Biography:
Jeyakumari Balendran is a Sri Lankan Tamil woman and an activist who has dedicated her life to campaigning for the families of those who disappeared while in Sri Lankan military custody. Born and raised in Sri Lanka, Jeyakumari grew up in a country torn apart by civil war, with tensions between the government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) running high.
Tragically, Jeyakumari’s youngest son was conscripted into the LTTE prior to the final stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War. After surviving the war and reuniting with his family, the boy was asked to surrender to the Sri Lankan Armed Forces. With a heavy heart, Jeyakumari followed the authorities’ call and handed over her son, who was only 15 years old at the time. However, he never returned home, and his whereabouts remain unknown to this day.
Since then, Jeyakumari has been engaged in a peaceful struggle to discover not only her son’s fate but also the whereabouts of thousands of others who mysteriously disappeared while in the custody of the Sri Lankan military. Her tireless efforts and unwavering determination have made her one of the leading human rights activists in the Northern Province, where thousands of widows and children have lost their loved ones during the conflict.
Jeyakumari’s plight gained international attention when British Prime Minister David Cameron visited Jaffna in November. At the forefront of a weeping crowd, she and her daughter Vipoosika held up photographs of their missing relatives, pleading for answers and justice. Their desperate pleas for the return of Jeyakumari’s missing son resonated with people around the world, shining a spotlight on the issue of forced disappearances in Sri Lanka.
However, Jeyakumari’s activism has not come without consequences. In March 2014, she and Vipoosika were arrested on allegations of harboring a suspected criminal who had shot and wounded a policeman. The arrest took place amidst a heavy presence of military personnel, leaving Jeyakumari and her daughter vulnerable and isolated.
Detained without any formal charges, Jeyakumari fears for her life, knowing that she possesses tangible evidence against the Sri Lankan Armed Forces for their alleged human rights violations. Her continued detention has sparked outrage among civil society campaigners and human rights organizations who have raised concerns about her safety and well-being.
Jeyakumari Balendran’s courageous struggle for justice serves as an inspiration to countless others fighting for accountability and human rights. Her unwavering determination to uncover the truth and bring those responsible for disappearances to justice has made her a prominent figure in the ongoing efforts to heal the wounds of the Sri Lankan Civil War. Despite the challenges and risks she has faced, Jeyakumari remains steadfast in her pursuit of justice and the right to know the fate of her loved ones.