Travelorphan's Blog - Erin M. Smith

Being nationalistic on Canada Day

2009-06-30T22:54:00.003-05:00

Is it dangerous to be nationalistic? Let me rephrase….is it dangerous to be nationalistic when you’re a Canadian? This morning I woke up with a patriotic grin on my face and the knowledge that this maple-saturated day was one that I was proud to be a part of. Indeed, I murmured out loud, Canada must be the best country in the world.

Whoops, eh?

I said it.

The best? Is this a dangerous concept? It’s certainly subjective and incredibly biased. It’s founded on my own values of adoring a country that has a relentless buoyancy for all things good (freedom, democracy, beer) and a passionate goal of helping others (we’re a nation of peacemakers, mediators, and rights defenders). But it doesn’t mean that I think other countries are worse for wear…it means that in my mind of what we should be striving for in this complicated era, Canada might be the best example of a country to build upon and learn from. Stop laughing – we are a mighty big country in more ways than one.

I grew up in Canada, and though rural Coldwater was a far cry from the hubs of international affairs that I would later grow into, from an early age I knew how unique our country was. We spiritualized traditions from Thanksgiving to Stanley Cups, and were open to whatever sacred or religious beliefs that were held by those around us. We had school trips to pick up litter in parks so that others could enjoy them, and spent Sundays willingly and happily scraping five feet of snow from fragments of lakes to make sure that any kid with skates could get some free ice time. When we went grocery shopping, we went to local farmers markets, Polish bakeries and German delis….all within a few blocks of each other.

Reading books from other countries, and watching television, differences popped out into my mind between Canadians and some of the other folks. I couldn’t understand people who were rude. Canadians are polite to the point of excess…we apologize to people who walk into us, we tip wait staff, busboys and bar tenders without thinking, take coffee out to the guys who plow our street and we talk to each other in the lines at grocery stores.

As I grew up, it became even more apparent to me just how lucky we were…we could say what we wanted in parliament and the media, had free 24/7 health coverage, always had fresh food in markets and stores, kept huge swaths of land as national parks, and, something that I only really appreciated later, we could drink water out of the tap.

Yes, we’re a country with scars of our own, from governmental scandals and rising homeless populations to botched commitments in international debates (climate change comes to mind). But we have the capacity to monitor ourselves, judge ourselves, speak up and apologize and learn to make ourselves better for the future. We are, and have always been, an optimistic nation.

While living abroad over the past years, I have always seen things through a Canadian lens. Witnessing negative practices which are ‘un-Canadian’, bribery, exploitation, child-labour, oppression of basic human rights, I become passionate about how we as a global community can change these ways. This is perhaps a dangerous trait in itself – the naivety that these practices can be curbed, that we are capable of striving for a utopist state of governance and respect for one another. I know that we might not get there, but the Canadian in me makes it so that I want to try. Perhaps this drive is echoed in the fact that we get our most precious product, maple syrup, after fighting for it from frozen trees in the bitter ends of winters.

It is also the Canadian in me that allows me to believe in the concept of ‘global community’. The multicultural foundations of our very nation demonstrate the strengths that come with diversity. Out of our population of over 34 million individuals, many speak our two official languages as well as the native tongues of our founding immigrant populations. We function harmoniously both internally and externally, for we have no international foes. We have the eighth largest economy on the planet and the drive to use it to better both ourselves and less fortunate nations.

To come back to my initial question, I don’t think it is dangerous to have pride for one’s country, as long as your country protects, respects and values both its own people as well as the interests and wellbeing of other nations. In fact, I believe that striving to make your country ‘the best’ is a goal that, if taken all together, betters all, leaving none for the worst. And that, is truly Canadian.

Happy Canada Day – CHEERS to being a positive, progressive and open nation for another 142 years.

Paine and Sri Lanka

2009-05-12T23:09:00.000-05:00

“These are the times that try men’s souls”, said Thomas Paine, writing on the eve of the American Revolution.

His words are of consequence in this time of Sri Lanka’s history, with all parties turning to tactics shallow and inhumane in nature. As the war with the LTTE changes landscapes, civilians are trying to move out of rebel-controlled areas into Government-held regions. Yet the actions of militants, both Government and rebels, have left mothers choosing what children to run with…have turned trenches of frightened, hiding families into mass graves…have forced people to flee for their lives through water, moving as if in slow motion, while being shot from the back and shelled from above.

