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| Reports of Violence in Sri Lanka Ahead of Elections | Reports of Violence in Sri Lanka Ahead of Elections |
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| JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — The thugs first appeared around 11:20 on Thursday night, a dozen or so men lurking outside her house. Two wore army uniforms. | JAFFNA, Sri Lanka — The thugs first appeared around 11:20 on Thursday night, a dozen or so men lurking outside her house. Two wore army uniforms. |
| Ananthi Sasitharan — a Tamil candidate in the first provincial elections to be held in 25 years in the former insurgent stronghold here — said she woke her three daughters and prepared for the worst. She called a few friends, who soon appeared and persuaded her and her daughters to sneak out the back. It was a good thing they left. | Ananthi Sasitharan — a Tamil candidate in the first provincial elections to be held in 25 years in the former insurgent stronghold here — said she woke her three daughters and prepared for the worst. She called a few friends, who soon appeared and persuaded her and her daughters to sneak out the back. It was a good thing they left. |
| Ten of her supporters stayed behind to watch the house. A few of them started playing a Sri Lankan card game called Monkeys and Donkeys, but before they could finish even a few hands, four trucks pulled up outside and disgorged more than 100 men. Most of them were wearing army uniforms and carrying guns and wooden clubs, according to the accounts of several witnesses. | Ten of her supporters stayed behind to watch the house. A few of them started playing a Sri Lankan card game called Monkeys and Donkeys, but before they could finish even a few hands, four trucks pulled up outside and disgorged more than 100 men. Most of them were wearing army uniforms and carrying guns and wooden clubs, according to the accounts of several witnesses. |
| “Where’s Ananthi?” the thugs started shouting. “Where’s Ananthi?” | “Where’s Ananthi?” the thugs started shouting. “Where’s Ananthi?” |
| And then they attacked. | And then they attacked. |
| Four years after Sri Lanka’s lengthy civil war came to a bloody end, the first provincial council elections since 1988 are being held Saturday in the country’s Tamil-dominated north amid sporadic reports of violence and intimidation. There are dozens of Tamil parties vying for seats under the flag of the Tamil National Alliance, competing with candidates from the governing coalition, the United Freedom Party, which controls about two-thirds of the national Parliament. | |
| The council is fairly toothless, because President Mahinda Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka has centralized much of the government’s powers in his and his family’s hands. But the election has become an important symbol to the Tamil people as well as to international monitors about whether the Rajapaksas are willing to countenance even cosmetic steps toward reconciliation with the Tamils. | |
| “The military has been visiting houses all over the area and telling people not to vote for the Tamil National Alliance,” Mavai S. Senathirajah, deputy leader of the Tamil alliance, said in an interview. “We will not be intimidated.” | “The military has been visiting houses all over the area and telling people not to vote for the Tamil National Alliance,” Mavai S. Senathirajah, deputy leader of the Tamil alliance, said in an interview. “We will not be intimidated.” |
| The war’s end has been beneficial to Sri Lanka, an island of about 20 million people split between the dominant Singhalese and the minority Tamil. Roads have been rebuilt, tourists have returned to its crystalline beaches and tea estates, and the pervading sense of unease that gripped the country for decades has largely evaporated. New train tracks have nearly reached Jaffna, at the northern tip of the island. | The war’s end has been beneficial to Sri Lanka, an island of about 20 million people split between the dominant Singhalese and the minority Tamil. Roads have been rebuilt, tourists have returned to its crystalline beaches and tea estates, and the pervading sense of unease that gripped the country for decades has largely evaporated. New train tracks have nearly reached Jaffna, at the northern tip of the island. |
| Yet, signs of the violent past remain. Destroyed houses, burned-out churches and the broken carcass of a water tower still litter the landscape in once war-torn areas. There is growing evidence that in the course of war the Sri Lankan government may have killed as many as 40,000 people — many of them innocent civilians — particularly at the close of the war. The United National Human Rights Council has voted repeatedly to condemn the government’s failure to investigate potential war crimes even as a string of shocking videos that appear to show the murders of innocents leak out of the country. | Yet, signs of the violent past remain. Destroyed houses, burned-out churches and the broken carcass of a water tower still litter the landscape in once war-torn areas. There is growing evidence that in the course of war the Sri Lankan government may have killed as many as 40,000 people — many of them innocent civilians — particularly at the close of the war. The United National Human Rights Council has voted repeatedly to condemn the government’s failure to investigate potential war crimes even as a string of shocking videos that appear to show the murders of innocents leak out of the country. |
| The Rajapaksa government, meanwhile, has undermined the independence of both its judiciary and news media. Navi Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, accused the government last month of “heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction.” On Friday, Ms. Pillay accused the Sri Lankan government of waging a disinformation campaign against her. | The Rajapaksa government, meanwhile, has undermined the independence of both its judiciary and news media. Navi Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, accused the government last month of “heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction.” On Friday, Ms. Pillay accused the Sri Lankan government of waging a disinformation campaign against her. |
