Innocently disabled:

Are Human Rights Bodies blind?

Today this space for the commentary is reserved for a disabled community. Not for those born disabled due to 'Karma' or other natural causes. But, for those innocent people who were rendered disabled by the three decades old terrorism in this country. During this period, we have been shocked and rocked by huge explosions throughout the country.

The clean air has witnessed deadly black smoke. Uncertainties prevailed for moments and minutes. Pieces of hot metal clattered on roads. Human bodies were strewn all over. Blood splattered on walls and pavements.

Many were killed. Many survived with torn bodies and fractured limbs. Some became blind. Certainly, not for their fault! These were horrific experiences. Isn't it?

All these tragedies have happened within the framework of a democracy. A glance to the recent past, the horrific journey from Kebithigollawa to Mt.Lavinia on Saturday, a number of innocent civilians were wounded by the bomb explosions and suicide missions executed by the LTTE.

Looking in to the past, a President was killed. A former Indian Prime Minister was killed on his own soil by the same ruthless terrorists who operate here. Another President lost vision of an eye.

Another leading business magnate too lost the vision of an eye in the Central Bank bomb explosion. Once the 'Retina" of an eye is permanently damaged, it cannot be replaced how rich or affluent a person may be. Well, these are all horrific experiences of our past.

The failure of our political party leaders to unite to eradicate this menace of terrorism is the main cause of this national calamity. They yet cannot agree to formulate an acceptable solution to the political crisis facing the country. What we see is that one party playing the ball to the other's court all the time.

Several international bodies on human rights all the while speak of human rights violations in this country. Do they ever speak about LTTE atrocities which have rendered thousands of innocent civilians disabled? They speak about excesses.

Don't they understand that excesses do happen at times of war in any country when terror is unleashed on the people? Any responsible Government is entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding the people and its territory.

That fact cannot be ignored by those human rights bodies which shed crocodile tears only for some. We do not debate the bona-fides or the mala-fides of the parties to the conflict. But, we would fearlessly state that a Government is the legitimate institution of a country.

We leave to the Pundits of Human Rights Organisations to tell us about the legitimacy of terrorist organisations here and worldwide. And what right have terrorists to inflict disabilities on innocent unarmed civilians?

We want to ask these human rights bodies whether targeting innocent civilians in buses and other crowded places is a just action of terrorism? What has the innocent civilians got to do with such a conflict? Do these human rights bodies claim that exploding bombs on unarmed civilians is a civilised act? We have seen enough from Olara Otunu to Allen Rock and Louise Arbour of the United Nations with regard to the crisis in this country.

That was why we said in our earlier columns that most of these people seem to visit here either wearing dark glasses or carrying a white cane in hand.

Surely, they cannot be ignorant to the thousands of human rights violations committed on the people by the LTTE, irrespective of race and religion? Can the United Nations tell us whether the LTTE has ever honoured its pledges to the UN? Prabhakaran promised Olara Otunu that he (Prabhakaran) would halt child conscription.

Did he ever uphold that pledge? What action did Otunu and his former 'boss' Kofi Annan take against Prabhakaran? Annan has already retired from that office and nothing has happened.

And Prabhakaran still continues to conscript under-aged children for combat. These are the realities the UN and human rights bodies should view seriously if they genuinely express views on human rights violations here.

Do these human rights bodies which shed crocodile tears on human rights violations here ever speak to or visit the seriously wounded victims in LTTE bomb explosions in hospitals? Or do they have planned any scheme of assistance or relief to those unfortunate victims? Just issuing statements condemning bomb explosions as a ritual is not going to benefit those unfortunate victims.

The noble objective we express in this column today is the paramount need and desire to look after the welfare of those unfortunate victims of LTTE bomb explosions. Traversing the roads for human needs is certainly not a crime to be a victim of a dastardly bomb explosion caused to create havoc in the country!

Be that as it may, a nation and its' people have a responsibility to care for those who were rendered disabled due to a festering ethnic conflict which has brought dark clouds over our nation. In this country we often speak of disabled soldiers. Yes...that should be our priority.

They have fought for our today and the tomorrow of our children. But, there is also an innocent disabled civilian community (victims of bomb explosions) living in silence.

They are a people rendered disabled due to acts of terrorism and defensive action. Certainly, we are not for a moment trying to draw a comparison between a disabled soldier and a victim made disabled by an explosion caused by terrorism.

But, we should commit ourselves to uphold the dignity of all those rendered disabled by cruel acts in our society. We do not know the exact statistics of the disabled population due to terrorism. But, it could now stand close to a half a million over the past three decades. It is our duty to empower them for their future.

Sri Lanka is a signatory to International Conventions which seek to prevent infliction of disabilities to the innocent. What progress have we achieved so far in that direction is a question that remains for answer.

There are Treaties and Treaties on paper against the manufacture and production of anti-personnel objects. But, the margin of success in the implementation of such Treaties looks very thin when analysed.

Do we not suffer the share of pain, shame, anger and guilt when we see on television screens the killed, torn bodies and fractured limbs of the young and old caught up in explosions? What about the young students recently seen in coffins in their school attire?

For whose fault did they pay with their lives? Then, why can't we bring about a nation characterised by peace, stability, development and prosperity to prevent more and more lives being lost, maimed or disabled by this conflict?

It's not too late for our political party leaders to unite and safeguard this nation and the people. They must live above petty politics and personal agendas. What we have witnessed over the past thirty years is the opposing role of Oppositions' with regard to the national crisis.

The Opposition must not think that opposing moves on national issues should be a ritual because it stands in the opposition. It's time that all political parties now unite to make headway to resolve the crisis.

The troops have been entrusted with the task of defeating terrorism. Troops cannot find political solutions to the crisis. They can only help to maintain law and order.

Also, political parties should not express detrimental views on our immediate neighbours who attempt to help us in this long drawn crisis. Opportunistic politics should be shunned from the political platform in the national interests. Today we are a nation with many disabled soldiers and civilians.

Civilians rendered disabled by cruel acts of terrorism have no hope. Once discharged from hospital beds they get no assistance from non-governmental organisations or human rights bodies. They not only become a burden to themselves but, also to the society.

Certainly, they are not responsible for such a fate. Therefore, the future of the civilian disabled component is the responsibility of the State and the Society. We must rise up to locate this disabled civilian population. The State could establish "An Empowerment Programme for Civilians rendered Disabled by Acts of Terrorism" by an Act of Parliament related to the rights of these unfortunate victims.

The nation and the people will never stand liberated even if peace is achieved, if we do not look after the future of these unfortunate men and women. Such a move will open the doors to this disadvantaged section to assume their place in society as equals irrespective of colour, race or religion.