Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
But peace talks stumbled, and the situation was ever more fraught. Accusations of bias
and injustice were hurled from all sides. In October 2003 the US listed the LTTE as a For-
eign Terrorist Organisation. Some believed this to be a positive move; others saw it as an
action that would isolate the LTTE, causing further strain and conflict. In early 2004 a split
in LTTE ranks added a new dynamic, and with killings, insecurity, accusations and ambi-
guities, the Norwegians left. At that stage almost all of Sri Lanka, including most of the
Jaffna peninsula, was controlled by the Sri Lankan government. The LTTE controlled a
small area south of the Jaffna peninsula and pockets in the East, but it still had claims on
land in the Jaffna peninsula and in the island's northwest and northeast.
Anil's Ghost,
by Booker Prize-winner Michael Ondaatje, is a haunting novel about human
rights amid the turmoil of late-20th-century Sri Lanka. The topic has received international
commendation and some local condemnation.
The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed more than 225,000 people in 14 countries. The
waves, which were in some places more than 30m tall, travelled as far as the East African
coast.
After the Tsunami
An event beyond all predictions struck on 26 December 2004, affecting not only the peace
process but also the entire social fabric of Sri Lanka. As people celebrated the monthly
poya
(full moon) festivities, the waves of a tsunami cast their fury, killing 30,000 people
and leaving many more injured, homeless and orphaned. Initial optimism that the nation
would come together in the face of catastrophe soon faded into arguments over aid distri-
bution, reconstruction, and land tenure and ownership.
Meanwhile Kumaratunga, seeking to extend her presidential term, sought to alter the
constitution. Thwarted by a Supreme Court ruling, presidential elections were set for 2005.
Among the contenders, two candidates were the most likely victors - the then prime min-
ister, Mahinda Rajapaksa, and opposition leader, Ranil Wickremasinghe. With an LTTE
voting boycott, Rajapaksa narrowly won. The LTTE's motives for the boycott were un-
clear, but their actions cost Wickremasinghe an expected 180,000 votes and the presidency
and, perhaps, a better chance at peace.
