Sri Lankan Bombings DAY 2: My thoughts- Safe and Sad
Facts:
- 290 are dead 450 are injured
- Currently 24 people have been arrested.
- They found a pipe bomb at the airport, and successfully defused it.
- 3 Churches and 3 hotel restaurants were bombed.
- 2 residential areas thought to be safehouses/ store houses for the terrorists exploded.
- There is a temporary social media to prevent people from sowing hate, dissension and fake news.
- Curfew/ Marshall law issued to keep people from being out
None of the following bombs killed people:
- Pipe bomb found at Airport
- One at Train station
- 87 bombs were found in Pettah (bus station)
- Car bomb at second church site believed to have been set up yesterday (went off)
My thoughts
History:
Today is the day after the wave of bombs. I wonder if this is what people felt after 9/11? Confused or frustrated. Wondering what will and is happening? Watching the news to see if there are any updates.
I am personally devastated. Not just from the loss of life but also because why would anyone want to destroy peace? Sri Lanka is far from a perfect paradise island. After the British left, Sri Lanka there was at first a relative peace and calm. However during the British rule, the Upper Caste Jaffna Tamils were favored by the British, and then there were the plantation Tamils from mostly duluth brought in with the Sinhala people wedged in the middle. In the immediate aftermath of Independence, the Sinhalese majority took control, and change the government to favor them. (There are various arguments to ethics of this). This eventually led to the oppression of Tamil people. Namely the riots in the streets through out the country where many Sinhala killed Tamils and took their property etc. The governments lack of a response led to Tamil militia's forming to protect their community. Tensions continued to escalate till an all out civil war that rocked the country for 30 years. The war only ended in 2009.
That is why I find the attacks yesterday to be so particularly devastating. Sri Lanka is a country with a rich, vast and complex history as it once acted as a trading and port center in the East. They deserve the hard won peace. People are finally starting to move on. The country is finally taken steps towards the long and arduous journey of healing. There are outlets for public discord and systems in place to help heal. There are groups that fighting for justice for Tamil people in a non-violent way, there are Sinhalese groups that are throwing off yoke of colonization, there is an interfaith effort by priests and monks and sheikhs, and finally it seemed everyone was at peace. There is without a doubt a long way to go, but for the first time in 30yrs people are feeling hopeful. There are children who never will know the precarious time of the civil war, when the LTTE killed people with suicide bombs, or when the government sanctioned raids on Jaffna homes. Sri Lanka, was FINALLY at peace.
And then BOOM everything comes to an abrupt halt. I was at my Angampora class with plans to spend the day in Colombo when news came in of the Bombings. (You can read how I processed it the day of in my previous post yesterday). The news of hearing that there had been 1 bomb was rocking to say the least, but then there were 6, and you are left wondering why, stunned and speechless. Because it was the holidays, whole families of extended relatives were gathering. Large flocks of people would have been in attendance. Poorer people who might only have the opportunity to go to a church like Saint Anthony's once a year would have been excited. There would likely be food and gathering at a relative's house after Easter. Richer, or more well off families may have decided that given the holiday, and the family all in one place, to go out for a special brunch or breakfast or lunch --treat themselves to something nice like going to Cinnamon Grand or Shangrila. Foreigners would have felt the welcoming and hospitable vibe of the week and enjoyed staying in hotels like the Kingsbary. All of these festivities would have also been helping the Sri Lankan economy attract more foreign businesses, and encourage their own economic growth. India and China have been investing in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an emerging frontier economy prime for growth. It is also home to 7 UNESCO world Heritage sites, so a hotspot for tourism as well.
Thus when people keep saying they are stunned, that these attacks came out of no where, they are on a scale the likeness of which has not been seen before, its because it's true. Tamils, Burgers, Malays, Moors, Sinhalese, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus Muslims, NO one saw this coming. Everyone was in a relative state of Joy. Everyone feels this shock, and well many of us are still trying to cope and understand the incomprehensible.
However, the tensions are not all gone. Steps have been taken, but many Sinhalese buddhist don't like the Moor or Tamil Muslims, as they have a lot of the wealth and property especially in areas like Kandy. Many Burgers still have systemic advantage from colonial days. Tamil Hindus still do not have justice, and Sinhalese still have PTSD from the various attacks and infighting in both the Sinhalese government and the LTTE. There is still a cocktail of ethic and religious tensions that can be inflamed.
As information came to light, it is discovered that the group who carried out these viscous attacks do seem to be Muslim. Muslims only make up about 10% of the country.