The details of this tragedy are beyond shocking – they are the very definition of hell.

For what have these people run to? ‘Safe zones’ where hospitals explode around them. Waiting lines and checkpoints where suicide bombers stand between civilians before detonating themselves into a pink haze. Purgatory camps without medical care for their phosphorus burns, without enough food or basic supplies to feed the tens of thousands of refugees who have been able to survive this long.

Tens of thousands…a figure that will swell to upwards of 100,000 people, depending on how many survive not only the gauntlet they escape through, but the Government-established 2-year in-camp waiting period that they now face.

We have waited too long to intervene in these barbarous actions. The world seems to have forgotten how to have courage in the face of tyranny, that in the protection of the rights of the weak and the powerless, there must be a limit to how ‘neutral’ we can be, for there is nothing neutral about what is going on in Sri Lanka.

This is a test of our power as a civilized globe – for no civilized being sees freedom as a privilege of few, sees the right to life as something not worthy to protect, or turns their head at the suffering of those being publicly and violently ravaged by others.

Paine went on to write: “The heart that feels not now is dead; the blood of his children will curse his cowardice, who shrinks back at a time when a little might have saved the whole, and made them happy”.

Being developed, being civilized, is not about being neutral, or holding course – it is about intervening without delay, in manners suitable to the threat at hand, to avoid the violation of the rights of others, and the catastrophes of war. Mothers, with the fear of being shot in the back or shelled from above, are choosing what children to run with…what more do we have to hear?

This little piggy goes to Kabul…

2009-05-07T21:11:00.000-05:00

Khanzir is a celebrity. He’s the only pig in Afghanistan, and he has lived at the Kabul zoo after being donated by China in 2002.
Khanzir romps around at the zoo with deer and goats, but his keepers have been thinking of getting him some more ‘intimate’ company for some time. As the BBC and Qutar Living recently reported, Khanzir was hoping on being introduced to a female companion in the near future, but due to swine flu panic, he’s recently been put into isolation.
As such, Khanzir will have to wait a bit longer for that special someone, until the passing of what the director of the zoo calls ‘A dangerous and difficult time’.
As if a lonely pig living in Kabul didn’t have enough to worry about.

Swine Flu .... how to get piggy with it.

2009-04-30T07:45:00.010-05:00

Sensationalist journalism involving swine? When pigs fly! Ah yes, the swine has 'flu' indeed. Swine Flu's here, and so is panic...the ironic thing is, when we panic, our immunity actually decreases. So what should we do?

Simple.

Be calm, breathe, and wash your hands. Alot.

Eat bacon if you want to (because you can't catch swine flu from pork meat, as the dreadful choice of a name might suggest), but also eat your oranges, drink lots of water, and go for nice long walks, preferably not along the beaches of Mexico.

This is the flu we're talking about...as common as, yes, the common cold, and while we are hearing some very disturbing messages coming out of Mexico (and I am not at all making light of the severity of the situation, and the frustration, sadness and concern of those infected and their families), we need to clearly understand the risks involved. I'm not an expert, and I'm not a doctor, so I'll turn the rest of this post over to those who can actually offer some accessible advice.

The first post, '16 Ways to Avoid Swine Flu and Why Not to Freak Out' is written by a Doctor who normally focuses on woman's health. It's a straight-forward realistic piece that we can use to understand how to react to what is going on.

The second and third links are both from the Guardian website. The first is to the Guardian's interactive map of affected nations (because I am a geographer at the end of the day). It's useful but remember, media takes to take a sensationalist posture to these things. The second Guardian link focuses on these share tactics, and is about what a Guardian columnist himself refers to as the Mad Journalism Disease. Here, here!

Finally, for those out there who just want to give a kind word in support of these oinky pink pretties, check out Groink -- which is the official website in support of National Pig Day. It ranges from stories (the Three Little Pigs) and photos to recipes, for those of us who also love good Canadian bacon.

The right to fly a kite.

2009-01-17T02:54:00.001-06:00

The latest push by the SLA in taking area controlled by the LTTE has a new twist – civilians in the conflict regions are no longer allowed to fly kites. The army claims that they might be used for surveillance purposes…or even worse, obscure the view of a nickel-sized portion of blue vulnerable to aerial attacks. Some hardline government supporters might be shocked that they were even allowed to fly before, liberated as they might be, in bopping over front lines.

