Speaking in an interview with WarZoneWomen, the sisters of the murdered journalist Dharmini and Geetha, outlined their experiences of the final stages of the war and what they wanted for the future.
Describing Sri Lanka’s shelling of the No Fire Zone, Geetha said,“By April, the atmosphere was highly polluted, the air was filled with the smells of chemicals, blood, dead bodies and smoke. We were treated like animals. If people didn’t die from shelling, they died from lack of food or medicine. On April 13th-15th the government announced a ceasefire, but they fired at us non-stop.”
Calling for justice and a political solution for the Tamil people, Geetha added,
“Everyone who is born a Tamil wants greater rights for all Tamils, we want self-determination in our own country and on our own land- she wanted that too and she wanted to do something for Tamil people. Through the UN we believe that Tamils will get justice and that’s what Tamils in Sri Lanka also believe.”
Describing ongoing situation in the North-East, Dharmini said,
“In the North and the East people still suffer, the women there are smart but they’re affected by poverty disability and a strong military presence after the war. We can expect a change in Tamil rights only when Tamils rule themselves. Other there are some possibilities for change but only when the government of 2009 is punished for war crimes.”
Stressing the need for an international justice mechanism, Dharmini added,
"The Sri Lankan government will not do anything, something needs to happen via the UN and the perpetrators should be brought on trial at the Hague. According to international law, whatever punishment war criminals get is what we want."
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