Pandemonium in the Streets May 18, 2009
Posted by savingsrilanka in Uncategorized.trackback
Although Sri Lankans are celebrating what may be the end of a 25-year war, the situation in the cities has gotten even more dangerous for civilians, especially Tamils and foreigners.
Although most people are finally free of the fear of the Tigers that they’ve lived with for years, Tamils are afraid to leave their homes in Colombo. Anti-foreign sentiment has reached a fever pitch. Encouraged by the government, soldiers have been trying to intimidate foreign nationals. Today, a soldier at a checkpoint in Colombo aimed an an assault rifle at an American woman in an attempt to bully her.
Yesterday, a violent protest was organized by the JVP (the Sri Lankan Communist party) outside of the British Embassy. Eggs and stones were thrown, a window broken, and an effigy burned. Part of their anger is because they don’t appreciate British Foreign Minister David Miliband (whom they accuse of supporting the Tigers) sticking his nose in and trying to help the country. Apparently, they feel like they’ve got things well under control and don’t need any outside assistance at all. Right, clearly.
It’s the government’s role to model how it would like its citizens to behave. A responsible government would tell its citizens to be gracious in victory and remind them that this type of mob violence was what created the problems in the first place. It certainly wouldn’t encourage them to hector foreigners in a country whose economy is largely tourism-driven. If this group of leaders can’t send a positive message to its people, perhaps its time for the people to demand a different group of leaders who can.
The Tamils only resistance in the north has been silenced. I wouldn’t be surprised if Tamils in Colombo or anywhere in the south be killed or tortured. That is what will happen. The Sinhalese always wanted a Sinhala-Buddhist Nation and they are near it. At the end the Tamils haven’t get their rights after a long and unfair battle. I truly believe Sri Lanka didn’t win this battle. It was India’s intelligence, China,Russia, Japan and Pakistans military weapons. Japan,Canada and USA’s funding that defeated the Tigers. It took 25 years and the Sri Lankan troops couldn’t wipe the Tigers but after intervention of the neighboring greedy countries this weak nation declared defeat to the World’s most disciplined and notorious rebel group. But, I believe until the Tamils are free from oppression the Tamil Tigers will be still roaming around the country.
Totally agree…you see, they are only doing this to tourists now because they think they have solved all the problems of the country by apparently killing Prabhakaran…imagine that they have been doing the same to Tamils for the past 60 years!
I think international communities should cease any form of financial support to SL! They take take take and give nothing back to the innocent civilians! Instead these so called leaders take the money and have a hearty feast at their homes!
Sri Lanka have never been and never will be gracious in victory and this type of rowdy behaviour is genetically inbuilt so it’s unlikely to change!
Utter bullshit by a deeply frstrated dasporic female who knows nothing about conditions in Sri Lanka but is determined to tarnish the good name of this country oow that the Tanmil Butcher has departed to the nether world.
Unsure of whether that “utter bullshit” comment was in reference to the original post or to one of the comments, but the items mentioned in the post come from the ground in Sri Lanka, and reference factual occurrences.
The Us vs. Them tone is an ugly one to take and the reason behind all war. You can love your country and still believe your leaders are inept morons who commit atrocities: just ask the Americans. You can be Sinhalese and still believe that the government is wrong. You can believe the government is wrong without believing the Tigers were right (and vice versa)! And if innocent people are dying, their killers are equally guilty whether or not they happen to be from the same culture as you or from a different one. This site is not anti-government , but neither is it anti-Tiger; it’s anti-violence. I would urge you to get on board.