In a region where a child can view clouds almost solely through buildings gorged with barbed wire, and watch the sea only from a distance over mined beaches, it’s almost unthinkable that a few free spirits would still have the hope that a piece of cloth tossed into the sky could dance. Almost unthinkable, but what an image…an individual who themselves, as well as their parents and grandparents, have not known what life was like without war, still able to have the creative mind to perceive air as powerful enough to offer joy.

I understand that there are larger wars to wage against the violation of human rights in Sri Lanka…I see that set against the right to life, to justice, this is a small, almost shadow-like claim. But just for a moment, if we set aside the fact that the battles fought in the past few months have been set in areas not yet cleared of civilians. If we continue to turn a blind eye to the realization that families attempting to flee these regions have not been given any form of evacuation routes by the SLA or LTTE. Even if we note that no international presence has been allowed to witness any of the ‘liberating’ techniques used on the front lines of the army... Setting aside for just a moment all of these facts we are still left with the truth that the only liberty a small being might have found in this shattered portion of a country is now denied.

From my desk in another part of Asia far away from the daily raids, shelling, and shootings in the streets, I can picture the children of Jaffna just as I remember them, incredibly tenacious and proud. I daydream of them staging their own revolution against this most personal violation, running to the end of the main street with their kites and, one by one, slicing them free with a razor blade. A dozen eyes would follow their journey upwards and out to the ocean, silently urging them to go farther, faster, dust streaming off them, as they fade into freedom.

Verge shortlisted photos

2008-09-10T00:04:00.000-05:00

I'm happy to share the news that three of my images recently made the shortlist of Verge Magazine's Global competition...the point of the challenge was to present images in the category of 'Travel With Purpose'.

Later this fall they'll all be available to view online, but for now, if you're based in Vancouver or Toronto, you can go to the Verge Go Abroad Fair, and see the exhibition up close and personal.

The dates for the fair are:
* Vancouver
Saturday, September 13, 2008 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, September 14, 2008 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
* Toronto
Saturday, September 20, 2008 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, September 21, 2008 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information on the fair, and Verge, check out their Go Abroad Fair page.

If you end up seeing the pics in the magazine this fall, online (i'll post a link once it's available), or at the fairs, and you like them, you can vote for them in the Reader's Choice category (whoohoo!).

Will the world end on Wednesday?

2008-09-07T22:15:00.000-05:00

See what happens when we mess with science? Science messes back. As reported today on the Guardian, CERN, a renowned laboratory in Geneva specializing in work on particle physics will, on this Wednesday, switch on its Large Hadron Collider. The Collider, is meant to help scientists develop a ‘theory of everything’…however, like most of us when we attempt to mentally grapple with questions on creation and the universe, the meaning of life, and all that jazz, the Collider can also have a brain freeze.

This might be no big issue…except for the fact that, while humans are generally left with a headache and glass of wine when faced with queries of the structure of matter, the Collider has the capacity to create small black holes. Small black holes here on earth. Small black holes which some scientists argue can actually “survive, grow and eat the planet from the inside”. Yet some scientists actually want the holes to develop, proving the existence of dimensions other than the three we already know about – and then hopefully – the holes will literally go back to where they came from. However, one scientists has gone so far as to file a case against the Collider, noting that if the holes do in fact devour our fabulous little planet, this would violate our right to life, as secured in the European Convention on Human Rights. Indeed.

I don’t know about you, but I already feel a tad violated, knowing that there’s someone out there who is actually trying to re-create the big bang….we don’t really know what happened the first time, so why should we use the world’s largest particle accelerator (which is actually a 27 kilometer cannon) to try to do it again? Do we really want to create the same type of conditions of matter that were present when the earth was less than one trillionth -- ONE TRILLIONTH -- of a second old? CERN has done their best to put fears to rest; releasing multiple reports on the safety of the Collider, and we can be assured that the type of learning curve these little protons might offer us, as they smash into each other through caverns of steel, is fairly epic in nature. Talk of ‘god particles’, ‘dark matter’, and ‘secrets of the universe’ have many people in the world anticipating leaps of science from the Collider…I’m just hoping that at the end of all this spin, the matter will, well, matter.

