I think I need to sum myself and some of my feelings first and then I'll put down some of my experiences..
So firstly:I am a Sinhalese as stated on my certificate of birth but I can't really speak Sinhala with real fluency. For the first few years of my life I didn't speak it at all. Its only in the last couple that I've made any improvements.
I Got through local O'Level exams in Sinhala, a language I couldn't speak properly and could hardly understand when spoken to really fast. My friends still think I can't speak it properly.
I don't consider myself to be a Sinhalese(Dad is) nor do I think I'm Tamil or Burgher(My mother is though) or of any other race. Parents think I'm screwed.
I live in Sri Lanka, I was born in Sri Lanka. I'm no patriot. Never have been, not for country, not for my official race nor my religion. I think patriotism is a foolish ideology. If I move to the USA , Afghanistan or South Africa (random names that came to my head) I would be living there too. In 96 when Sri Lanka won the cricket world cup I supported the team. By around 98/99 I was backing South Africa which got me loadsa slack from Home and people I know. I was about 14 or so. Now I think may the best team win.. Most of the time Sri Lanka is not the best. Who cares.. Lets watch the game!
Back to the point..
I like it here in Sri Lanka, I would like to continue living here.. However I would like there to be some stability(economic, political and any other form that can be brought to a country) and not be worried about being blown to bits one day. I don't like the Bitches with guns on the roads suspecting that I am a possible terrorist. I also don't like the Eelam seekers who have put me in this position of being suspected. I don't like being stopped and asked where the fuck I'm going and where I am coming from! Yes this is about me.. I am a Citizen who thinks I have a right to not feel fucked up in my birth country and where I like to live.
Though most of the morons in this country don't really realize it we are living in a trigger happy nation.
"Shoot on sight, shoot to kill, bury the bodies and
ask question ten years later if the bodies are
found."
As if there were not enough armed personnel around the city of Colombo, we now have a Civil Defence Force (I think that's what its called) Another bunch of hooligans with weapons pointing in my direction. We have the police abusing emergency law, stating that they have the power to do as they wish when they want to scare someone. And Yes, I know people who have been told that. We have those poor soldiers manning sentries trying to be nice but shit-fucking scared of being blown up with the next bomb they "might" find. That's how effective I believe the check points are and here is evidence to prove it!
I run my own business and I go on deliveries sometimes. Once, at about 5 am there were about 30 cartons in the vehicle,each carrying goods to a weight of about 4kg-6kg. Thats over 120kg's total(roughly).
So they stopped us, checked ID cards and then as usual I politely asked if they would like to see what is inside the cartons. The guy in charge or whoever he might have been replied, "There are so many, if we open one we will have to open all of them so its okay you're sure its "X" product right?" I just said yeah I'm sure.. That was that.
Right. I was on my way, happy that I didn't have to repack and found it hilarious that he didn't want to open it. I've noticed every time I offer to do so they say its alright,you can go. Either they are brilliantly trained or.. you figure it out!
I had an interesting conversation with a guy who works for me.
He was telling me that everything that is going on now is fabricated nonsense. If the government is really killing as many tigers and has as few casualties as they claim, the war should be over by now.
He also added to this that; translated version
"When Mr. Ranil was there we were well off, could go anywhere and eat well, now there
isn't enough money to have a decent meal at home"
He works for me, I pay him. So yes I feel like I should pay more.. but I can't!..
He added that he voted for Mr. Mahinda and now regrets it. I cannot fathom why he did so. Brilliant ignorance Is it? Who knows.. cos not even those that regret now can seem to remember why they did, but I'm sure they'll vote for him again.
I was also told that he can understand why anyone(even the majority race) would volunteer to place an explosive device for money.The cost of living is unbearable for them. Purchasing power has dropped and as a result only the day's rations are purchased, which in turn makes it more expensive for them to live.
So now, do people not care about the those who might die? Or is it that what goes around comes around? That it could be one of them caught up in an explosion? Has the need to survive on a daily basis overtaken the need care about who lives or dies? I'm guessing it has..
This is just one side of the story. The other is that the majority thinks the war is being won by the South... the minority shuts-fucking-up cos they don't want to end up dead.
Everyone has brilliant reasons for what is going on.. sides are taken.. and reasons assigned for sides been taken. The idea is from War to peace, well we went from peace to war. What on fucking earth for?
I believe the daily count for Tigers killed is about 10 to 15 on average on the defence sites. Err.. Question. Do you think they have a Tiger production factory? At this rate of attrition they should be done by now. Where is the logic? The fools all over the place agree with what is happening. Guaranfuckingteed that if there is another election, the ruling coalition would win again! Again? Yes AGAIN!
I, for one, believe that the South has been controlled
from the North for sometime now... The assassination of one President led to the
Blues winning and the withholding of votes/voters in the last one, led to
the "coalition for war" winning. Now think about it.. who really controls the
direction of this little Island? The South? Good luck to all of you who think
that!
