Post-War Structural Marginalisation of Eelam Tamil Communities in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka

Author: Balananthini Balasubramaniam @Small Drops

1. Enforced Disappearances and Post-War Trauma

In the aftermath of the civil conflict, Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka have witnessed a profound and enduring crisis of enforced disappearances. Independent estimates indicate that between 40,000 and 60,000 individuals remain unaccounted for in the Northern Province, representing approximately 60–65% of the national total. In the Eastern Province, an estimated 15,000 to 25,000 persons are missing, accounting for 20–25%, while other regions collectively account for 5,000 to 15,000, or 10–15%. In aggregate, the total number of disappeared individuals ranges between 60,000 and 100,000.

These disappearances have inflicted deep psychosocial trauma upon affected families, engendering uncertainty, grief, and long-term socio-economic destabilisation. The absence of accountability and transparency exacerbates these impacts, leaving communities in a state of chronic insecurity.

Recommendations:

Establish specialised transitional justice mechanisms to investigate disappearances and provide reparative remedies.

Provide long-term psychosocial support to affected families, including counselling and community-based interventions.

Ensure comprehensive public documentation and memorialisation of victims to preserve historical memory and foster societal reconciliation.

2. Sexual Exploitation and Gender-Based Violence

Sexual exploitation and gender-based violence remain pervasive in post-war Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka, disproportionately affecting women, particularly those heading households. In the Northern Province, 20% of women report having experienced sexual exploitation, affecting 35% of female-headed households. In the Eastern Province, the prevalence is 18%, impacting 30% of female-headed households.

This phenomenon is closely linked to militarisation, displacement, and economic dependency. Women in militarised or economically marginalised areas are especially vulnerable, with limited access to protection or redress. The disruption of traditional social networks and displacement exacerbates susceptibility to exploitation and abuse.

Recommendations:

Strengthen legal enforcement mechanisms to combat sexual exploitation.

Establish safe houses and rapid response mechanisms for victims.

Implement targeted economic empowerment programmes to reduce vulnerability and enhance independence among women.

3. Child Exploitation

Children in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka remain acutely vulnerable to labour and sexual exploitation. In the Northern Province, approximately 15% of children engage in labour, with 9% affected by sexual exploitation. In the Eastern Province, these figures are 12% and 7%, respectively.

Economic deprivation, school dropout, and family vulnerability contribute significantly to this phenomenon. Displaced households with limited access to land or income-generating opportunities are particularly affected, heightening the risk of child exploitation and long-term social marginalisation.

Recommendations:

Expand child protection infrastructure to provide comprehensive safeguarding.

Strengthen education retention initiatives to prevent school dropout.

Provide economic support to families to mitigate the necessity of child labour.

4. Suicide Rates

Post-war psychosocial trauma has manifested in elevated suicide rates across Northern and Eastern Provinces. In the Northern Province, suicide rates range between 18 and 22 per 100,000 population, representing a 20–30% increase over the national baseline of approximately 15 per 100,000. In the Eastern Province, rates are between 16 and 20, a 15–25% increase relative to the national average.

These figures reflect profound social, economic, and psychological stressors arising from displacement, loss, and continued marginalisation.

Recommendations:

Expand mental health services in affected areas, including trauma-informed counselling in schools and community centres.

Conduct public awareness campaigns to destigmatise mental health issues.

Introduce culturally sensitive interventions that integrate local social structures and support networks.

5. Human Trafficking

Human trafficking remains a pressing concern in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka, particularly affecting women and children. Women constitute 40% of trafficking victims in both regions, while children aged 12–17 account for 25% in the Northern Province and 30% in the Eastern Province. Trafficking routes extend from these provinces to South India, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia.

Poverty, displacement, and limited economic opportunities contribute to this systemic exploitation, forcing families and children into precarious and dangerous circumstances.

Recommendations:

Strengthen anti-trafficking legislation and ensure rigorous enforcement.