For an excellent write-up on the project, including videos, more pics and graphics, check out this New York Times article. To watch a webcast from CERN, including when the push the big button to get the particles spinning, click here. However, since we might have only 2 days left to enjoy this big squishy world of ours, I’d recommend instead watching alpinekat’s video rap on the project….it’s definitely worth 4 of the 2880 minutes that we (might) have left to play.

**Photo of Collider from NY Times Online.

Little Miss Fix-it

2008-09-03T03:49:00.001-05:00

There’s a collection of books that I grew up with, the Mr. Men and Little Miss Series. I flip-flopped through their personalities and pages on a daily basis for years. Now, I’m sitting in Phnom Penh wishing that there was just one more book after Mr. Grumpy and Little Miss Sunshine – I could really use a Little Miss Fix-it. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a plethora of people (we’re in Cambodia, so we’re mainly talking about men) who we can call to come fix something in our house. You can go to that international standard, the Yellow Pages, find the Cambodian version, and look up plumber, carpenter, and electrician, and find listings just the same as back in Canada. Only here, all numbers seem to lead to just one man. Yes that’s right, in the age of specialization, the Cambodian handy-man is the personal equivalent of a big-box store. He’s meant to be an all-sorts kind of person, and boy does he try.

The reason that I am daydreaming of a Little Miss Fix-it book is because no matter how-to sites I visit on the internet, I can’t seem to find solutions to typical problems in South-East Asian homes. Questions that I’ve already faced: How do you fix an a/c unit on a second floor when the outside ledge that you need to stand on is covered in barbed wire? What if you live in an old colonial building and need to change a light bulb, where the average ladder is three-feet tall and you have 12-foot ceilings? How do you turn off the water before you fix a tap, when the lever you need to maneuver has been broken for the past 30 years and now tiled into the wall?

Now of course, I’m sure a typical reader would note at this point that when in Asia, do as in Asia….so I’ve tried some more local methods (sorry Mom), but standing on two chairs at once, chipping away at concrete with a ballpoint pen, and keeping my finger in the hole to stop the running water doesn’t work so well for me (seriously, I’ve seen all of these done at one point or another, from hotels to flats). The next step would therefore be call one of the handymen listed in the Cambodian yellow pages, or do as others do, and have someone call someone that can call someone who will text someone to send another someone that they might know.

This leads me to the current situation that I’m experiencing… two days ago, after taking a deep breath and praying to the god of jack-of-all trades, I sent out a call for a plumber, and about 45 minutes ago, our favorite Mr. Fix-it men arrived at the house. They’re the same ones that were here when we needed the gas stove fixed, and before turning off the gas feed, one lit a match while the other played with the knobs…result: singed eyebrows and the Khmer equivalent of AYE-OH. They’re also the ones that came to fix a door with three different types of screws and no matching driver (to my visiting Father’s mixed delight and chagrin), who found a way to stand on the barbed wire while fixing the a/c (all the while keeping a power source on while draining it of water and ice), and who, while laughing the whole while, dismantled the fridge without unplugging it. Don’t get me wrong, I love these guys, and while they scare the life out of me, they ALWAYS get the job done, and finish with a smile.

In fact, as I finish writing up (because I do have to get back to work at one stage), they’re chatting away in the bathroom, one newly enamored with my vice grip (because his pliers broke when he was trying to undo a nut), and the other with a finger in the wall, as they try to replace a shower hose. The one chatting away to the tools is already dripping wet, while the other one (with his finger holding back all that water), is flipping with his free fingers through an old, soggy copy of Cosmopolitan. Maybe, just maybe, I don’t need a Little Miss Fix-it book in the end…after all, in spite of singed eyebrows, flooded bathrooms, and dangling off of power lines, perhaps the real story I need to learn from is the one unfolding right in front of me, even if it is running down the hallway floor.

Zoom, there she goes...

2008-08-29T02:37:00.002-05:00

For the past three years, there’s been an address in my moleskin that I’ve taken out and used time and time again. Flyzoom.com, this little link, which opened up a landscape of voyage options, has taken me back and forth from studies to family, over oceans and rolling hills thousands of miles across. I’ve relied on it when excited, getting ready to head to Canada for Christmas, and even when hesitant with trepidation of academic involvement, shouldering the weight of 20 kilos of books back to doctoral studies in London.

My old suitcase is dotted with remains of little blue and white stickers, the only letters now remaining are the occasional ‘oom’or ‘zo’. I don’t think that I even have the remnants of a full luggage tag left. And yet, these small portions of a logo now plastered across Canadian news agencies, echo the symbolism of a company ripped apart, reluctant to have given in to the taxes and economy that it tried to flounder through.

