The Sri Lankan government has killed thousands of civilians in its civil war. Thousands more are now held in camps they cannot leave. Much of the West, led by the Times Of London is calling for punishment of the Sri Lankan government so this will never happen again. I agree that these actions were terrible and inhumane, but I disagree with their way forward for Sri Lanka. The West seems to think that punishment will somehow improve lives here. It won’t. The times have changed. Sri Lanka right now is trying to unite and move forward, and much of the Global South is supporting us. The UK should consider this and try to help.

Ye Gods. If you didn’t, the server went down yesterday. Was patching files all day. What I missed was, among other things, the UNHRC (Human Rights Council) Resolution that Sri Lanka proposed and passed. This is interesting not only for what it says (congratulating and supporting Sri Lanka in the work ahead) but for the way the vote broke. It’s basically Global South vs the North. There are seismic shifts in the world, and Sri Lanka seems to be a fault line.

The UK press coverage of Sri Lanka is nonsense. This is partly Sri Lanka’s fault for limiting access. Western reporters listen to people with whatever agenda without, like, reporting. Because, frankly, they can’t. In a terrorist war the whole place became a warzone and freedom of the press has been suspended. Which sucks. However, chilling out for 15 minutes and waiting while Sri Lanka wraps up a 30 year war is an option. Or at least working harder and actually reporting. I can’t fact check the most recent poorly reported article out of the Telegraph that deeply, but it doesn’t even survive a cursory Googling.

The West just needs to chill out for 15 minutes. There is a huge humanitarian situation and they’re asking when are people going to be let out of camps, when will the Sri Lankan military presence, when that. For mercy’s sake, as soon as possible. The war has been over for like 5 days. For the love of God, just shut up and give the country 15 minutes to deal with the relief effort. War crimes should not be on the agenda right now. Right now the agenda of the UN Human Rights Commission should be the refugee situation. Then whatever. But right now everyone needs to chill out for 15 minutes and give SL a break.

DBS Jeyaraj is, in my opinion, the best commentator on the war. He’s a Tamil journalist with contacts on both sides living abroad for serious safety reasons. He just posted ‘The last days of Thiruvenkadam Veluppillai Prabhakaran‘, which is probably the best round-up of what happened in Uncle P’s last days. He also has other articles detailing the split that’s going on in the LTTE between the ‘reasonable’ KP and other hardliners.

Which is over 2,300 years old. Sri Maha Bodhi is a sapling from the Bo tree the Buddha attained enlightenment under. I visited it yesterday with family. The same day, President Mahinda Rajapakse visited and actually got to touch the tree as part of his victory lap around the holy sites. It is a beautiful place and I managed to meditate there for like 20 minutes, through all the chattering families and loudspeakers. Anuradhapura itself is a magnificent city, its stupas (dagobas) some of the largest constructions in the ancient world.

Sri Lanka needs all the help it can get. The lectures can wait. The country is faced with hundreds of thousands of IDPs, thousands of wounded soldiers and deserving families, and now the development needs of areas neglected by the LTTE. And many in the west are calling for sanctions and holding back an emergency IMF loan. With all due respect, what is wrong with you people? I live here and I work with the people affected by this war. Condemning or punishing Sri Lanka internationally does nothing to help me or them. In fact, it hurts us. If you are true friends and humanitarians, please help.

We all saw the photos, but now the LTTE has confirmed that Vellupillai Prabhakaran is dead. This comes from their former arms smuggler and highest man standing, Selvarasa Pathmanathan (KP) via the BBC. I don’t rejoice in any death, but perhaps Sri Lanka can now move on without Prabhakaran fucking stuff up for everybody.

I’m in Anuradhapura with my extended family. Though I’ve lived most of my life in the west, my family is still very Sri Lankan. Sinhala Buddhist even. So we’re on a family trip to Anuradhapura, once the capital of a proud kingdom, visiting some major Buddhist sites. These places are so beautiful and strong that I think they’re worth a visit by anyone, but as a Buddhist I find them especially compelling. I tried meditating at Sri Mahi Bodhi and found it difficult with all the noise, but then I hear families chanting some beautiful things. It’s lovely at night.

These are a few videos. Above is a few Sinhala guys fresh out of a bar in Kotahena. The guys were tipsy but I think they made a lot of sense. I apologize for my terrible Sinhala and I can’t translate with any precision, but I get what they’re saying and I think they get me. Below is a monologue from me, directed sorta at the international perspective. There is also a monologue from Shanaka on what he thinks is stupid, and about the doubts a lot of us have. I’ve been listening to what a lot of people feel about the end of the war and, though we feel different things, I think we’re all amazed to feel something besides hopeless and helpless.