Tensions
I am worried that as people compare this to LTTE attacks from the war, it will stir up old hatreds, and angers. I nervous that people will say "See it is the Tamils" or see "it is the Muslims" and blame the groups.There was already tension earlier this year with the prime minister dispute.
I do commend the Sri Lankan government as their response has been swift. By shutting down Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Whatsapp and Instagram, they were largely able to curb and prevent the blame game from spreading.
Sri Lanka also has an odd relationship with the middle east, in that many young people go to work in places like Jordan, Saudi, UAE, Oman, and the like. They often get paid better there and send the money home. So is it possible this homegrown cell was trained or brainwashed while way? Yes, that is a possible scenerio.
The terrorist group are calling themselves Muslims, and many Sri Lankan in the past have retaliated against whole communities for less. Sri Lankan Buddhists view themselves as the last strong hold of Buddhism. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia used to be primarily Buddhist, but due to immigration and conversion efforts, those countries are now primarily Muslim. Many Buddhist speak to that with disdain. They feel a sense of fear the Sri Lanka will "suffer the same fate". They think it was a failing of the culture to convert and lost the path to enlightenment. This feeling of mild resentment or fear becomes amplified in times of crisis. And remember there is already tension with Muslims in country in certain areas due to their economy power.
I am worried that this will incite blood feud. I am worried that people will call for the eradication of Islam etc. I am also worried that they(the Sinhalese majority) will start with calling for action against muslims then gradually turn that into action against Tamils. I am worried that tensions will increase.
AT THE SAME TIME I am consoled in that many politicians, and officials, and priests/monks have called for unity. They have called to peace and are encouraging people not to spread rumours. They are trying to help the churches rebuild. Hence there IS hope.
My Feels are as Followed:
I hate staying inside. I have never been very good indoors, and will quickly go stir crazy. I was terribly sick once earlier this year and had to stay at home all week. I HATED it. But at least then, I understood my body was physically weak, and I didn't want to get other people sick.
But this is different. I am staying inside because everyone is afraid to go out. The reason makes staying inside so much worse. My land lady was telling me today about how she had to comfort a friend who lost someone in the Cinnamon Grand explosion, and about another family at the Negombo Church. The family went in as a family of 5, a daughter, a mother, two sons and a father. The daughter and mother never came out. They went home a family of 3.
I want to cry (<--currently a reoccurring state of mind). My family is all safe, and I am grateful, and yet I feel shaken. I feel like I don't have the right to cry because it's not my tragedy, not directly, but it is my tragedy too. I am staying at home, I am constantly checking the news, I am worried and afraid. And I can't get the faces out of my mind. Watching the tragedy on the news, watching the women and men weeping and desperate as they mourn their family and friends.
Later this week I was supposed to go to the opening showing of Avengers: Endgame. We all already bought our tickets. Now all I can think is how hard it would be to escape the theater. Or how packed it would be and the suicide bomber would never be noticed in the dark.
There is a certain surreal-ness to seeing every major news post on Sri Lanka, while also watching the aftermath directly. I have a VPN and got access to facebook last night on my phone. I saw everyone posting on Sri Lanka, everyone commenting on it. Everyone in my facebook feed had something to say about it, and I felt .... grateful and overwhelmed.
Earlier today my parents called me to ask about me coming home, and leaving early. That they are afraid for my safety and the danger is great. I started to tear up at the prospect of leaving. Leaving Kanchana Aka and her sons. Leaving Seeyah, and Auntie Chuti, Leaving Colombo and my new found friends, leaving my Angampora master and my training. They were asking me to leave my new home. They said its dangerous. There aren't riots in the streets or guns. The government is still stable. They still view it as a foreign land, I don't. My dad and Mom's job is to worry about my safety. I understand that. My dad told me he understood what I am feeling. But I don't know if he does... How did he feel right after 9/11? Did he just want to pack up an leave America? How do you feel after a a mass shooting? Devastated? But what if you go to the places that were bombed. I have eaten and hung out at all three places hit in Colombo. There is a closeness and familiarity to those sites. Part of me wanted to scream "HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND????" Just to voice my anger and frustration. I have fallen in love with my Mother's Land. I have decided that it is my home too, and if I qualify I want to get dual citizenship. America is my home too, and I would NEVER abandon her in a time of Crisis, so why are you asking me to leave Sri Lanka?
Life is different. Communication is restricted. Going outside is restricted. I can't go to the Gym or meet up with my friends, there is a lot of confusion right now. I want to go out with my friends. Have a watch party for Game of Thrones, enjoy seeing my peeps or something.... Just Something, anything to not be sitting alone at my computer waiting for updates and watching the News and just WAITING.