Provide rehabilitation and reintegration programmes for survivors.

Enhance cross-border cooperation to prevent trafficking and monitor migration pathways.

6. Land Use, GDP Law, and Agricultural Dispossession

Land appropriation in the post-war context has systematically undermined Tamil livelihoods and reshaped local demographics. In the Northern Province, 20–25% of arable land is occupied by military, state-backed actors, or settler populations; in the Eastern Province, approximately 15% is similarly appropriated. Fewer than 20% of households have regained access to their land.

A notable feature of this occupation is its dynamic and sequential nature. When military or state actors vacate one area—for instance, a small section in Jaffna District—they frequently occupy another, such as the last remaining arable land in Mullaidevu District. This perpetuates a cycle of displacement and structural marginalisation, often favouring Sinhalese settlers or Sri Lankan Moors at the expense of Tamil communities.

Appropriated land is frequently diverted for military bases, airports, recreational projects, or commercial development, thereby removing critical agricultural infrastructure and limiting economic recovery.

Recommendations:

Prioritise land restitution and financial compensation for displaced households.

Enforce agricultural preservation laws to safeguard remaining farmland.

Promote community-based sustainable agriculture programmes.

Monitor sequential occupation patterns to prevent repeated displacement, particularly in Jaffna and Mullaidevu.

Ensure all land development projects respect the historical and social rights of Tamil populations.

7. Fisheries and Environmental Damage

Fisheries, a vital economic resource, have been severely constrained by militarisation, environmental degradation, and overexploitation. Tamil fishers constitute approximately 80% of the workforce in both Northern and Eastern Provinces. Despite the potential for a 30–50% increase in yield, actual incomes are reduced by 25–40% in the North and 25–35% in the East.

Restricted access to traditional fishing grounds, combined with cross-border industrial trawling and exploitation by non-local commercial actors, has further depleted fish stocks. Environmental degradation, including mangrove destruction and water pollution, has compounded these challenges, undermining both economic and food security.

Recommendations:

Implement sustainable fisheries management, incorporating community-led oversight.

Regulate cross-border and industrial trawling to ensure equitable resource access.

Provide alternative livelihoods and vocational training for affected fishers.

Restore degraded coastal ecosystems, including mangroves and breeding grounds.

Reduce militarisation of coastal areas to facilitate safe, traditional fishing practices.

8. Integrated Analysis and Policy Recommendations

Post-war vulnerabilities in Northern and Eastern Sri Lanka are deeply interlinked. Disappearances affect 60,000–100,000 individuals; sexual exploitation impacts 18–26% of women; child exploitation affects 12–15% of children; suicide rates range from 16–22 per 100,000; human trafficking involves 40% female victims and 25–30% children; land dispossession affects 15–25% of land; and fisheries operate below full potential due to occupation and environmental degradation.

Integrated Policy

Recommendations:

Transitional Justice: Address disappearances, sexual and child exploitation, and land restitution.

Economic Rehabilitation: Restore agriculture, fisheries, and sustainable livelihoods.

Mental Health Services: Provide trauma-informed care across affected populations.

Legal and Governance Reform: Ensure equitable protection for Tamil communities and enforcement of rights.

Environmental Protection: Restore fisheries and agricultural land.

Data and Monitoring: Collect independent ethnic, gendered, and region-specific data to guide interventions.

References

Amnesty International, Sri Lanka: Missing Persons, 2017

International Crisis Group (ICG), Post-War Governance and Land Issues, 2022

IOM, Global Trends in Human Trafficking, 2023

UNICEF Sri Lanka, Child Protection in Northern and Eastern Provinces, 2022

UNDP & FAO, Land and Fisheries Recovery Reports, 2021–2022

WHO, Suicide Fact Sheet, 2021

Our World in Data, Suicide Rates in Sri Lanka, 2023

Copyright Statement

© Balananthini Balasubramaniam @Small Drops

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