Training JMOs in child abuse cases

By Faraza Farook

The Judicial Medical Officers Association (JMOA) has decided to organize a series of programmes on child abuse to enable JMOs to handle such cases better, a spokesman for the association said.

The programme featuring several child abuse cases, ways of handling them, recognition of injuries and establishing evidence will be a training to those in the forensic medical field, Dr. Ananda Samarasekera said. The decision to start such a programme came following the visit of a team of British experts who were in Sri Lanka last week to train officials in the medical field, counsellors and the police on the various aspects of handling child abuse.

One of the suggestions that came up at the end of a week's training was to make child abuse a mandatory module for paediatricians and part of the core curriculum in the post-graduate training for JMOs. It was also decided to send paediatricians and counsellors on scholarships to train them on counselling and therapy.

Mr. David,a member of the British team of experts, suggested that a few judges and lawyers be taken to Britain to get an idea of how the problem is tackled there. He also said that the Police in Sri Lanka working in this field needed to be recognized and their skills developed to a more professional and child-friendly manner. He also suggested that professionals like lawyers, especially women should be recruited to the police which would prove advantageous.

Children were the base of this programme where the participants looked at some cases of some who have gone through traumatic incidents. Copies of some of the video tapes used at the sessions have been given to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) which could be used in training programmes that are on the cards. One of the video tapes used at the sessions for the JMOs and pediatricians was on how to recognize injuries. Meanwhile Head of NCPA Prof. de Silva was building up a library which will have much reference material. Moreover, the NCPA will continue training programmes on how to deal with problems relating to children. The programmes will also be held in the peripheries like Galle and Anuradhapura where the trend of abuse is high, Prof. De Silva said. Last week's sessions trained psychologists, psychiatrists and counsellors on therapy and counselling, paediatricians and JMOs on the recognition of sexual abuse in children, examination procedures and the Police on video interview techniques and the interview process. Legal implications were discussed with officials of the Attorney General's Department, Prof. de Silva said. One of the main reasons for the high incidence of abuse according to Dr. Samarasekera, a JMO who has been tackling cases of abuse for years, is parents migrating to other countries for employment. "Children are more susceptible to abuse by their guardian during this period," he said adding that alcohol is the other reason. "Child prostitution is common where foreigners gather but sexual abuse is often found in the extended family," says Dr. Samarasekera.

Some of the areas where abuse is common include Wattala, Ja-Ela, Negombo, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and certain areas in the Wayamba province.

Are we about to see a holy war in Sri Lanka ?

By Kumbakarana

"T he Muslims of Ampara are Bhoomiputras in their own right, living in a self sufficient land with an identity of their own. Rahumath Chaudury Ali an Indian Muslim theorist, declaring further that Muslims of eastern and western part of Sri Lanka should be considered as a part of the Indian Muslim community". This information is extracted from a Sri Lankan government publication. 'The Heritage and History of Muslims of Ampara district' by M.L.A Cader, Ministry of Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs, under the patronage of Minister M.H.M. Ashraff.

The book also claims that Muslims have lived for at least thousand years in the East, an area never ruled by Sinhala kings. This is the obvious result of the propaganda of the Muslim Congress claiming for a separate Muslim unit and even more extremist Muslim United Liberation Front leading a peace loving group of Muslim people to the chaotic situation.

In a sense it is to be expected that if Tamils are accepted as a community with a separate national identity giving them the right to ask for a federal state in the merged North and East, then the logical conclusion will be that Muslims also will make their claim to the areas they live in. Infact in 1889 they claimed these separate rights from the British pointing out that they should not be lumped together with the Tamils, in the name of Tamil speaking people coined by Ramanathan, due to the common language they use. Muslim leaders vehemently pointed out even though without a language of their own, they have a separate ethnic identity.

Their separate identity is based on religion which surfaces the issue of Catholics and Christians in this country like in Indonesia, Nigeria, China and Indo China. Are we about to see a rejuvenation of holy war in Sri Lanka as well?

The government toleration on Islamic fundamentalism of SLMC is an invitation to open the Pandora's box of religious fundamentalism too. In 1949 when Chelvanayakam formed ITAK and laid the cornerstone for the present chaos may be he did not dream that it will turn out to be a nightmare soaked in blood and tears. Similarly M.H.M. Ashraff will not wish for such a gory future for his people. It nevertheless is the recipe for a violent scenario, another round of war and ravage to realise dreams of extremists such as Rahamuth Ali Chaudury.

The newly drafted Sri Lankan constitution is to embark on a venture to allow these extremists dreams to come true. If allowed constitutionally the SLMC claimed Muslim unit, Safistan of Chaudry will automaticaly be realised, the consequence of which will develop in India where at least 6 Muslim states will have to be carved out for Muslims. Indian leaders such as Nehru and Patel in their wisdom foresaw such happening and took crucial safety measures as creating states based on language and language only cutting out ambitions of religious extremists from having ground for their ideas for the Sri Lanka, devolution of power and unit of devolution based on language or religion would ultimately form few more states, within the union of Sri Lanka. The politicians of Sri Lanka not only lack wisdom but are also corrupt and weak willing to create Tamil or Muslim or any other state in an effort to cling to power at any cost. Let us look at the global situation to get the bigger picture. Russia has brought Chechnian aspirations of separate state to a standstill thereby silencing Darjistan and other Muslim states who have similar aspirations. In Iran counter revolution has halted shite fundamentalism in its tracks. Extremist forces regrouped in Pakistan, Jammu and Kashmir to disintegrate India will undoubtedly be decimated. This leaves Sri Lanka for the extremist element to regroup and pursue their violent dreams. The tragedy is that they will welcome and supported by the corrupt and shameless politicians of Sri Lanka uncaring and uninterested in the resulting mayhem and violence that will be unleashed on innocent people.

Are we going to stand aside and watch while Ashraff and Chandrika carry out this vile and hideous act? Let it be remembered that Muslims of the world today are the worst affected group of people battered by fundamentalist philosophy.

The solution to the problems faced by Muslims of North and East is not to create so-called federal state for them but to defeat LTTE terrorism with Islamic fundamentalism which claims concept of bhumiputra and separate Muslim state which will only lead to continuous bloodshed and tragedy.

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