Dear Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam,

I took part in the last three days of the Trail, because I felt it was for a good cause and wanted to do my bit. After the walk I took the route you suggested and saw the destruction with my own eyes.

That was the battleground, and I didn’t expect it to look like a mess created by a big kiddies birthday party. LTTE was a terrorist outfit and they had to be wiped out. Period. JVP militancy was also a thing that had to be wiped out and it was. On both occasions there was loss of lives, but there was an end.

Looking at the abandoned vehicles civilian population would have been very high, but were they there on their own free will. If yes, what do you expect when you are amongst the combatants? If not who kept them there?

Hey Sam,

It is a unique organization, with potential American influence. As I have mentioned above, at the bottom of the page it says: “Copyright © 2011 Trail. Colours of Courage America Inc, New York, USA. All Rights Reserved.”

This website will give you some insight on the connection between Colours of Courage Trust and Colours of Courage America: http://www.seravia.com/corporation/new-york/colours-of-courage-america-inc-1wz7261xxn#about

^ From the information here, one gets the sense that Colours of Courage Trust was registered in the States. Though, as you have mentioned, the organization is executed from Sri Lanka. I have made a mistake saying it is based in the United States. I should have said “registered” in the United States.

Further, if someone donates from the United States of America it goes through Colours of Courage America: Check out the donation website. http://trailsl.com/?page=donate&mode=general

Visa and Mastercard credit can be utilized for donations. These are American credit companies. Hm, I smell American Loans.

Thus, the Trail initiative is evidently NOT free of the International communities pressure and influence.

The Colours of Courage Trust is a unique organization founded in 2008 as a means of addressing the needs of the National Cancer Institute, Maharagama. While a number of philanthropic projects have been aimed at the cancer hospital, many of them are not sustained. They are often one-off plans that see the donation of equipment or money to the hospital,

http://www.coloursofcourage.com/weare.html

Please explain what you mean by ‘imagined ethnic divides.’

Hey, just to quickly respond to some of the interesting inquiries. For example, the whole issue about whether “Colours of Courage” is an American organization. I was going off the information at the bottom of the website. Where it says ” Copyright © 2011 Trail. Colours of Courage America Inc, New York, USA.”. This led me to believe it was an international initiative…

And, Manga, I think you’re right. I’m more interested in seeing how Sri Lankan’s in the International community or Internationally Aware Sri Lankans can contribute to change on the Island.

Also, folks, don’t take this article as my affirmation that everything is perfect. Nevertheless, to see several hundred individuals ( who, the critics argue, were a bunch of Sinhala chauvinists) walk through streets collecting money, for an initiative that would help individuals in the North, reveals a sense of concern for a greater community. It may not address every issue, but it’s one small part that needs to happen. People need to understand their sense of obligation to a community beyond imagined ethnic divides. And, even better, if international pressure can help people think in such a way.

And, AB, cause you asked, The Sri Lankan Embassy has cancelled the tour. Thus, the page was taken down. Also, my observation of Trail has nothing to do with that or Mosaic Institute. Just personal curiosity.

DBSJ meant the international community of various states and various intergovernmental bodies.

You meant the international Sri Lankans.

Are you in Sri Lanka as part of the SL Govt sponsored “tour” targeting young people of Sri Lanka origin that you were promoting on Facebook earlier in the year?

I remember you wrote the following on Facebook in response to someone’s critical response to the government’s propaganda efforts.

“…I hope you understand that this trip isn’t simply to meet the President. Rather, it’s an effort to confront rising criticisms in the west and Eurocentric media. Thus, the Embassy proposes, rather than see the country through the white man’s eyes see it through your own. Therefore, the state is funding Transportation, accommodation, and opening their doors, as wide as they can open them…”

before it was quickly taken down ;(

Is this part of the same propaganda tour? Is this also linked to the Mosaic Institute based in Canada?

SL Trail is an international effort of sorts but one that the GOSL calculated will deflect pressure off them and the business sector. This is not the pressure Jeyaraj was referring to nor is it pressure at all.

“Trail began not long ago when CEO of MAS Linea Aqua Sarinda Unamboowe made himself a promise that when the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka came to an end he would walk the length of the country as a mark of his commitment to peace.” (trailsl.com about page)

No one outside Sinhalese ultra nationalists and the most gullible of youth believe the ethnic conflict is over which tells us something about Sarinda, MAS, and you.

EXACTLY WHAT ARE TAMIL ONLY GRIEVANCES IN SRI LANKA ?

1. Is it that Tamils have an exclusive say in Running Northern + Eastern Province in Sri Lanka ?

2. Is it that they want that plus special priviledges in every other part of Sri Lanka ?

3. Do you consider the Tamils in the Central and other non-Northern + Eastern Province Tamils NON-SRI LANKAN Tamils ?

If you want point 1 isn’t it bit like an Aparheid regime where a group/ethnic group in minority runs a state only for themselves.

THE TAMIL GRIEVANCE = TAMILS FOR TAMILS AM I CORRECT OR NOT ?
LTTE WAS THE MILITARY MANIFESTATION OF THIS PHENOMENA.

Thank you, Colors of Courage Trust.