Yes, Zoom Airlines is now defunct, leaving passengers stranded in Europe, as well as North and South America. It’s time to delete yet another address of a Canadian company unable to make it in today’s parasitic economic environment, and empathize again with those left without compensation for their tickets and travel plans, as well as the 600 workers that lost their jobs in the middle of the peak season for their careers. It’s also time, with these past two weeks of numerous accidents and safety incidents involving aircraft, to rethink just what costs these fuel prices are having – and when we do purchase a ticket, exactly what value the airline is putting behind it.

Girasole

2008-07-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

Another roadtrip find

2008-07-27T22:26:00.000-05:00

Flowers for the family dinner

2008-07-27T22:22:00.000-05:00

Roadtrip perspectives

2008-07-27T22:20:00.000-05:00

Tuscan roaaaads, take me hooooome...

2008-07-27T22:14:00.000-05:00

Firenze Night Action

2008-07-27T22:07:00.000-05:00

Lost in Tuscany

2008-07-27T21:50:00.000-05:00

Ah, Italy.

2008-07-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

David and Chanel, Firenze

2008-07-27T21:26:00.000-05:00

Firenze Wanders

2008-07-27T21:23:00.000-05:00

Little tourist, Tuscany

2008-07-27T21:16:00.000-05:00

Hong Kong Sporting

2008-07-25T04:37:00.000-05:00

Ben Johnson claims new evidence in 20-year old doping scandal

2008-06-01T04:03:00.000-05:00

An Italian newspaper has covered Ben Johnson's new claim that he has evidence -- on tape -- of Carl Lewis being involved in a scheme where drugs were slipped into a drink pre-testing during the 1988 Olympics. The Italian paper seems to be the only one yet to cover segments of the exclusive interview that Ben gave to Britain's Daily Mail. It will be interesting to see the quality of the evidence Ben claims to have, and how effective it might be in re-opening the 20-year old case. While Ben (who has admitted to using steroids after the 1998 debacle) will never be able to make up for the echoes of the past incident and the personal abuse he faced after he was stripped of his medal, such a drive for justice should be perceived as honorable in itself. Even if Ben's medal was re-instated, his personal record time was beaten again yesterday by Jamaica's Usain Bolt, therefore he's not simply bringing this evidence to light for personal glory. In the weeks upcoming to Beijing, if this story can gain more coverage against the smacks of protests and drug tests, it could bring a bit of hope to all of us who watched Ben's win and loss in Seoul. Furthermore, it could remind us that these events should be about those individuals running for themselves and their nations, who have devoted large portions of their lives towards just trying to do their best amidst what has become a twisted business of sport.

Bombs on Bicycles: Terrorist attack in Jaipur

2008-05-13T20:28:00.002-05:00

Last evening there was a cowardly, coordinated bomb attack on the historic Indian city of Jaipur. Known for its festivals, colourful temples and intricately carved havelis and palaces, Jaipur is also a political hub, and functions as the capital of Rajasthan. The motive of the attack was labeled as 'to cause the maximum damage to human life'.

In Delhi, security has been stepped up around the city. People who often do not discuss terrorist attacks or politics at home, are starting to speak out about how these bombings are affecting the way they move about their own city. While many individuals refuse to change habits because of the threat of future bombings and attacks, others are choosing to stay away from crowded areas (an incredibly difficult task in a city where streets are like parking lots), or not attend public events (you can get tickets to an upcoming popular cricket match for free -- this used to be unheard of, but people are giving them away).

Shhhhh...

2008-05-01T06:16:00.001-05:00

Freedom of speech (and thought and publishing) in Cambodia can be difficult to come by.

For more information on freedom of speech in Cambodia, including the past and current plight of local reporters trying to get information out of the country, see the work of Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF). Their annual report on Cambodia is available on their website at:

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=25631

Of particular interest is the section of the report in relation to the upcoming election...this is a direct quote: "Ahead of legislative elections scheduled for July 2008, there are fears that the ruling party will tighten its grip still further on electronic media. Hun Sen has already said that he plans to stay in power for another 20 years" (RSF 2008).

