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Missing without a trace

It was an emotional gath- ering at the Navarangahala Auditorium last Saturday. Six hundred mothers and fathers, wives and children, brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts and even grandparents flocked in from early morning. Each one was grieving for a loved one who was missing in action in the north east war. They trooped in with sadness written on their faces, tears in their eyes, but yet with a glimmer of hope. They all had one common goal. To find a way of tracing their missing family member. "Tell us at least if they are alive or dead," they cried out.

The meeting was convened by the Committee of the Association for Families of Servicemen Missing In Action. About a thousand next of kin of those missing in action who have registered with the Association received letters inviting them to this meeting on the 14th March. The purpose of the meeting was to network families themselves as well as acquaint them with the work and progress of the Association which came into being in March last year. "The Association is concerned with the interests and welfare of servicemen reported missing in action and their families," says Chiranga Palihena the Secretary, whose husband Lt. Thushara Palihena has been missing in action since January 1996.

The Secretary welcomed the families who had come and a two minutes of silence was observed for those who had lost their lives and those missing in action. A religious dignitary from each of the four major religions in the country, invoked blessings for the missing servicemen and their families and addressed the gathering. The President, a Vice President and the Secretary of the Association then explained to those assembled, the action taken so far and what they hoped to do next.

The families of most of the missing servicemen presume, even firmly believe, they are alive and in captivity. The majority of them seek reassurance from astrologers and light readers who continue to bolster their hopes. "There are unscrupulous light readers who make money from these families by giving them false hopes," said Druki Martenstyn, President of the Association. She herself had a bad experience when she once sought the assistance of an Ola leaf reader in a desperate effort to trace her husband missing in action since January 1996. "He told me that my husband was dead but that he could effect a change if I gave him six thousand rupees, a good quality suit length and three expensive Indian saris. I never went to one again."

The family members of missing servicemen came from far and near. There were some who had travelled through the night from distant places like Ampara, Bibile, Hambantota Bandarawela, Nuwara Eliya, Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Nandawathi Perera from Medirigiriya, left home at 2 a.m., travelling alone by bus. Her only son T.N. Pathiraja went missing when an Air Force plane came to grief in January 1996. "I had no one to come with," she said. She had only three young daughters whom she did not want to bring all that way. Her husband had also died after their son disappeared. "If my son who is only twenty three years old is dead there is no purpose in my living. I will watch a few more months and then take some poison to end my life," Nandawathi said tearfully.

"I am so grateful to the ladies of this Association", she added. "Nobody else is doing anything to assist us."

My son H.G. Wickremasinghe is missing since the Mullaitivu attack in June '96, said G.G. Margaret from Peradeniya. "My sister's son and brother's son are also missing from Mullaitivu." Margaret had come for the meeting together with her husband, brother and sister. "We have gone to astrologers. They all say the boys are prisoners," she said in tears. S. Renuka travelled from Kurunegala with her one-year-old son who had never seen his father. Renuka's husband Chandratilleke is also missing from Mullaitivu since 1996. "He went missing three months before our son was born," Renuka said. She too believes that her husband is alive and a prisoner.

H.B.G. Gunasekera came with her 2 - year-old son Prasanna all the way from Bibile. Leaving home on Friday night at 9.30, they reached Colombo at 4 a.m., and intended getting back on the night bus. Ms. Gunasekera's husband Kumara is missing from Mullaitivu along with so many others. "It is very difficult to think what has happened," she said sounding confused. For one year after he was missing, astrologers said he was alive. "I also used to see him in my dreams at night. Now, the astrologers no longer say he is alive. My son does not remember his father but my eight year old daughter still cries for him."

Twenty-three-year-old Sudith Gunawardena went missing in March '96 when the 458 Dvora naval gunboat he was on was sunk by the LTTE. "One sailor who survived, told us that Sudith saw the LTTE and jumped into the water", said his sister. Sisira Ratnayake also went missing when a Dvora boat was blasted near Pulmuddai October '97. "Five of them swam and came back, six died and their bodies were found. My son who was the Chief Gun Operator, the Captain Vidana Pathirana and one other are missing without trace," Sisira's father K.R.P. Ratnayake said.

