Abstract
Investigating the modern torture practices applied by the police, military and armed rebels during the war and post-war times, various scholars and practitioners have referred to 32 types of torture methods applied in ancient feudal Sri Lanka until the European colonisers introduced new penal laws. These torture methods sometimes resemble the physical punishment given to the sinners who end up in the hell, as graphically depicted in the Buddhist temple murals. Investigating on torture during the civil conflicts in Sri Lanka, medical practitioners have reported various types of physical and psychological torture methods revealed by their patients. The title ‘Fifth Hell’, was adopted for this installation to establish the links between the concept of hell in Buddhist literature and brutal penal practices applied by the police and military authorities in Sri Lanka.
Presenters
Visakesa ChandrasekaramSenior Lecturer, School of Law, Society and Criminology, UNSW Faculty of Law & Justice, New South Wales, Australia Vidun Mansitha
Freelance Visual Artist, Freelance Visual Artist, Colombo, Sri Lanka
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
KEYWORDS
Torture, Policing, Sri Lanka, Budhist murals, Hell