| For the Rajapaksa government, the international criticism is worrisome. The Sri Lankan economy depends on tourism and foreign investment, and in November the country is hosting a summit of Commonwealth leaders, a diplomatic coup. Many of the top hotels in the capital, Colombo, are undergoing renovations to ready themselves for the delegations. | For the Rajapaksa government, the international criticism is worrisome. The Sri Lankan economy depends on tourism and foreign investment, and in November the country is hosting a summit of Commonwealth leaders, a diplomatic coup. Many of the top hotels in the capital, Colombo, are undergoing renovations to ready themselves for the delegations. |
| An election in the northern province that is judged as free and fair could help improve the country’s international reputation. But it is far from clear that election monitors will bless the effort. | An election in the northern province that is judged as free and fair could help improve the country’s international reputation. But it is far from clear that election monitors will bless the effort. |
| On Friday, Rohana Hettiarachchie, the executive director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections, a domestic independent monitoring group, confirmed in a telephone interview that those who attacked Ms. Sasitharan’s house were wearing uniforms “similar to those worn by the army.” | On Friday, Rohana Hettiarachchie, the executive director of the People’s Action for Free and Fair Elections, a domestic independent monitoring group, confirmed in a telephone interview that those who attacked Ms. Sasitharan’s house were wearing uniforms “similar to those worn by the army.” |
| But Brig. Ruwan Wanigasooriya, a military spokesman, said by telephone that “there was no involvement on the part of the army.” He said the army was cooperating in an investigation of the matter. | But Brig. Ruwan Wanigasooriya, a military spokesman, said by telephone that “there was no involvement on the part of the army.” He said the army was cooperating in an investigation of the matter. |
| Ms. Sasitharan is contesting the elections in part to pressure the government to release her husband, a political officer for the Tamil Tigers who she believes has been in government custody for four years, a charge the government has denied. | Ms. Sasitharan is contesting the elections in part to pressure the government to release her husband, a political officer for the Tamil Tigers who she believes has been in government custody for four years, a charge the government has denied. |
| “Earlier this month, there were several others who were released, and they told me that they have seen my husband in custody and that I needed to keep pressing for his release,” she said in an interview. | “Earlier this month, there were several others who were released, and they told me that they have seen my husband in custody and that I needed to keep pressing for his release,” she said in an interview. |
| But she keeps being attacked, Ms. Sasitharan said, by an intimidation campaign aimed at getting her to drop out. Two weeks ago, army officers stoned her car while she was still in it, and she barely escaped injury, she said. | But she keeps being attacked, Ms. Sasitharan said, by an intimidation campaign aimed at getting her to drop out. Two weeks ago, army officers stoned her car while she was still in it, and she barely escaped injury, she said. |
| And then there was the attack Thursday. | And then there was the attack Thursday. |
| Pakeerathan Sriskantharajah, 22, was among those who stayed behind to watch Ms. Sasitharan’s house. When the mob struck, he raced upstairs and hid in a passageway between the roof and ceiling. But he put his foot through the ceiling just as the mob entered the house, and they beat him badly. | Pakeerathan Sriskantharajah, 22, was among those who stayed behind to watch Ms. Sasitharan’s house. When the mob struck, he raced upstairs and hid in a passageway between the roof and ceiling. But he put his foot through the ceiling just as the mob entered the house, and they beat him badly. |
| “They kept asking where Ananthi was,” he said in an interview, his hands and head bandaged. “We didn’t tell them, so they beat me on my legs, back, head and hands. They broke my fingers.” | “They kept asking where Ananthi was,” he said in an interview, his hands and head bandaged. “We didn’t tell them, so they beat me on my legs, back, head and hands. They broke my fingers.” |
| The Tamil National Alliance is expected to win control of the northern provincial council, but the margin of victory could prove crucial to the alliance’s efforts to push for greater autonomy over police and land decisions. | The Tamil National Alliance is expected to win control of the northern provincial council, but the margin of victory could prove crucial to the alliance’s efforts to push for greater autonomy over police and land decisions. |
| President Rajapaksa remains popular in much of the country, where he is still given credit for ending the war successfully. Two other provinces are also holding elections Saturday, and in those the governing coalition is expected to win. At the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the holiest place in Sri Lanka, Nanda, 80, who has one name, said Thursday that she would give her vote to the governing alliance. | President Rajapaksa remains popular in much of the country, where he is still given credit for ending the war successfully. Two other provinces are also holding elections Saturday, and in those the governing coalition is expected to win. At the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy, the holiest place in Sri Lanka, Nanda, 80, who has one name, said Thursday that she would give her vote to the governing alliance. |
| “I feel the president has brought stability to the country, and that’s what we need,” Nanda said. | “I feel the president has brought stability to the country, and that’s what we need,” Nanda said. |
| In 1998, the Tamil Tigers attacked the temple, which is said to hold one of Lord Buddha’s teeth, and killed 16 people. The attack shocked the nation, and Nanda said she could still remember being horrified by it. | In 1998, the Tamil Tigers attacked the temple, which is said to hold one of Lord Buddha’s teeth, and killed 16 people. The attack shocked the nation, and Nanda said she could still remember being horrified by it. |
| But just outside the temple, W. J. Wijeratne, owner of P & A Jewellers, said he planned to vote for the United National Party, the principal opposition, even though he suspected that the government would steal the results. | |
| “Everything in this country is being given to the president’s family,” he said. | “Everything in this country is being given to the president’s family,” he said. |