"My son is alive in the hands of the LTTE, asserts M.D. Premawathie from Warakapola, whose son is missing since the Mullaitivu attack. Will the ICRC find my son?," she asks hopefully.

"This is a question that is very much on all their minds. The ICRC has agreed to meet us and discuss the problems of the Missing In Action. They are our only link to information.," Druki Martenstyn said.

"We felt the ICRC should meet not us alone but a representative group of family members. During the meeting at Navarangahala, the families were allocated seats district wise. Some neighbouring districts with less families were grouped together. They were given time to meet and nominate a representative from each group to go to the ICRC along with the Committee. Paper and pencils were also distributed to the groups to put down their questions and problems in order to put them forward to President Chandrika Kumaratunga. The President has agreed to meet us at the end of the month," Mrs. Martenstyn said.

After a short break for lunch which was provided by the Committee members, a representative and an assistant were selected from each group. "Please tell us, are they alive or dead? This was a question that was repeatedly asked by every group," Chiranga Palihena said. Explaining further, Mrs. Palihena said that some of these servicemen may in fact be dead but are still classified as missing in action.

The families believe they are alive. Another request of the families would like to make to the President is to ask the Forces to register the servicemen MIA with the ICRC as soon as they are found to be missing. They say that many of the names have not been registered with the ICRC.

The family members do not know where to go or what they need to do to register their MIA relatives. The families have also made a suggestion to appeal to international bodies to assist by developing connections and try to find out who is being held by the LTTE. Some even want to go en masse to the North to meet the LTTE to obtain the release of their loved ones.

Servicemen who are missing are classified as MIA for one year, Mrs. Palihena said. After an year MIA converts to Killed in Action or KIA and a death certificate is issued, in order to facilitate the administrative process of compensation and so on. However, they have not thought of the social factor involved. After one year, if a wife gets married and the husband returns, what is the position?

The AFSMIA is planning to conduct a series of meetings of small groups in the various districts. They feel this would be helpful since the trauma and dislocation experienced by these families is immense. Many problems emerge between the wives of the servicemen and the in-laws. Many desperate young wives even threaten to kill themselves and their children. Many of them are in need of counselling.

"Many of these people have the idea that the ICRC is unreachable," Mrs. Martenstyn said. "They tell us that the ICRC have names of prisoners which they are not revealing."

The Committee members therefore intend meeting the ICRC with the ten district representatives who have now been nominated so that the procedure followed by the ICRC could be explained to them.

"These representatives could then go back to their districts and explain the correct position to the others. They also intend compiling a list of MIA servicemen district by district and handing them over to the ICRC so that they could initiate inquiries. The LTTE has acknowledged only 23 prisoners of war. The ICRC regularly monitors them," She added.

Speaking of finances, Mrs. Martenstyn says it is not easy to raise funds for the work involved and the AFSMIA is low in funds. They have written many letters of appeal and received some donations from some companies as well as personal friends. For the meeting on Saturday they were able to get some donations of lunch packets to feed those who came. Both Mrs. Palihena and Mrs. Martenstyn have also put in some personal funds. They are grateful to those who have helped them.

She says the donation of a printer has helped them in their work. They now need a photocopier. " The families appreciate receiving our news letters because they then feel they are not forgotten."

"We are also trying to work out a scheme to get some organisations to sponsor a child," Mrs. Martenstyn said.

It is indeed a formidable task the AFSMIA has undertaken since every attack results in more MIA servicemen.

The committee members are rendering a valuable service to the families who are suffering under much stress. "We sometimes feel overawed by the responsibility," Ms. Martenstyn remarked. "The families seem to depend on us so much to help them. We hope and pray that our meetings with H.E. the President and the ICRC will bring some relief" she said.

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