The Tamil National Alliance has published their response to Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Report. They are predictably not too happy – they think that 1) the commission was flawed 2) that they almost blindly accepted government narratives 3) that war crimes were ignored and 4) that (vaguely) an international investigation is necessary. I half agree with them.

Very eloquent young man from Mannar, Elikah Hoole, speaking as a member of Sri Lanka Unites. I basically agree with everything he says and wish I could say it half as well myself. He calls himself Sri Lankan, but calls for a journey towards that identity. He calls for justice, but from the people of Sri Lanka, not from foreign investigations. He calls for a solution to our problems, not from politicians or the international community, but from the people.

Contrary to popular belief, the Buddha did not visit Sri Lanka, was not Sinhalese and would not recognize what we call the Buddhist flag. He was an Indian, sorta, except at that time India didn’t exist. More than anything he was a human being. While Sri Lanka has done yeoman service in preserving Theravada Buddhism, a simple and practical form, it’s important to remember that Buddhism is a practice open to anyone.

Via Sayy’s 365, I heard this lovely Tamil song. It’s an unimposing song, sung in mixed English and Tamil, telling a simple story, nice slouchy beat, and a fun, real video. Sayy comments that’s it’s gotten over 3 million views in a week. I understand why. It’s beautiful and fun. The drum beat alone is enough to carry anything, but it’s got a haunting refrain and really sweet lyrics. And random hot girls in the studio, but not lolling around looking retarded and fake. It’s all really real. Here’s a lyric:

Thankfully, “Joint action taken by the Trincomalee UC along with the police has restored the “be-headed” SJV Chelvanayagam statue’s head in Trinco town” (DBS Jeyaraj). This type of issue is especially sensitive because a Buddha statue in Trinco previously ignited killings and shop burnings. This time, mashallah, they put the head back on the statue before any people lost theirs.

The island has a great interview with Arun Tambimuttu. His father was killed by the LTTE but he’s got the guts to come back to Sri Lankan, and participate in politics again. He gives a very interesting interview, though the Island inexplicably leaves out his name.

Professor Ratnajeevan Hoole once had to flee Sri Lanka because he spoke out against the LTTE. Now he’s left again, this time because he spoke out against Douglas Devananda and the EPDP. What does that tell you about the EPDP, and the government’s support for them? “This time he had to leave, he said, because of his differences with the lone Tamil Minister in Sri Lankan Cabinet, Douglas Devananda.”

The solution to the ethnic conflict is undoubtedly solidarity, not the impossible division of the country along ethnic lines. However, the government isn’t really working towards this goal and many liberals are reluctant to even call themselves Sri Lankan. So who is working towards non-racial solidarity? The socialists.

90% of resistance is showing up. Some diasporals are angry with the Sri Lankan government. They’re applying pressure through the UN, the US Congress and Britain’s Channel 4. It makes a big noise, but not a big difference. Why? Because they’re calling for radical change without making a radical sacrifice. If they want a separate homeland or a new government, it’s really quite simple. They just need to show up.

People have said that war should have no civilian casualties. Rather than change the frame, the Sri Lanka government responded and said ‘there were no civilian casualties’. This was dumb. They’re only now starting to admit that civilians did die. That’s a start. I was watching the government’s response to Channel 4′s Killing Fields, Lies Agreed Upon. It sucks just as much, only in the opposite direction.