The streets are all empty. Very few people or buses go out. There is a curfew everyday this week,
I feel selfish for feeling this way. I feel selfish for wanting life to return to normal. I am safe, my family is safe. I should be grateful, and be willing to wait while the authorities try to protect us and find all the culprits and take steps to prevent this from happening..... and I am. I just I don't know how to feel.
Everyone is Praying
Everyone is holding their breath.
Everyone is Waiting
That is why I find the attacks yesterday to be so particularly devastating. Sri Lanka is a country with a rich, vast and complex history as it once acted as a trading and port center in the East. They deserve the hard won peace. People are finally starting to move on. The country is finally taken steps towards the long and arduous journey of healing. There are outlets for public discord and systems in place to help heal. There are groups that fighting for justice for Tamil people in a non-violent way, there are Sinhalese groups that are throwing off yoke of colonization, there is an interfaith effort by priests and monks and sheikhs, and finally it seemed everyone was at peace. There is without a doubt a long way to go, but for the first time in 30yrs people are feeling hopeful. There are children who never will know the precarious time of the civil war, when the LTTE killed people with suicide bombs, or when the government sanctioned raids on Jaffna homes. Sri Lanka, was FINALLY at peace.
Context is KEY:
Last week was Avurudu (Aw-wu-ru-da) the Sri Lankan new years. It is holiday celebrated by both Sinhalese and Tamils. It is a time where whether Muslim, Christian, Hindu, or Buddhist, everyone has a few days off of work and is in a hospitable mood. The atmosphere is alive with joy and fireworks. Old village games are played through out the country. The holiday centers around honouring your elders, and hospitality. It is considered good luck to invite a stranger or a guest (non-family member) to your house for Avuruda. For many schools, they get 2 weeks off. As soon as Avuruda was over, it was the holy week for Catholics approaching Easter, and a holy day for Buddhist, approaching Poya day. Given the proximity of these holidays, many people were taking the week to visit relatives and gather in large congregations. There were stands selling betel leaf, and fruits. Everyone was bringing sweets to their neighbors. The overall vibe, mood, aura and essence was of happiness, and hopefulness.And then BOOM everything comes to an abrupt halt. I was at my Angampora class with plans to spend the day in Colombo when news came in of the Bombings. (You can read how I processed it the day of in my previous post yesterday). The news of hearing that there had been 1 bomb was rocking to say the least, but then there were 6, and you are left wondering why, stunned and speechless. Because it was the holidays, whole families of extended relatives were gathering. Large flocks of people would have been in attendance. Poorer people who might only have the opportunity to go to a church like Saint Anthony's once a year would have been excited. There would likely be food and gathering at a relative's house after Easter. Richer, or more well off families may have decided that given the holiday, and the family all in one place, to go out for a special brunch or breakfast or lunch --treat themselves to something nice like going to Cinnamon Grand or Shangrila. Foreigners would have felt the welcoming and hospitable vibe of the week and enjoyed staying in hotels like the Kingsbary. All of these festivities would have also been helping the Sri Lankan economy attract more foreign businesses, and encourage their own economic growth. India and China have been investing in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is an emerging frontier economy prime for growth. It is also home to 7 UNESCO world Heritage sites, so a hotspot for tourism as well.
Thus when people keep saying they are stunned, that these attacks came out of no where, they are on a scale the likeness of which has not been seen before, its because it's true. Tamils, Burgers, Malays, Moors, Sinhalese, Buddhists, Christians, Hindus Muslims, NO one saw this coming. Everyone was in a relative state of Joy. Everyone feels this shock, and well many of us are still trying to cope and understand the incomprehensible.
However, the tensions are not all gone. Steps have been taken, but many Sinhalese buddhist don't like the Moor or Tamil Muslims, as they have a lot of the wealth and property especially in areas like Kandy. Many Burgers still have systemic advantage from colonial days. Tamil Hindus still do not have justice, and Sinhalese still have PTSD from the various attacks and infighting in both the Sinhalese government and the LTTE. There is still a cocktail of ethic and religious tensions that can be inflamed.
As information came to light, it is discovered that the group who carried out these viscous attacks do seem to be Muslim. Muslims only make up about 10% of the country.
Tensions
I am worried that as people compare this to LTTE attacks from the war, it will stir up old hatreds, and angers. I nervous that people will say "See it is the Tamils" or see "it is the Muslims" and blame the groups.There was already tension earlier this year with the prime minister dispute.
I do commend the Sri Lankan government as their response has been swift. By shutting down Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, Whatsapp and Instagram, they were largely able to curb and prevent the blame game from spreading.