When a market crashes in New York, another is bulldozed in Cambodia

2008-04-30T02:46:00.002-05:00

Cambodia is now a hotspot of financial speculation, with foreigners attempting to diversify their investments outside of the US market. The coveted goods up for grabs however, are no longer textile factories or antiques – they’re giant swaths of land. Prime Minister Hun Sen and the CPP have welcomed foreign buyers, often assisting in the clearing of ‘zones’ (formerly villages, agricultural plots, islands, beaches, etc), often by force, and with no notice to those living and/or working in the area. A recent Guardian article (Country for Sale) comprehensively outlines the agreements feeding the land grabs, and the mass displacement and social havoc the practice is inflicting on the population of Cambodia.

As of today, almost half of the land of Cambodia is now owned by foreign speculators. The alleged corrupt nature of the Government (this alleged corruption has been publicly discussed by the head of the World Bank and other high-level members of the international community cited by the BBC, amongst numerous other organizations, media hubs, etc...), which often has their hands in the deals (again, a widely established and published view), allows for foreigners to purchase land on 99 plus 99 year leases – an agreement unheard of in the rest of the world. However, the Government’s role in the turnover of land does not end with the provision of guards for bulldozers razing entire villages, or signing off on tax-free agreements with entire nations. As noted in the recent Guardian article: “Since the land sell-offs, members of the government and its allies have been splashing huge sums around. A Korean developer told us that when he marketed Phnom Penh’s first skyscraper, the 42-storey Gold Tower project in February, all two dozen penthouse suites were bought within 24 hours by ‘an honour role of the CPP and its friends in the military’”. There seems to be no speculation about the reality of this situation on the ground – while land prices are rising swiftly, you don’t need to be rich to purchase land here...you simply need to possess no values other than financial ones.

No such thing as a free lunch...or breakfast, for that matter

2008-04-30T02:43:00.000-05:00

Due to the increased price of rice in Cambodia ($300/ton in 2007 – now over $700/ton), the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) has halted its’ program to provide free breakfast to almost half a million Cambodia children. As noted in a recent New York Times article, such a stall will not force the children into starvation (Cambodians have an unfortunate proven history of being able to get by on very little), but will change the standards of education children receive as well as the levels of school attendance. The last time the program was placed on hold, attendance dropped by 10% within the first week.

The free breakfast program helps with students to focus during their studies, encourages them to be on time for their classes, and promotes the attendance of children, particularly girls, who would otherwise not attend school (due to poverty and gender biases amongst other factors). It also provides a staple of nutrition for the young generation of Cambodia who often go to school in the morning, then work at home to help their families the rest of the day. The program, which was started 8 years ago, is planned to be on hold until at least the fall of this year.

The irony of the situation lies in the hike that these children, most in rural areas, make across rice paddies every morning to reach their classroom. Cambodia exports the majority of their rice, and the Government takes pride in calling the country the ‘ricebowl’ of the region – to the extent that the country’s agricultural minister, Chan Sarun, has recently released a public statement that Cambodia hopes to now lead rice exports. By 2015, Minister Sarun notes that he wants Cambodia to be able to export up to 8 million tonnes of rice per year. It thus seems that not only the 450,000 impoverished Cambodian children who now no longer receive a free breakfast, will be going hungry in the years to come.

*Side note: Canada is WFP’s second largest donor. For a recent Toronto Star article on future commitments Canada will be making to the organization, click here.*

Edward Burtynsky on film...but not the kind you’re used to...

2008-04-30T02:41:00.000-05:00

A well-known Canadian photographer, Edward Burtynsky has now found himself on the other side of a camera. Burtynsky is most recognized for his epic-sized shots of industrial or human-affected locations (what he himself calls ‘manufactured landscapes’). However, filmmaker Claire Birchall has recently produced a documentary on stories behind his photos. The Guardian has recently reviewed the film, and published an interesting discussion on how Burtynsky’s photos are elevated ‘beyond the frame’ by the sweeping and lengthy style Birchall often uses.

For more on Burtynsky’s photography, check out the ‘Works’ section of his website for some engaging online portfolios. My personal favorites have to be the ambitious frames of the ship-breaking process in Bangladesh, though it’s easy to get swept into the magnitude of sizes portrayed in the quarry selection. His projects are also published in multiple books, but to get a true feeling for the scale of his photos, it’s important to see them up close and full size, towering over you, in an exhibition.

The rabbit ate my PhD...

