Fleeing the Insanity
I have to hurry. In a few hours I'm out'a here. Going on a field break. That sounds so much better than holiday, don't you think?
Things have really been heating up in Kandy this last week. Things have been heating up all over the island I suppose, despite the monsoon coming in. Yesterday in Colombo, police used water canons against marching bhikkus, and 3 of them ended up in hospital. Saffron against army green. Surreal. You would think that in times of trouble the Buddhist clergy would be the ones to argue for dialogue and peaceful resolutions. Not so in Sri Lanka. I wonder how Siddharta would have felt about this. Is this really Buddhism?
The "we're-not-giving-an-inch-away-of-our-Sinhala-Buddhist-island"-rethoric is prevailing. So what are they protesting? They say the proposed "joint mechanism", an agreement between the LTTE and the government for cooperation in tsunami reconstruction, will be the first step towards partition of the island. Wake up! This island was divided a long time a go! How would working together to help victims of a natural disaster divide it further? Is sending poor villagers to die in jungle warfare in the Vanni and in the East going to change things for the better? If you argue for war, at least be the first to sign up for service in the armed forces!
We had Chandrika (the president) visiting Kandy this week. It was a joyous occasion indeed. She was here for the momentous opening of Kandy's new 4-story car park. The newspapers printed full page advertisements with messages from the mayor of Kandy, the deputy mayor, and the leader of the opposition in the Kandy Municipal Council. They all proudly pointed out that they had been able to secure loans for 630 million SLR (ca 6,3 million USD and ca 41 million NOK) from the Asian Development Bank to go ahead with the building. I think the quality of politicians here is perceived to be directly correlated to the sums of the loans they are able to secure.
On this festive day a bhikku decided to go on a fast unto death, right outside the Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Tooth). Why? The monk, Ven. Sobitha Thero, a member of parliament from the Jathika Hela Urumaya political party, said he would fast unto death unless the president rejected the JM. A podium was set up opposite the temple where Sobitha and his disciples were in plain view for people inside and outside the temple grounds. A crowd had gathered around to show support or maybe to satisfy their curiosity. A few passer-by's on the lake promenade were stopping, too. A pineapple salseman was providing snacks for the show.
For most people though, life went on as usual. That is, until yesterday, when Sobitha was on his 5th day without food or water. The Sangha (temple order) had ordered all shops downtown to close. Newspapers today reported it was done out of respect, but I believe there was a fair amount of intimidation involved. Police were patrolling the streets in such numbers that there must have been a very real chance for civil disturbance. As it turned out though, all the action was in Colombo. I wonder if there were any police left in the rest of the island.
The newspapers today further wrote that the JVP, in a bid to increase the pressure on the president, has set a deadline for her to reject the joint mechanism (or the P-TOMS as it is often called now: Post-Tsunami Operations Management Structure). If she fails to do so by midnight on June 15, they will withdraw from government on the following day.
Just checking the news I see that Sobitha has broken his fast. I wonder if there is as much substance in JVP's threats to leave government as in this monks "fast unto death".
Enjoy the insanity! I will be back in a couple of weeks.
/haakon/
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2 comments:
This is the first time I've ever read you're blog (I don't even know how I ended up here lol), but reading your post "feeling the insanity" you seem to be very ignorant about the issues in Sri Lanka.
"The "we're-not-giving-an-inch-away-of-our-Sinhala-Buddhist-island"-rethoric is prevailing"
I'm going to assume that you are foreigner in our land because of your extreme ignorance to the issue. You idealist want for peace is all good, but misguided, don't get me wrong, everyone in Sri Lanka wants peace, but not at the price you seem to think is logical.
Here is an example; in America the Hispanic population is around 18 percent (thats number recorded in the census, but its a well known fact there are far more Hispanics living in the the US illegally, so it maybe closer to 20), the African-American population is about 12 percent. Now to put this into perspective, the total American population dwarfs the total Sri Lanka population. Why is this relevant? Imagine if the Hispanic population wanted to make California an Hispanic Independent Sate? Or what is the African-American population decided they want to make a In depended Sate? Would the American Government ever allow it? No. Would the majority of non-Hispanic or non African-American citizens want for it to happen? No. Why? Because it makes no sense for 18 or 12 percent of the population to force a dividing of a nation. If then either Hispanic or African-American minority then decided to use terrorist attacks to try force the issue would the American government be as hospitable as Sri Lankan governments have been? Hell no. We saw what America did to Iraq for no justifiable reason. Now think about how tiny Sri Lanka is, think about the fact more than a quarter of the Tamil population in Sri Lanka actually lives in Colombo, the fact that the Tamil Tigers are considered terrorists not only in Sri Lanka, but India, England, America and Australia (just to name a few) and think about all the atrocities committed by the Tamil Tigers to try bring about their selfish ideals, not just to Sinhalese and Muslims, but to other Tamils?
"Wake up! This island was divided a long time a go!"
A long time? How much of Sri Lanka's history are you actually aware of?
The joint-mechanism is stupid because of the simple question; why should a democratically elected government have to negotiate with terrorists? Do you think George Bush would negotiate with Al Quida or North Korea, or did he negotiate with Iraq? No. So why is there this absurd double standard that the Sri Lanka government should have to?
I don't agree with Monks in Sri Lanka getting involved politically, however your claims that the Monks are calling for the war to recommence again shows your ignorance. They want a peaceful resolution, but not at the price that is being asked.
The problem in Sri Lanka is the politicians are a) spineless, b) corrupt, c) stupid and d) a combination of the 3. Another problem in Sri Lanka too many foreigners passing judgment on issues they have no idea about, and others spouting claims to propel their own agendas.
Right.. so I am foreign and ignorant. And your alternative to the JM would be?
And from where do you get the idea that I support separatism? I most certainly do not.
However, it is a reality that will not go away, no matter how hard you close your eyes, that Sri Lanka is divided today. What can we do about that? My simple point is that this conflict cannot be resolved until the LTTE is democratized and included in mainstream politics.. somewhat like JVP was. Furthermore: the minorities of Sri Lanka need to feel that their rights are just as important as those of the Buddhist-Sinhalese majority. Let's give the "Buddhist-state rethoric" a break and the minorities will feel a lot less threatened.
I am not at all defending all that the LTTE has done. I am no "white tiger". BUT, we are getting nowhere by continually blaming the LTTE for all that has gone wrong. Tamil separatism didn't just grow out of a vacuum. It came as a response do some downright discriminating policies issued by governments who gave into pressure from Buddhist/Sinhala nationalists - like the ones willing to go on a "death fast" against a tsunami reconstruction agreement.
As for the parallell to America: I think any country content to measure itself up against their social policies, is in bad shape. I am surprised that not a large section of the American people have turned militant - it would certainly have been understandable. But whether the Americans would have opted for a military solution or not is besides the issue. The GoSL and its people have been down that path. It didn't work. What is needed is dialogue, not a shouting of slogans and waving of guns.
And if they don't listen? Call me naive, but I am quite certain that if the GoSL is brave enough to go against the nationalist sentiments of its majority and sincerely attempt to reach out to its minorities, what there is of international support for militant and anti-democratic groups, such as the LTTE, would crumble.
/haakon/
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