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Cherished memories of a BBC reporter

By Dilrukshi Handunnetti 

It is not memories of a gruesome ethnic conflict and the ceasefire that followed, all of which she covered as a media professional, that she is likely to carry with her as she leaves our shores. For Frances Harrison, the outgoing Colombo Correspondent of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), what constitutes "cherished memories" of the island are its pristine beaches, lush foliage and more importantly, the serene beauty of temple flowers.

Paradise on earth

"Sri Lanka fitted my imaginary picture of paradise on earth. I love the wooden furniture here, the gorgeous linen and vibrant-hued garments and of course, my high-ceilinged home here with its bright orange and yellow walls surrounded by temple trees. Paradise indeed," says Frances.

Harrison arrived in Sri Lanka in the year 2000, just as the country's political landscape began to change. She arrived here with a three-month-old son in toe to cover one of the bitterest wars in recent history.

Counting 14 years with the BBC, the bulk of her reporting here during a three and a half year stint has been on the ceasefire period and the conflict's terrible impact. Perhaps the high point in her sojourn here was that she avoided the pit that most foreign correspondents unfailingly fall to - of prejudging the case and reporting with a multitude of biases and preconceived notions.

"For me, it was a learning process from day one. I just remained completely alert to what was going on and knew that I was new here and needed to get things in proper perspective before I began filing stories," she says.

Having obtained a Bachelor's Degree from the Cambridge University, she went on to obtain her Masters on South Asian Area Studies from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University before carving out a career with the BBC.

Harrison joined the BBC World Service, Radio South Asia and then worked on different radio programmes, particularly on BBC World's popular programme - Asia Today.

Foreign stints

Then came the foreign stints. From 1993 to 1994, she served in Islamabad, Pakistan and from 1996 to 1998 she was BBC's Dhaka-based reporter. Harrison moved to Kuala Lumpur for anther two-year stint. In 2000, she arrived in Colombo to serve her longest stint of three and a half years.

For her, the best thing that happened during her stay here was in gaining "exclusive access" to the Tamil Tigers following the ceasefire. Her predecessor had more limitations and frustrations when covering the conflict, as there was an ongoing war. "My predecessor used to complain that she was often compelled to cover the war 'by fax' as there were travel prohibitions. With the truce, I had great access to the conflict areas," enthuses Harrison.

"I enjoyed things here tremendously. Here, people use the English language more; there is less pollution as well as traffic. I think Sri Lanka spins its own charm despite a conflict that has bled this nation. I was bewitched and often found myself surrounded by lovely people - all of which went to make it a fulfilling stint," she adds.

Following the ceasefire, she was glad to repeatedly visit the war ravaged areas thereby gaining first hand experience of the conflict she studied academically before." I realised how small and smooth the place is. Also, how intense the war has been and its devastation. Twenty years of war in such a small area is devastating," she reflects.

For Frances Harrison, some of her finest writing has emerged when she encountered the trauma of civilians. Besides the regular stories of day-to-day developments, she realised that what pull at heartstrings are the individual stories - the tales of devastation to tell and of terrifying memories.

Harrison's fervent hope is that Sri Lanka would find the courage to build the minds as buildings are being built. "Minds are as destroyed as the landscape. I noticed how difficult things were when people had to resettle in their old homes. Terrible memories of the places they left seem to flood as they began returning home following the truce. I witnessed the trauma associated with this exercise when people moved back to Chavakachcheri in January 2001."

It is to these devastated people that she is most grateful for being willing to share their grief that made her stories. "I gained enormous insight into the conflict due to them, besides the access I had to the area. I consider it a singular 'honour' that these innocent victims of war wished to talk to me. I am so touched that they opened up and told me their stories and trusted me enough to share their grief," she says.

As for the truce, she claims that the previous government could have marketed the peace dividend better, had it appealed to better instincts of the masses.

"The government should have appealed to the south on more emotional and moral grounds perhaps. They should have explained why it is necessary to correct a wrong and appealed to the charitable elements and the generosity within," she asserts.

