Tamils remember May 2009

As 18 May* is approaching I decided to write this short blog about the oral history narratives of young individuals who were involved in political campaigns which aimed to spread awareness about the plight of Tamils during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s decades long civil war.  In addition, I felt that it was important to identify that their memories and reflections were pointing to broader topics, such as a sense of belonging, that speaks to the differences and similarities which are continuously shifting the collective identity of the Tamil community in Australia.

The civil war in Sri Lanka and intensification of violence in 2009 are significant in the childhood memories of Tamils, as one individual said, ‘it was heightened emotions, I was very sad and angry’.  In their forced migration to Australia some Tamil children carried with them day-to-day experiences of war such as hiding in bunkers and being internally displaced for long periods of time.  For others, the war in Sri Lanka was constructed through stories told to them by family members.  Regardless of how they came to know about the civil war, their narratives show that as children they understood that the war was a part of their story.

Interviewees spoke about their emotions and drew on the opportunity to reflect on the protests and lobbying of 2009 that took place in Australia and across the world.  Many individuals felt that the efforts of Tamil organisations in Australia went in vein because people had competing views about the civil war, and more specifically the LTTE.  Upon reflecting on this, one Tamil said:

‘I think the general vibe that people got here was that a lot of the groups were pro Tiger (LTTE) which prevented some people from participating.’

The personal narratives of Tamils reveal that the final stages of the war implicated community tensions simply on account of ‘different views’.  Another person described feeling angry at people in the Tamil community who remained distant from the protests and lobbying, asserting ‘you don’t really care, you’re selfish’.  The views of Tamils show how deeply personal and complicated childhood memories of war can be, embodied by emotions linked to grief, anger and confusion, become imbued with a range of reflections and associations signifying the politics of loss.  The impacts of this are significant, particularly, when it unsettles their sense of belonging.  Nevertheless, by openly asserting their memories and reflections of May 2009, Tamils living in Australia are beginning to question and challenge the boundaries of their community.

*18 May marks the end of the armed conflict between the Sri Lanka Army and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).  Each year on this day, Tamils all over the world hold candlelight vigils and gatherings to remember the final stages of the civil war.  In Australia, ‘Tamil genocide Remembrance Day’ pays respect to civilians, fallen LTTE and those individuals from across the world who sacrificed their lives for the plight of Tamils.

Niro.D is a PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, Australia.  Her thesis is on the long term resettlement experiences of Sri Lankan Tamils.