On JVP, LTTE and Sri Lankan conflict

Residing in Colombo for the past 2 months has given me a better sense of the conflict and people's experiences with the armed forces. History of the civil war is complex and I cannot comment in full detail without laying the ground work for a lifetime's manifesto. So on a brief note, Veddas (aboriginal Sri Lankans here thousands of years ago), Singhalese and Tamils (both coming over 2k y.a.) lived tolerably together for hundreds of years. Of course, they had the odd conquest and land/kingdom dispute, but I think it's fair to say that colonial wankers exacerbated these groups' divisions. In the post-colonial era, after the limeys left mid-20th century, Ceylon had to sort out its national identity, governance, domestic economy, etc. Ethnic boundaries seemed impossible to reconcile, with majority Buddhist Singhalese pushing for a "united" Sri Lanka since the 1960s.

In 1983 the massive, brutal genocide commenced, continuing for 20 years. My neighbourhood (in Little Jaffna) had been razed and there were many bombing campaigns in Colombo. Several colleagues recall their pre- and grade schools falling in on them from nearby bombings. At one woman's grandmother's house, adjacent to an army camp in central Colombo, body parts landed into her back garden from guerillas' bombs. After depletion of resources and over 60,000 deaths and thousands more 'disappearances' the two parties agreed to a ceasefire agreement (CFA) in 2001-2002. With Bush's 'war on terror' (or the now-fashionable 'violent, homophobic, religious fundamentalist crusade against violent, religious fundamentalists') LTTE guerillas are now deemed as 'terrorists.' I think the extent of LTTE demands, exercised through violence, is to have control over primarily Tamil areas in north and east, to have fair representation for their concerns as minorities. Clashes between the marginalised and the elitist goverment. I do not have any ideas, proposals, justifications for this conflict, only that there is an unstable CFA now and pessimistic peace talks held in February. I just don't think a federalist government, like in India, could work in this small country. However, it is quite clear that maybe 15% of Sri Lankans seek war and that most people are aspiring for peace.

For the past couple decades the international community has collaborated with the many war-torn, post-tsunami areas and seem to be making some improvements towards a kind of normalcy. But if peace talks collapse people will be pushed further into poverty and it is likely the country would slide into bedlam. I am very confused on this issue and infuriated that the rest of the world does not even acknowledge Sri Lanka's fragile state. I am sickened by the news that JVP (aligned with US Republican politics) was behind the grenade attacks the other evening. Most people I talk to say it was JVP because the 5 grenades went off at night, when no people were out. If it had been LTTE or gangs it would have been deadlier. It is likely that JVP party launched the grenades as a fearmongering tactic for LTTE sympathetics. It seems that President Mahinda, for the most part, wants to negotiate for peace, but his political party is set on going to war. It makes things very troubling when LTTE is also hardlined and will not take anything less than 1/3 of country's land. It is also horrifying that US, Ireland and other industrialised countries are supplying both Sri Lankan military and LTTE with weapons and artillery. Will do anything for a buck and market for its Lockheed Martin manufactured arms...

In any case, daily life is good; I am safe, buzzing from the culture and happy with my research. Peace, paix, pazzzz zzz zzz zz z z z

I'm ok

First rounds of grenade blasts in Colombo today. No one killed or injured. Apparently, unrelated to LTTE/nationalist government conflict, more to do with druglord underworld in cahoots with corrupt police. But grenades went off in a friend's neighborhood and spossedly near mine. Luckily, I was on my way back from Anaradhapura, Polonnuwura and several other ancient cities in the Cultural Triangle when they happened so no worries here. On an even more depressing note, 2 colleagues' fathers died over the weekend, actually on the same day as each other. Unrelated, one from a stroke and one from a long-time illness. They are inconsolable. In addition, Canadian leftism died on Monday, with right-wing, Alberta, anti-aborginal, nutjob Steven Harper getting into Prime Minister's seat. A good thing for Bush and cronies, a terrible thing for socialism, state-funded healthcare, preservation of natural resources, inexpensive education and transportation...WTF happened??!

Let's cross fingers that talks with Norwegians and Sri Lankan government go well.