Skeptical of truce

She is also happy that the truce is surviving despite a change of government and that the Norwegians are still willing to play a role. On the other hand, she is skeptical how far it all would hold with the eruption within the LTTE and the recent suicide bombing in Colombo.

She also believes the truce, despite the impasse has created a great opening for peace building. "The best thing about the truce is the opportunity for civilians to meet up. The A 9 Road opening was all about being able to mix and mingle once more and the removal of a huge psychological blockade. I saw this when people began interacting and delighted in each other's company. That human feeling superceded ethnic differences," she notes. And it also made her notice that the gulf created by 20 years of war was far more intense that she anticipated.

Another beneficial change she noticed on the political landscape was the part reintegration of the Liberation Tigers into the community of people. With the peace talks, the LTTE too began to travel abroad and new vistas suddenly opened. After 20 years of living in the jungles, they began transacting with the outside world openly. "They were emerging literally from the jungles of Wanni and the breaking of that isolation itself is very significant," Harrison says.

Harrison particularly recalls filing a story that remains deeply etched in memory. With the completion of 100 days of the ceasefire agreement, both the Sri Lanka Army and LTTE affected phased out withdrawals from designated areas. "There were these LTTE cadres at the Muhamalai Army check point leaving towards LTTE controlled territory. They seemed so uncomfortable while at this check point and I found the psychology very interesting. The cadres seemed to be comparing their weapons, camps etc., as they went through they sought clearance. It was fascinating to watch it."

Another memory that is refusing to desert her is that of an orphaned girl from a refugee camp in Wanni. A kind couple had picked up a girl who was left there when her village was bombarded killing her mother. She had already lost her father. Left with nobody, she had a bleak outlook on life and when questioned whether she would like to get married, bear children and someday lead a normal life, she queried Harrison whether the kind couple that picked her up would be there to pick her children up as well. "That tore at my heartstrings," she adds.

Experience has taught her to respectfully withdraw when it amounts to prying. "I don't want to intrude sometimes and put them through more."

And she recalls a female refugee leaving a heavily bombed Kabul city during one assignment. Among her few earthly possessions was a first aid kit, but she was holding on to it standing amidst the rubble. "When we got talking, she said her son had been killed just two days ago. Despite her obvious lack of education, she had a certain aura and was full of expression. And when I apologised for making it worse, she said it was better that somebody knew."

Willing to share

"That is something I have learned. People have a great willingness to share their tragic tales even if it is like turning a knife inside. I guess these are our most invaluable 'sources' that tell as more poignantly what conflict costs to civilians," explains Harrison.

As she prepares to embark on yet another assignment, this time in Tehran, the capital of Iran, Harrison believes it is going to be a fresh experience.

The daughter of a British father and a half Pakistani mother, she is a firm believer of multiculturalism and calls herself proudly a "quarter Pakistani." So, when the BBC posted Harrison to Islamabad, she revelled in discovering the country that bore links to her mother and tried not to be a complete stranger in a land from which she derived certain roots.

As for reporting per se, Harrison claims to dislike scratching the surface and believes in in-depth study of geopolitics and getting involved in the details of things.

Child happily settled

Harrison who arrived in Sri Lanka with an infant son now encounters difficulty in uprooting a child who has happily settled here. He has picked up the native language well and has come to love the tropical island.

"He was most unhappy during a vacation back at our London home and protested about having to wear layers and layers of clothing and missed king coconuts," she laughs.

As Frances Harrison prepares to go to Iran to take up her next assignment, she adds that there is an important personal element to that. "Tehran is special for that is my husband's country. My son would benefit from this. He would have cousins and would hopefully learn about his father's culture which is so important to me. My intention as a mother is to give him the best of both worlds. As for me, it is another exciting assignment in a place that draws much international attention," adds Harrison.

"As I leave a place, I bid a silent farewell to some people like the woman from Kabul and the orphaned girl from Wanni. They are people I would never meet or have the opportunity to say goodbye. That is what's poignantly sad about leaving a place - my inability to take leave of many a person who has touched my life in some way, but a personal goodbye is not possible," says Harrison as she prepares to take wing to Tehran, to be with her husband's extended family as she begins yet another interesting chapter in her career.

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