5-16-06

Personal safety
A number of members of our family and friends have written to us expressing concern for our personal safety based on the reports they are reading in the US. It seems appropriate to write about this in the blog given how many people have written to us about this.

Let me start by saying we will be first in line to get on the plane headed home when we feel that it is unsafe to be here. We have our return ticket home. We are too old to be foolhardy. Ha! Our oldest son, Mark, sent us an article he had read in the NY Times about the situation here. It was fascinating, as some of it was pure exaggeration or worse, out and out misinformation. But we should all remember that with a few exceptions most newspapers’ goal is to sell papers and they achieve that goal by be provocative, which often translates in writing stories guaranteed to stimulate the reader. For example it was reported that 40,000 people evacuated a town that was being shelled by the air force and navy. That was a real feat since the town ‘s population was 10,000.

The only violence that has occurred in Colombo where we live was a suicide bomb attack on the chief military commander. Eleven people died as a result but the commander survived. The event happened on the military base here not out on the street. The violence that occurs here has always been between the LTTE and the military/government. Tourists and foreigners have never been targeted in the 14 years of civil war. Since we have been here, all the violence, with the above-mentioned exception, has occurred on the northeast coast and in the north where the LTTE is located. We never travel to those areas and Ron’s program in the east has been suspended for 60 days to see what will happen

When the war was on, apparently there was violence in Colombo. But again, my understanding is it has always been very targeted. They don’t go into a marketplace and blow it up. The LTTE’s enemy is the government so they target military personnel and elected officials.

When there is an incident, the US Embassy sends us an email and or a text message on my cell phone. The Embassy will tell us when it is no longer safe to be here and ask us to leave. As a result we have made contingency plans. Ron has asked his employer for direction and I have contacted a shipping agent regarding sending our household goods to Thailand. We are not afraid or fearful for our safety at this point so I hope I have helped those of you who have expressed concern. We really appreciate your concern but you need to know things are not as bad as they are reported in the news. I would guess things are bad in the north and northeast. Our hearts go out to those who live in those areas because I do think their lives are often in danger.

The LTTE attacked a navy ship last weekend that had cease-fire monitors on board. Needless to say the LTTE caught hell for that one. I am attaching an article that sums up the situation accurately at this point in time. Both sides have broken the ceasefire agreement but I think both sides are aware that the consequences of returning to war will be devastating to Sri Lanka. You cannot even imagine how much foreign money has and continues to pour into this country as a result of the tsunami. NGO’s trip over each other to help. There are so many programs here to rebuild lives, homes, provide boats to commercial fisherman, training for widows to support themselves, etc. In addition since the cease-fire many foreign countries have invested in SL and continue to do so. ALL of that will go way if the war resumes. It will devastate the island and it will not recover for a very long time. So there is a lot of incentive to find a peaceful solution. Unfortunately, there is a long history of abuse of Tamils in the country and the LTTE is a terrorist organization that doesn’t appear to listen to reason. Only time will tell. Thanks again for your concern.

News article regarding the current situation here. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4764521.stm