Cease On The Streets
On the corner at three in the morning, waiting for the boys to finish their cigarettes. ‘Cigarette bonna’the?’ Literally do I want to drink a cigarette. No I don’t want to drink a cigarette. But they know that. It’s well late and the interrupted beer has worn off. The necessary products have been produced and mailed and now we can go home. I’m verra sleepy. Round the corner come about seven guys in green with assault rifles, also know as cops. Bit shruggy, like I give a fuggy. We go quiet and think they’re going to walk by but they don’t. Guy stops and eyes us suspiciously. Like Johnny’s in the basement mixing up the medicine, I’m on the pavement thinking ’bout the government. We’re in ties and button downs, but I guess we could still be Tamil. They ask where we’re from, what we’re doing. What where I’m from has to do with. It kinda sucks that you can’t say you’re from Batti or Wellawatte without questions and worse. But we’re not. The Tamil girl has gone home safe for the night. They ask if we have transport for some reason and then move along. Seven guys with guns walking down the street. Wonder when they get to go to bed, and what their conditions are like. Thankless job. I certainly find it hard to thank them.
When I first came to Sri Lanka I didn’t really do anything. Ficially. Those have generally been the most productive periods of my life and my parents have generally encouraged/indulged me. I read every book in the house, woke up at noon, lay on the floor with the cat, staring at the ceiling fan. Spent countless nights doing and redoing the design for indi.ca, learning everything I could about WordPress. Seemed devoid of point, but I’ve been selling crapped out versions of those skills for like 3 years now. Didn’t make any money, have any money, feel like I needed any money. Didn’t have an ID or nothing much in my pockets at all, except a camera. Used to take the 177 bus around for like Rs 4. Used to feel awkward if I had 100 Rupees cause I couldn’t change it anywhere. Go to the gym, stay underwater for a while, walk around, go bother Deshan at his square job. It was all right. I remember the first time they pulled everybody off the bus, asking for ID. I had a photocopied passport and a stupid grin. Seems like a long time ago. Before the roads closed, before the guns came out.
Sometimes I wonder where all the cops from. Now must be a great time to be a their outstation. I bet they’re called away from home, staying it shitty hostels, eating shitty food, walking around at night, sober. I mean, it sucks, but in terms of doing their job, cops suck too. I hear that they’re deputizing trishaw drivers and local johnnies too, giving them some uniform and telling them to flag people down. Civil Defence Committees or whatever. All I’m saying, is give peace a chance. Talking ’bout fighting terrorism, there was no terrorism during the ceasefire. Man, fuck terrorism, that’s like if Google spent 90% of its time reacting to spam and acted proud of it. Rather than just managing it without fucking up the entire business plan. Whatevs. I got my hands full. Just gonna go home and sleep till 2011.
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
Sri Lankan domestics never say anything, they just stop coming. My maid just stopped coming and when I finally pressed her she said I needed to get a washing machine. I was hoping to ride this one out, but I’ve run out of underwear and I have no choice. I finally caved and bought a washing machine, from 
There’s nothing wrong with pornography, but there’s a lot wrong with porn. Nothing wrong with watching people have sex, but too often that sex is brutal, senseless and coerced. I mean how many couples are coming on each others faces every day? Hence, philosopher king Alain de Botton – after calling for a 
Sri Lanka is going to start offer 
Indi–how different do things feel in the public and out on the streets now versus, say, one year ago? What would someone like me, who hasn’t been back in a year notice because of the situation. A year ago there were street patrols, road checks everywhere, areas fully closed to traffic, constant threats, etc. What’s different now?
“What’s different now?” More of it.. like a lot. if they were ‘everywhere’ last year, think that and 3 times over. the latest addition is these buggers with Operation Dessert Storm like uniforms..
Yeah, lots more troops on the streets. I was in Batti at the tail end of the quiet part of the CFA, and there was a fully tooled up soldier approximately every fifteen yards, wherever you looked, and there are mornings when Colombo looks like that. Not all the time, but whenever something’s going on. Yeah, I worry about bombs more — speed up each time I see a stalled car or trishaw, don’t drive too close to buses. Oh and I avoid wearing my cammies, though I think it’s still legal.
The “buggers with Operation Desert Storm like uniforms” are Civil Security Force, and they’re not new — just the uniforms, which are obsolete US Desert Camouflage Utilities (DCU), but they’re not from Desert Storm — those were the Choc Chip pattern.
Thats not civil defence, thats “MAHINDAS” ARMY, you’ll see in the future…….. nice way to give their supporters weapons and power
The civil defence concept was around long before MR. In fact it was started by JR’s son in the ’80s. It spawned the homeguards, the Civil Defence and Civil Security forces, and even the Army National Guard battalions. Everyone’s woken up now ‘cos they’ve been given cool new American uniforms, that’s all. :)
DB, Just because they’ve been around since JR’s time doesn’t mean they aren’t going to be Percy’s personal stormtroopers now. This all sounds too “Nazi Germany” for my liking… with the media hinting at a possible election soon, a nice big group of armed thugs (who’s mandate for power comes from the ruling party) doesn’t sound like a recipe for a “free and fair” election…
Storming of the Reichtag anyone???
Sorry, Java, but paranoia doesn’t sit well with you. “Stormtroopers”, “Reichstag”, “mandate for power”? At least be a bit original. We heard the same Chicken Little stuff when they formed the STF, and set up the JOC. What mandate for power are you talking about? The CSF is no more powerful than any other organization within the GoSL’s military/security apparatus. Sadly, you guys are missing the real issues ‘cos you’re focused on some quasi-western image of what constitutes evil.
Indi…one thing you got a bit wrong machan…which I think is fundamental. There was terrorism during the ceasefired. That was the problem ya see.