2008-04-21T03:49:00.000-05:00

I've blogged about more of the larger trials of my PhD...but no one ever told me of the dangers that urban 'wild'life can pose while working in Sri Lanka.
For more pics of the Colombo bunnies in action, see their public Facebook album.

Photojournalist Dith Pran dies at age 65

2008-03-30T23:00:00.001-05:00

After surviving the ordeals of what he named the 'killing fields', photojournalist Dith Pran has died in New Jersey. He was 65 years old, and had succumbed to his three-year battle with pancreatic cancer. The photographer, whose life story was the foundation for the film 'The Killing Fields', left Cambodia in body but never in spirit. Since moving to the United States, Mr. Dith founded the Dith Pran Holocaust Awareness Project and constantly spoke whenever he could about the realities and horrors of the Cambodian genocide. He worked as a photojournalist with the New York Times until his death. You can read The Times' account of his life and accomplishments here.
One point that The Times article briefly touches on is how important it was for the world to recognize the bravery it took for Mr. Dith to continue to work as a photojournalist with foreign reporters, even up to and during the fall of Phnom Penh. These local counterparts (still known in the field as 'fixers') are instrumental to the flow of information and access to otherwise obstructed sources and stories. We live in a time when journalists are more and more often put in the way of danger (and in extreme cases like Sri Lanka, left vulnerable to kidnappings and murder when they effectively do their job). We should therefore take this opportunity to offer a moment not only to the bravery of Dith Pran, but all his fellow 'fixers', 'interpreters' and 'stringers' whose dedication offers eyes, ears and knowledge to the rest of the world.

IIGEP's Last Stand

2008-03-06T21:47:00.000-06:00

IIGEP (the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons, whose work in Sri Lanka has been discussed previously on this blog), has issued a public statement formally, yet regretfully, terminating the Group’s activities. Noting “an institutional lack of support for the work of the commission” amongst other flaws of Governmental programs and cooperation, the IIGEP decided to “terminate its operation in Sri Lanka ...after due consideration and for fundamental reasons”. The full text of the statement outlines the accomplishments of the Group (including the commencement of public inquiries into key cases of human rights violations) but also the barriers to IIGEP’s capacity to effectively work in Sri Lanka ( the rejection of suggestions made to the Government and President, a lack of cooperation at all levels of authority, and the absence of key requirements such as transparent funding practices and witness protection programs).

The IIGEP announcement comes at a key time in discussions on human rights violations, as the UNHRC is still in session in Geneva (see previous post: Follow Up: Blasts before the bombings). This timing is of course, inconvenient to the Government, and particularly to Minister Samarasinghe, who made a speech to UNHRC on March 3^rd, lauding the manner in which Sri Lanka was supporting the work of IIGEP. In fact, the timing is so inconvenient that the response of the Attorney General of Sri Lanka to IIGEP is that the IIGEP is simply not allowed to terminate it’s own actions! I quote:

“The current membership of the IIGEP has intimated that ‘the IIGEP has decided that it will terminate its operation in Sri Lanka’. This decision coincides possibly with the ending of funding by the European Union to the IIGEP. It is regrettable that the current membership of the IIGEP has in this regard decided to execute a function in respect of which they have absolutely no authority or even an entitlement. The IIGEP is an institution created by His Excellency the President. Therefore, it is only His Excellency the President who has the legal authority and entitlement to retain the institution, modify its mandate or terminate the functioning of the IIGEP. Therefore, the current membership of the IIGEP does not have the mandate to ‘terminate the IIGEP’”.
(the full text of the Attorney General’s statement is available here)

The Attorney General (AG) then goes on to note that if the individuals forming the IIGEP wish to ‘resign’, the Government will then find another group of eminent persons with which to create its own IIGEP. I wish them luck, I really do. They’ll need it, to find anyone willing to work as puppets to Rajapaksa’s infelicitous regime of bigotry.

IIGEP has not gone beyond it’s mandate, as the AG suggests – in fact, IIGEP should be lauded for sticking to it, in the face of a corrupt and prejudicial Government. The Group has taken an initiative that many agencies referred to as an ‘exercise in public relations’ and worked around barriers to effective actions on the ground by highlighting direct examples of obstructions of justice in key international arenas. In very publicly terminating their actions, IIGEP has significantly and effectively again drawn international interest to human rights violations in Sri Lanka. It was indeed an eminent way to go.

