Can anyone living in Sri Lanka explain current situation?

Hi,
It's very sad for just about everyone reading about the conflict. Hopefully it'll soon be over and hopefully, the lovely people of Sri Lanka, both Sinhalese and Tamils can start to build a proper life again.
The exodus of Tamil from the war zone started when government troops broke through a defensive line and " rescued about 5000 . Many other saw this and started a rush to escape through the front lines. According to most reports, about 30,000 people managed to escape. Again, according to reports, some were shot at by Tiger cadres to try to prevent them leaving and some were killed by a Tiger suicide attack on the fleeing civilians.
Where do they go, most are being herded into refugee camps which obviously isn't good but bound to happen.
The government troops are not going to let anyone from that area just go off around the country as they'll be vetting all that make it through the lines to try to weed out any tiger soldiers getting out. Still better to be in a refugee camp than being used as human shields by the remaining tigers.

Don't know what you,mean by " profitable info " Unless you mean how does it affect anyone visiting the country.
That stays as it has been for many years. As safe as visiting anywhere else as long as you stay away from the north and east and avoid being near armed forces camps, government buildings, etc.

Regarding safety of tourists in Lanka... All through the war, which has been going on since 1983, not just a recent event, visiters have never been targetted by either side. It's been safer to go to Sri Lanka than it has to countries such as Thailand, India, the South American countries,etc, even safer than places such as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa.
All those have had more attacks on tourist than Sri lanka.

So, if you're thinking about going,, then go and enjoy.
Rod,.

Thanks a lot Rod, that's exactly what I meant asking for "profitable info".

I'll definitely go in July as I've already bought flight tickets!

Hi. Rod is an old pal and I respect his opinion completely. I would add my own 2 pence worth though.

The military end game is being carried out as I write. There are huge numbers of refugees pouring out of the rebel areas and the SL government are ' processing ' them in camps. As Rod says they are clearly worried that amongst the refegees there will be those who support the rebellion and are diehard Tamil nationalism supporters.

I fail to see how they are going to convert these people to suddenly realise the benefits of Sinhala majority rule. Meanwhile they will be kept in what amounts to concentration camps. probably for years. They will have no freedom within their own counrty - simply for being ethnic Tamils. This is not going to inspire compliance or long term settlement of the problem.

This whole thing is a can of worms and I fear that if the Tamils have no expression of their grievances and aspirations they will turn again to bombings and targeted assasinations. The current protests in London have raised the profile of the conflict in the UK and the Tamils are very aware of that. I fear that they may try to get more attention by carrying out attacks etc on Western targets. I am amazed that they haven't done it before this.

So as far as visiting SL is concerned I would at least wait a few weeks to see how things develope after the military defeat of the Tamils. There is a lot of uncertainty ahead.

I just spoke to my closest friend in Kandy (thank goodness for Skype.) He is Sinhala but he says many people there are really shocked by the scenes in the war zone and are desperate to help if they can. He has spent the last few days with one of the well-respected monks collecting cash, water bottles and spare clothes and I have agreed to see if I can collect any funds here too. They hope to take a van or lorry up to Vavuniya which is probably the closest they can get to the camps and arrange for these to be taken to the refugees. They did a similar thing after the tsunami. They already have almost $1000 collected from wealthy Sinhalese people in Kandy which they plan to use to buy more water and medical supplies, mostly for babies.

It is reassuring to know that they are so concerned for the plight of the Tamils even if the government probably won't share that concern. From their TV and press coverage they believe it is all down to the LTTE using the people as a shield and they do not accept that anyone has been killed or injured as a result of indiscriminate attacks by the Army. He was surprised when I told him all the western governments were pleading with rhe President to stop the attacks. But that is not the immediate issue for him and his friends - they just want to try to help.

Lots of nice and thoughtful info here. Thanks guys. You all seem to know a lot about the current situation.

"I fear that they may try to get more attention by carrying out attacks etc on Western targets. I am amazed that they haven't done it before this."

I have always been amazed by this too! But I was almost killed myself in the 1996 attack aganst the central bank in Colombo, but that was just (almost) being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I knew it was dangerous in Colombo at the time, but I had to a day trip from Hikkaduwa to do some important things in the city. But I have never heard that the target have been tourists in all these years.

HI Swede,
I,m sure there's a vey simple explanation for why the LTTE has never targetted tourists.
It isn't that they are good , feeling people, thats for sure.

I reckon it's becaue they have been financed by ex-pats and other well wishers living in various countries around the world.
Europe, including the Uk.. Canada, ..The U.S.A...Australia, etc.
If the citizens of those countries had been targetted, lots of the LTTE funds would have dried up and the fund raisers hounded .

The Ltte may not have been nice people but they weren't stupid either.
My main worry, is that after the demise of the unit as a fighting force, the remaining individuals may not have the same ideas about not targeting foreign nationals and any bombing may become even more indiscriminate.
Rod.

Rod_B, I agree with you. I knew about the funding, but I didnt connect it to this. Wealthy tamils abroad have sent a lot of money to them. Starting to target foreign nationals is a risk like you said, as they will get more desperate and unorganized after this.