Report from Sri Lanka, Part 2
Bob Morris @ Feb 7th 2006 21:31 - Category: Anti-war Tags: Sri Lanka;
More from DJ Mitchell in Sri Lanka. He’s volunteering with Sarvodaya, an organization working to end the civil there. You can make tax-deductible donations to support their new peace initiative. (Pt 1. of his report is here)
Photo: View across Lake Street in Batticaloa. Life goes on despite the razor wire of an army installation (left) and a soldier guarding the intersection (right)

Batticaloa, Day 2. A thunderstorm rolled in about 1:30 am, and I listened to the rain and thunder for about an hour. I’m told it’s unusual for the rains to last past the end of January. These are unusual times.
It rained most of the night, and while I enjoyed the sound, it is sure to make the mosquitoes thick and the day hot & sticky.
I had planned to do a little walking while I’m here. The Butterfly Garden is nearby, a sanctuary for kids that uses art to help children from the conflict areas deal with their experiences. Run by a Catholic monk, in 1998 it was a welcome bright spot in a city occupied by one army and surrounded by another. There’s also a large Hindu temple that in 1998 was closed for renovation. Today it’s open for business. But my schedule has become so full that it’s unlikely I’ll get to see the sights.
There is much I could see and do if I had the time, but my primary mission is to gather information. I interview people, and use what they tell me to broaden understanding of the conflict. I’m scheduled to interview several NGO workers, all people who work regularly in the conflict area.
My goal this time is to better understand the schism that has arisen between the LTTE and the so-called Karuna Faction. Karuna Amman was the Eastern Commander of the LTTE until 2004, when he declared himself and his troops independent. Naturally this did not sit well with the LTTE leadership in Jaffna, and there has been prolonged violence between the two sides. Karuna himself is described as an able commander, and is said to have survived five assassination attempts. The LTTE has driven Karuna and his cadres into the jungle, where they fight a guerilla war against the LTTEâ€â€which itself began as a guerilla organization.



