Sri Lankan Peace in Pieces
by Hayah

On the occasion of the Diamond Jubilee, they hoisted the national flag, we all got up to sing the national anthem, and religious dignitaries recited their respective prayers. Then began the speeches. The ‘On behalf of’ messages of President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka. They held words about the significant achievements of the nation in the past 60 years of independence from British colonial rule, the brilliant figures of literacy, life expectancy rates, the amazing economic growth. They spoke of pluralism of the nation as being an example for South Asia and the world and democracy and rule of law that was implemented so well. I couldn’t help feeling the pride for my country that I felt in my heart was for some reason overshadowed by the reality that I knew existed.

AHRC (Asian Human Rights Commission) sends my organization emails everyday based on human rights violations in Sri Lanka and other parts of Asia. Women being raped, Tamil children denied education, Sinhalese couples accused and imprisoned wrongly, false allegations by police, police aiding with criminals….and the list goes on. CNN and Al Jazeera has been airing news about bomb after bomb in Sri Lanka. The leaders said that there is a war in the North and East of the country. What bull! There is a war at peoples door step. In the North, the West, the South, the East. From Jaffna, to Colombo there is a war.

A bomb exploding everyday is the expectation. The norm. Wives don’t know if their husbands will return home, mothers don’t know if their children will get stuck in a mile long security check. The prices of day to day essentials are sky high. If inflation and insecurity if what you call “socio-economic progress” then the entire country is shrouded in a veil of falsehood. If what Sri Lanka has today is “democracy” where those in power control over 80% of the economy then maybe colonial rule was more equitable.

So what reason is there to celebrate this Diamond Jubilee? Is Sri Lanka truly free today? Are the Sri Lankan people awake to the reality of their nation?

All I could hope for is maybe Sri Lanka too will see an uprising. Maybe the tides will turn. Maybe the Sri Lankan people will stand up to claim their nation again. Maybe this jewel of a nation will revive as the diamond of the Indian Ocean

…and the tear drop shall turn into a pearl once again ….