Sri Lanka also has an odd relationship with the middle east, in that many young people go to work in places like Jordan, Saudi, UAE, Oman, and the like. They often get paid better there and send the money home. So is it possible this homegrown cell was trained or brainwashed while way? Yes, that is a possible scenerio.
The terrorist group are calling themselves Muslims, and many Sri Lankan in the past have retaliated against whole communities for less. Sri Lankan Buddhists view themselves as the last strong hold of Buddhism. Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia used to be primarily Buddhist, but due to immigration and conversion efforts, those countries are now primarily Muslim. Many Buddhist speak to that with disdain. They feel a sense of fear the Sri Lanka will "suffer the same fate". They think it was a failing of the culture to convert and lost the path to enlightenment. This feeling of mild resentment or fear becomes amplified in times of crisis. And remember there is already tension with Muslims in country in certain areas due to their economy power.
I am worried that this will incite blood feud. I am worried that people will call for the eradication of Islam etc. I am also worried that they(the Sinhalese majority) will start with calling for action against muslims then gradually turn that into action against Tamils. I am worried that tensions will increase.
AT THE SAME TIME I am consoled in that many politicians, and officials, and priests/monks have called for unity. They have called to peace and are encouraging people not to spread rumours. They are trying to help the churches rebuild. Hence there IS hope.
My Feels are as Followed:
I hate staying inside. I have never been very good indoors, and will quickly go stir crazy. I was terribly sick once earlier this year and had to stay at home all week. I HATED it. But at least then, I understood my body was physically weak, and I didn't want to get other people sick.
But this is different. I am staying inside because everyone is afraid to go out. The reason makes staying inside so much worse. My land lady was telling me today about how she had to comfort a friend who lost someone in the Cinnamon Grand explosion, and about another family at the Negombo Church. The family went in as a family of 5, a daughter, a mother, two sons and a father. The daughter and mother never came out. They went home a family of 3.
I want to cry (<--currently a reoccurring state of mind). My family is all safe, and I am grateful, and yet I feel shaken. I feel like I don't have the right to cry because it's not my tragedy, not directly, but it is my tragedy too. I am staying at home, I am constantly checking the news, I am worried and afraid. And I can't get the faces out of my mind. Watching the tragedy on the news, watching the women and men weeping and desperate as they mourn their family and friends.
Later this week I was supposed to go to the opening showing of Avengers: Endgame. We all already bought our tickets. Now all I can think is how hard it would be to escape the theater. Or how packed it would be and the suicide bomber would never be noticed in the dark.
There is a certain surreal-ness to seeing every major news post on Sri Lanka, while also watching the aftermath directly. I have a VPN and got access to facebook last night on my phone. I saw everyone posting on Sri Lanka, everyone commenting on it. Everyone in my facebook feed had something to say about it, and I felt .... grateful and overwhelmed.
Earlier today my parents called me to ask about me coming home, and leaving early. That they are afraid for my safety and the danger is great. I started to tear up at the prospect of leaving. Leaving Kanchana Aka and her sons. Leaving Seeyah, and Auntie Chuti, Leaving Colombo and my new found friends, leaving my Angampora master and my training. They were asking me to leave my new home. They said its dangerous. There aren't riots in the streets or guns. The government is still stable. They still view it as a foreign land, I don't. My dad and Mom's job is to worry about my safety. I understand that. My dad told me he understood what I am feeling. But I don't know if he does... How did he feel right after 9/11? Did he just want to pack up an leave America? How do you feel after a a mass shooting? Devastated? But what if you go to the places that were bombed. I have eaten and hung out at all three places hit in Colombo. There is a closeness and familiarity to those sites. Part of me wanted to scream "HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY UNDERSTAND????" Just to voice my anger and frustration. I have fallen in love with my Mother's Land. I have decided that it is my home too, and if I qualify I want to get dual citizenship. America is my home too, and I would NEVER abandon her in a time of Crisis, so why are you asking me to leave Sri Lanka?
Life is different. Communication is restricted. Going outside is restricted. I can't go to the Gym or meet up with my friends, there is a lot of confusion right now. I want to go out with my friends. Have a watch party for Game of Thrones, enjoy seeing my peeps or something.... Just Something, anything to not be sitting alone at my computer waiting for updates and watching the News and just WAITING.
The streets are all empty. Very few people or buses go out. There is a curfew everyday this week,
I feel selfish for feeling this way. I feel selfish for wanting life to return to normal. I am safe, my family is safe. I should be grateful, and be willing to wait while the authorities try to protect us and find all the culprits and take steps to prevent this from happening..... and I am. I just I don't know how to feel.
Everyone is Praying
Everyone is holding their breath.
Everyone is Waiting
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