A Sinhala Voice

This is very cynical, and very sad because the problem is real. You simply cannot antagonize the government if you want aid to actually reach people. I fear that's not their goal at all, I think they just want to have the ship turned away to make a point. It's so sad, because the suffering is very real.

I'm working with a group of citizens called ACT for Relief (www.actlanka.com). We have some lorries leaving Friday (God willing) to the Vavuniya Hospital. We've raised a bit of money and collected mattresses, crutches, medicines and basic supplies. This is only possible because we have worked closely with the Ministries of Health and Defense. That is the only way to get goods into this country and the only way to deliver them to the people at the end. It is difficult and frustrating, but necessary. You have to compromise to actually help people.

This Vanni Mission does not mention the government of Sri Lanka as a stakeholder at all. I disagree deeply and publicly with the government and I did not support this war. However, it is still my government and this is still my country. It doesn't matter if Claudia Schiffer is on the prow of the boat, you simply cannot land in a sovereign country without permission. Certainly not in a warzone. I honestly believe that they want the ship to be turned away to score PR points. This is really sad, because if they want to actually help human beings they have to compromise.

Please remember that the human suffering is real. I visited children brought to a government hospital in Colombo and it's just tragic. I saw a boy named Ketesh who's a double amputee. Couldn't be more than three years old. Another child had burn wounds all down his chest and couldn't stop shivering. They are doing triage in the North on a level we simply cannot imagine and they're lacking basic items like surgical gloves, bandages, painkillers, anti-biotics, etc. I think this is a humanitarian tragedy just like the tsunami and we should extend just as much support to our fellow Sri Lankans.

These Sri Lankans don't need politics, they need relief. I think it is important to remember that they are being treated in government hospitals and helped by government people while the LTTE is simply firing on them and conscripting them as cannon fodder. You simply have to work with the government if you want to help human beings right now. I don't like the government much, but I'm quite willing to put that pride aside for now. If you want to make a statement you can call the government genocidal maniacs and throw a party, but it doesn't actually help anyone. That's really cynical, and really sad.

There are people in Sri Lanka who are trying to reach out to our fellow citizens in the North on a human level, working with whoever we have to, apolitically. There are no gala events because that jeopordizes the actual, delicate work of delivering relief, but do know that people are doing something. You can help. I've cc'd RP here from ACT, and you can help through there. Please note that's just a group of concerned citizens. Sarvodaya is a reputed NGO and you can donate online to them here (sarvodaya.org/donate). Sri Lanka Red Cross also accepts donations via their bank account. These are donations that actually reach people.

I.S.