Photo courtesy of Selvaraja Rajasegar
Relatives of those who have been forcibly disappeared are waiting for their missing loved ones to come home. They spend every minute of their lives with faith, and with the memories of the loved ones who have been taken from them. They have managed to save and protect belongings that remind them of their loved ones amidst various troubles, interact with them, and live with them. This is a virtual memorial created with such objects and the stories behind them.
Sri Lanka has the second largest number of enforced disappearances in the world. However, there are no formal records pertaining to the disappearance of these thousands of individuals. Tens of thousands of people have been reported missing during and after the 30-year war, and during clashes in the South between the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and the Sri Lankan government. So far, despite the establishment of various commissions by the government, no justice has been served to the relatives of those who have disappeared.
Since the end of the war in 2009, more than 200 relatives of missing loved ones have died without receiving justice, never knowing the fate of their loved ones. Their fight for justice ended with their demise. Similarly, hundreds of individuals who participated in protests to put pressure on those in power to get answer about their forcibly disappeared loved ones are now unable to continue their struggle due to economic challenges, illness, family situations, and the brutality of investigators.
This virtual memorial has been created to continue their struggle for justice and to keep the memories of those who have been disappeared alive.
People have been denied their freedom of assembly, freedom of expression, and freedom of remembrance through current and upcoming laws in the country. If this situation worsens, the relatives of the disappeared may not be able to gather and continue their struggle. As such, this virtual platform will provide space and opportunity for their voices, to remember them and continue the struggle.
Click to view the virtual memorial : Virtual Memorial
