Ethical to travel to Sri Lanka?

And what will the tourist-related businesses do if everyone stayed away?

As an afterthought - I see you've posted only once. It smells very very similar to a post about 2 months ago, nearly word for word.

Hi,
Not the first time this subject has been posted on here.

My thoughts then are still the same.

I asked myself who I would be helping by staying away ?.. Answer is no one.. The Sri Lankan government is too thick skinned to worry about me staying away. They might take some notice if everyone went elsewhere but that just isn't going to happen.

Would I be helping anyone by going over there ?. The answer has to be yes. I stay in small guest houses , run by people who desperately need the income. I eat , mainly, in small local cafes,, they need the income. I shop in small local shops, again, they need the income.

Plus, and I know this bit is a personal thing,in my case, there's quite a few kids that I help over there who I like to keep up to date with.

I sympathise with people that are staying away because they feel they shouldn't support the regime but i don't think they are really helping by staying away.

Rod.

It is a decision for each person to make for themselves and not an easy one. I love going to Sri Lanka but I have been aware for some years that many people in power abuse that power just because they can. The present government is just an extension of that attitude.

After the dreadful events of recent months and the ongoing appalling treatment of innocent Tamils, I have thought long and hard whether I will go back. But I have some wonderful friends there who have no say in what the government has done (apart from electing them I suppose) and I am aware of how many ordinary people's lives would be destroyed if tourists turned their back on the country. I will go back and I will be happy to be there, but I will never ever condone what the government or the army have done and I will probably have to watch what I say when I am there. I hope that we can somehow keep the plight of the dispossessed tamils in the public eye. The danger is that it is yesterday's news and once most people forget the government has a free rein to continue to treat them like prisoners.

Headline in Times of India the other day said LTTE is building back up again. Of COURSE they will, a battle was lost but the war is far from over, and it's nothing to do with whether a tourist stays home or not, it's Tamils vs Sinhalese.

My g/f lived there about 7 years during on and off again cease fires - she's looking forward to going back with me in January to visit some friends and see what life is like now.

Rod_B, that was what I said/asked - albeit in many fewer words.

Thanks for your replies so far. It's such a toughie...

I guess the dilemma comes down to chosing Sri Lanka for a holiday over a different country which would also benefit from my tourist pounds, but where the taxes earned from my stay won't go to a such a terrible regime.

P.S. I promise I am new to this thread! I wanted to see if anyone had any more up to date news than the previous questions. I have posted to the Thorn Tree in the past (about Madagascar) but had to get a new log in cause I've changed all my contact details since then.

Hi Pirate,
I did realise that my answer was expressing the same sentiments as you.

Presumably, the op, was asking for several opinions and mine happened to agree with yours.. So, I posted my thoughts.
Wouldn't do to just copy you word for word.

Rod.

I live in India now, and do much the same thing here - support the local business and people as often as possible, avoiding mass marketers wherever I can. "Mom and Pop" generally need the help more than the "big joints", and Sri Lanka probably/possibly needs the help to maintain some sort of status quo on their economy.

If you were to make a list of such countries there would be no place on earth to live in much less to go to..

A perspective from Tamil diaspora...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DRe1ja7lz0