40 Years of Strife - Colombo, Sri Lanka

A few days ago, I took a tuk tuk tour around some of the local neighborhoods in Colombo. I wanted to see the real city and talk with a local tour guide about the past, present and future of the city. Visit Colombo off the beaten path. I came away with so many different and conflicting emotions that I needed to write it down.

Brief history of Ceylon (Sri Lanka) - Colombo is first and foremost a maritime city and has been a trading port for over 2,000 years. Cargo originating from and destined to Europe, East and South Asia, the Persian Gulf, and East Africa connect through the Colombo Port. In fact, the Portuguese Dutch and British all ruled Ceylon at one time. The Maritime Museum was a great place to start my understanding of Colombo. Colombo Port Maritime Museum

The Portuguese were the first European nation to rule Ceylon from 1505 to 1658. They initially came as merchants for the spice trade. But became more involved in the island's political and cultural and religious life. In 1658 the Dutch captured the city of Colombo and ruled until 1796 in large part due to the growth of the Dutch East India Company. The Dutch introduced a judicial and military system that remains today. In 1796, the British captured Colombo and ruled Ceylon from 1815 to 1948. After the American Revolution, Britian looked east to expand their territory and trade routes and introduced one of the leading exports today, tea.

Independence - A national movement for independence arose in the early 20th century. Ceylon became a sovereign state in 1948 and the republic of Sri Lanka in 1972. A visit to Independence Memorial Hall is a definitely worth a stop.

The Root of Most Wars - Religion. Sri Lanka is a melting pot of religions. 70% Buddhist, 13% Hindu, 10% Muslim and 7% Christians. Religion plays an extremely powerful role in politics and community.

Buddhism is the religion of the Sinhalese people which practice the oldest forms. In this traditional Theravada form, Buddha is not considered to be a god but an enlightened teacher. I visited the Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple which is one of the oldest temples in Colombo founded in the late 19th century.

Hinduism is the religion of the minority Tamil people who originated from south India. They worship a variety of traditional gods. I was able to visit the Sri Kailawasanathan Swami Devasthanam Kovil temple. The oldest Hindu temple in Colombo which is dedicated to the gods Ganesha and Shiva. The main tower consists of intricate sculptures, stone carved masterpieces and a detailed lotus- carved main door.

The Muslim community in Sri Lanka is diverse with a variety of cultural backgrounds. The origins of the Sri Lankan Muslim community can be traced back to the trading routes between the Middle East and Southeast Asia and are descendants of the Moors. Unfortunately, I was not able to go inside the largest Mosque in Colombo, Jami Ul-Alfar. Its construction dates back to a time when Sri Lanka was known as Ceylon, reflecting the multicultural heritage of the island.

26-year Civil War - And now my true story begins. I had to get through all that history just to get to this point. From 1983 until 2009, Sri Lanka was embroiled in a terrible civil war between the Sinhalese majority (Buddhists) and the “Tamil Tigers,” a rebel army formed within the Tamil ethnic minority (Hindu). When the British ruled Ceylon, the government built better schools for the Tamils and appointed them to official posts, favoring them over the Sinhalese majority. Unfortunately, it creates tension between the majority of the population who are treated as lower class citizens, and the minority who are reaping benefits from their colonial patrons. After independence in 1948, power shifted into the hands of the Sinhalese majority. The new government passed the Ceylon Citizenship Bill in November of 1948, which made it nearly impossible for Tamils to become official citizens of the new country. Tension continued to build until 1983, when the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, better known as the Tamil Tigers, started a rebellion against the government of Sri Lanka. Religious History of Sri Lanka. Sound familiar. Think back to the Rwandan Genocide.

December 26, 2004 - Right in the middle of the Civil war, the unthinkable happens. Almost 20 years ago, to this date, a major 9.1 magnitude earthquake strikes off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesian causing a massive tsunami that killed over 30,000 people and displaced over a million people in Sri Lanka. The recovery was hindered by the civil war.

April 21, 2019, Terrorist Attack - I'm writing this in my Airbnb and looking out one window at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel which was one of the sites of the Easter day bombing. Three churches in Sri Lanka and three luxury hotels in the commercial capital, Colombo, were targeted in a series of coordinated ISIS-related terrorist suicide bombings.

Since the bombing five years ago, the city is on heightened alert. Metal detectors are everywhere. Entering malls and hotels you go through security. All vehicles are swept leading into my Airbnb complex. A stark reminder of the world we live in.

The future. Looking out at the other window is a vast area of dirt and debris rising from the dredging of the Indian Ocean, except for one lone bridge. This is the future home of Port City. With an agreement with the Chinese Government the land will be developed into an international world class hotel and business complex targeting southeast Asian businesses. There is a lot of conflicting opinion on Port City. My Airbnb hostess mentions the influx of money into the economy especially along the beaches. On the other hand, my tour guide mentions that the weekend people who visit and live in Port city will not venture out and minge with the local neighborhoods. Where they both agree, is that the fate of the development rests in the government, a very corrupt government.

The last time I had this level of internal conflict was when I visited Rwanda last year and Belfast 10 years ago. What all three have in common is the role government plays in denying rights to a group. As a foreigner it's not easy to understand the origins of the conflict nor should we take sides. But it is important for us to learn as much as we can.

In a couple of days, I'll be venturing out of Colombo into the rainforest and beaches of Sri Lanka. Back into the nature that Sri Lanka is known for.