Ruki Fernando: Sri Lankan Human Rights

Date:  Thursday 20th December 2012

Ruki Fernando is a human rights activist from Sri Lanka. He has been working closely with victims of the Sri Lankan Civil War during and since the defeat of the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in May 2009. At that time the Sri Lankan government boasted to the international community that it was the first country in the modern world to eradicate terrorism on its own soil.

It would be no surprise to people here to learn that the roots of the modern conflict lie in British colonial rule when the country was known as Ceylon. There was initially little tension amongst Sri Lanka’s two largest ethnic groups, the Sinhalese and the Tamils.

So this will be a unique opportunity to get a deeper insight into the reality of what actually happened to end the conflict and the situation on the ground today. It seems appropriate that we will gather to hear its stories on ground where unaccountable state violence was unleashed in Derry.

Although both sides in the conflict were guilty of human rights abuses Channel 4 Television has since broadcast two powerful reports on the human rights abuses carried out by the Sri Lankan Government’s forces both to ‘win’ the war and to coverup/contain its aftermath.

Ruki has been working with victims of the conflict and their families on issues of disappearances, freedom of expression, displacement and resettlement. He has been active both during and since the civil war ‘ended’!

All welcome, Admission Free