After fleeing race related violence in Sri Lanka Shiranee Pararajasingham and her family have been members of the Strathfi eld – Homebush Parish of the Uniting Church in Australia for 26 years. She was among many Tamils who arrived in Australia as a result of the anti-Tamil pogrom of July 1983. “We were a traumatised community struggling to fi nd our feet while anxious about those we had left behind” she said. By Amy Goodhew

Her community is now a united one and maintains an ongoing relationship with her birthplace. “Some of us went back to volunteer our services to rebuild our war torn homeland, during the short lived ceasefi re. We re-united with families and made wonderful new friendships”. Although Shiranee is now back in Australia she has not escaped the pain of the latest confl ict in Sri Lanka. “We don’t know how many of these people have survived the recent onslaught.

We believe that well over 50,000 Tamils were killed and 40,000 maimed during the past four months alone. We are appalled at the conditions under which survivors are held – conditions likened to Nazi concentration camps. Many of the Tamil Australians have lost loved ones in the war or have friends or family now in camps, suffering untold hardship”.

Shiranee was one of over 4,000 Australian Tamils gathered at a memorial service in Sydney’s Martin Place on Sunday 24 May. to honour slain Tamils. “We stood there unable to speak or acknowledge each other, steeped in sorrow for the many thousands of lives lost and our homeland now under army occupation” she said.

The horror of the civil war experienced by Shiranee and many more in Sri Lanka may be over but for thousands of civilians displaced by the war, their struggle to survive continues. The Uniting Church in Australia has links with Sri Lanka through partnerships with local churches and Sri Lankan members of the Uniting Church in Australia. Many of these partner churches are serving in regions impacted by the war. Church members and clergy have been detained by the Sri Lankan military. They have lost family members and their stories are heartbreaking.

In response to this deepening crisis, UnitingWorld has launched an emergency appeal for Sri Lanka and has sent an initial $25k for immediate relief for the estimated 250,000 people trapped in ‘welfare camps’. The camps suffer poor sanitation and shortages of food, water and shelter. Many have described these centres as ‘detention camps’ as there is no freedom of movement beyond them. Those in camp suspected of ties to the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) have been removed by the army and have not been seen since.

Funds raised will provide essential food and equipment, pastoral support and medical supplies. We are also seeking to establish emergency accommodation to provide a day care service, meals, counselling and equipment to displaced communities. Relief and Development Associate Director Rob Floyd says “Supplies will provide for approx. 4,500 people for one to two weeks but continued uncertainty means that more assistance is urgently needed”.