I note on various pro-GoSL blogs many heart-felt posts about supporting the soldiers who made this recent victory against the LTTE forces possible and I applaud them and their families however I have yet to see anyone post about the many hostage families in the North who were decimated by the fighting and whose lives have also been destroyed.

None of the bravery and sacrifice of the Armed Forces means a thing if the hostages themselves are not given the best care and attention the GoSL can muster.

Instead of a massive celebration to mark the end of this phase of the war I humbly submit that a few moments of National silence is in order to show respect for both soldiers and their families as well as the innocent civilian victims of this conflict.


A widowed women whose husband will not return from the battle, a mother whose son will never cross her doorstep with flowers and a smile for her, a family who watched as their children were stolen from them and forced to die as child soldiers... none of these people can fairly share in the joy that so many others are reveling in right now. They may one day take solace in the fact that their loved ones died as part of a great and noble struggle against terrorism and evil incarnate but what joy can they have today knowing little but the immense pain of such personal and permanent loss.

It is natural for people to be celebratory at such an important moment in the history of Sri Lanka but before anyone gets too excited it is critical to show respect and concern for everyone who has suffered the consequences of this armed conflict and thusly borne the great burdens thereof.

Bravery and suffering have danced hand in hand to the delicate and brutal music of this war and everyone who suffered its caprice and inevitable carnage must be shown humble respect and nothing less than the finest offerings of good people across the Country.


The true measure of Sri Lanka's character will be made not by the counting of vanquished enemy bodies but by the manner in which hope, reconciliation and mutual respect are embraced during the difficult years of reconstruction and settlement ahead.


May the Emerald Isle soon sparkle again as a precious jewel on the world's crown of decency and prosperity.



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