Sri Lanka It's Happening

January 10, 2005

Everything else that happened in Sri Lanka 2004 has been overshadowed by the boxing day tsunami but some events are worth recalling lest we forget.

The year 2004 dawned with lots of hope. The economy was finally getting back on it's feet, the rupees was going strong and there was peace on the horizon. Unfortunately Peace was not something that the former terrorist organization the JVP or the militant buddhist monks wanted. Their campaigns lead ulimately to the dissolution of parliament and the end of the peace process. War has not yet broken out and probably will not break out any time soon but a permanent peace looks a long way off.

2004 was the year when we had severe water shortages and the water supply to colombo was restricted for the first time in living memory. No one seemed to recall that when we had more trees we had more rain. On the other hand we had floods later in year but the root cause for both events was the same.

2004 was the year in which politians lied unashamedly to the people who voted them into power. Since the vast majority of these people are stupid they hung on to each empty promise. The lies were largely to cover up the economic mismanagement and the detoriating law and order situation.

The spineless, brainless and rudderless opposition UNP stood by while the government rescinded each promise and took undemocratic actions including the imprisonment of UNP parliamentarians.

And just as things were spiralling out of control and the country was at the edge of precipe that tsunami struck. Now one might think the country would have fallen into the bottomless pit because of it. Fortunately it's the opposite that has happened, with the whole world coming to the country's aid and pulling us out.

Now the president swimming about desparately in a tidal wave of aid. Desparate to get full credit for other people's hard work and generosity.

Posted by raditha at January 10, 2005 7:41 AM