Sri Lanka It's Happening

May 3, 2007

For more than thirty years the Sri Lankan air force has been bombing targets in populated areas of the north and east. Many people in the south think of it as a neccasary evil. Sinhala hardliners usually say 'Serves them right'.

Thus it's no suprise that when the tiger airforce attacked the Katunayake airforce base last month, the Daily Mirror labeled it as the first air raid on Sri Lanka since the second world war. The obvious implication of that statement is the North and the East are not parts of the country, which in turn implies the existence of a separate state.

For years the government press releases have been saying all attempts by the terrorist to build their own airforce have been foiled. They claimed more than once that the runway has been bombed to smithereens. Journalists and experts who raised doubts about the accuracy of these claims were harrassed, hounded , detained or just plain disappeared. Even yesterday, there was a claim that fuel supply lines to the LTTE airforce has been cut off.

The attack on the Kerawalapitiya oil installaion clearly shows that their fuel supply is not effected but it may be the fuel supply of the Sri Lanka Air Force that has been cut off. In the meantime the defence ministry advises you to hide under your bed to avoid injuries from bullets falling from the sky.

Posted by raditha at May 3, 2007 1:42 AM