March 11, 2009

Sri Lanka: The Long and Forgotten War

srilankalone.jpg

Today, Alan Taylor's consistently impressive "Big Picture" from The Boston Globe offers an arresting photo essay on what may be endgame in Sri Lanka, the island nation once known as Ceylon.

Sri Lanka and its long war The Sri Lankan Civil War, waged between separatist Tamil rebels and the government of Sri Lanka - a conflict which has run hot and cold over 26 years, and has cost over 70,000 lives - may now be approaching its end. The ethnic Tamil rebel force called The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (or LTTE, or just "Tamil Tigers") has been fighting for the creation of an independent Tamil state since 1983, using both conventional warfare techniques and terrorist methods. Since 1987, the LTTE has claimed responsibility for nearly 200 suicide attacks, more than any organization in the world. Now, since late 2008, aggressive Sri Lankan government forces have dealt many serious defeats to the LTTE, capturing towns and airfields, and recently trapping the remaining 1,000 (estimated) LTTE rebels in a 37 square km (15 sq m) area, surrounded by 50,000 government troops. Army shelling and retaliation by desperate rebels has led to many recent civilian casualties, and an estimated refugee population of over 200,000. The Sri Lankan government has exercised tight control on media over the years, limiting coverage of the conflict and allegedly inciting its supporters, and several journalists have paid with their lives.
One journalist who paid that price was The Sunday Leader's editor Lasantha Wickrematunga. Before his death he wrote an editorial about his profession, his death, and his country in which he addressed the current President:

An excerpt --

And Then They Came For Me

Sadly, for all the dreams you had for our country in your younger days, in just three years you have reduced it to rubble. In the name of patriotism you have trampled on human rights, nurtured unbridled corruption and squandered public money like no other President before you. Indeed, your conduct has been like a small child suddenly let loose in a toyshop. That analogy is perhaps inapt because no child could have caused so much blood to be spilled on this land as you have, or trampled on the rights of its citizens as you do. Although you are now so drunk with power that you cannot see it, you will come to regret your sons having so rich an inheritance of blood. It can only bring tragedy. As for me, it is with a clear conscience that I go to meet my Maker. I wish, when your time finally comes, you could do the same. I wish.

Sri Lanka and its long war is HERE

The Sunday Leader's posthumous editorial by Lasantha Wickrematunga "And Then They Came For Me" is HERE.

srilanka2.jpg

Posted by Vanderleun at March 11, 2009 10:28 AM | TrackBack
Save to del.icio.us

Comments:

AMERICAN DIGEST HOME

"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.

This is such a well done piece. Thanks for doing it and catching us up on something else besides our War on Democracy and the Economy and Prosperity.

Posted by: Webutante at March 13, 2009 7:41 AM
Post a comment:

"It is impossible to speak in such a way that you cannot be misunderstood." -- Karl Popper N.B.: Comments are moderated to combat spam and may not appear immediately. Comments that exceed the obscenity or stupidity limits will be either edited or expunged.










Remember personal info?