levels. And there’s no question that the Sinhalese military’s strong presence in Tamil-dominated areas results in a range of serious problems.
Read the full story at The Diplomat