Follow Up: Blast Before the Bombings

2008-03-05T21:57:00.001-06:00

This post is in relation to both the comments left on ‘Blast before the bombings’ and the current session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

First to a question from the initial comment: As Canadians we can urge our Government to use diplomatic channels to put pressure on both the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE to look for a solution to the current situation which is beyond solely using military initiatives. However, our capacity to address the LTTE is hindered as Canada has them formally labeled as a terrorist organization. Obviously, this is a fundamental barrier to our direct involvement in effective dialogues between the two parties. We can still, however, urge other countries to both instigate and support these talks.

As for G's remark on whether these practices are part of a "trend toward using the threat of terrorism as an excuse to justify actions against aid workers", this form of ‘trend’ is a disturbing one that extends beyond the borders of Sri Lanka. Elsewhere in the world, in regions including Afghanistan, foreign aid groups now have to pass through terrorist screens in order to conduct their work. How much of a ‘trend’ these practices become in Sri Lanka is yet to be seen. The second question, as to why and to what extent the international community is being a “silent and passive observer” is a broad one...it’s interesting to note that there are more protests from the International Sri Lanka community against the actions of aid workers in their own countries, than there are against the ongoing violence and conflict affecting civilian populations (see here for a letter to expel the UNICEF country representative after he supposedly met with LTTE members). The effects of these accusations on the safety of UNICEF aid workers could have been tumultuous, but reflect the manner in which such workers are being constantly subjected to risk while working in Sri Lanka (discussed by IPS correspondents here).

Another question that stems from looking at the lack of action by the international community is why are the US and other trade partners not taking economic sanctions against the country?

We could move on from economic interests to those of global safety, and go on to say, why has the UN not taken a stronger role in Sri Lanka, particularly after the public failure of the ceasefire? Ban Ki-Moon can use Section 99 of the UN Charter to bring attention to the situation in Sri Lanka, and can also call for a special envoy to monitor and document the current situation. Both of these actions are discussed by Robert Muggah in a recent Toronto Star article.

The UN Human Rights Council is currently sitting in Geneva for their 7^th Session of discussions on the state of human rights internationally. Minster Samarasinghe (the Sri Lankan Minister of Disaster Management and Human Rights) addressed this session on March 3^rd – his speech is available here.

While the Minister’s speech is blatantly biased towards support of the Government’s current militant stance, it provides fodder for UNHRC and other organizations to organize around and draw attention back to the case of Sri Lanka. Human Rights Watch has already made such a call (see their article here) – in the week that follows, it will be interesting to see the actions that are taken by other UN actors and the international community. Perhaps some of the questions that have been raised in this blog and resulting comments will soon receive answers...

Blasts before the bombings.

2008-02-29T03:57:00.001-06:00

There is no doubt that the security situation in Sri Lanka is deteriorating. Quickly. Bombings in regions frequented by tourists have occurred, there is a steep increase in the random blasts occurring in Colombo (including at traditional targets, such as the port and the train station), and civilian casualties are on the rise. The international community is reacting by changing travel advisories, altering the process (and actual geography) of the steps of getting an international visa, and adjusting to the fact that you can now no longer move around the country in any form of public transit, without the worry of being a co-passenger with a suicide bomber.

Unofficial methods are being taken by the Government to ensure the permanent removal from the country of humanitarian workers who have A. Been in the country long enough to understand and work effectively in the current situation, and; B. Are working in areas where they can witness the reality of the body counts and civilian casualties. Such ‘evictions’ of foreigners are occurring in a systematic way, and are directed towards the foreign workforces of UN agencies and NGOs. Whether told that they have “overstayed official visa lengths” or “have to work through an increased number of channels for permission to reside in Sri Lanka”, the truth of the situation is that the Government makes it literally impossible for these humanitarian personnel to renew visas or even gain permission to work in conflict-affected regions of the country.

Aid workers stationed in contested areas of Sri Lanka are now perceived as a threat by the Government on two levels. First, simply having their presence there increases the risk that the stray missiles which flatten schools, which wipe out churches, which send communities fleeing to trenches, will also hit the a foreigner. Though in Romeo and Juliet, the age-old adage of ‘civil blood makes civil hands unclean’ rang true, to Governmental forces, foreign blood makes civil hands polluted with guilt over truths no longer hidden. If areas such as Killinochi are cleared of the presence of international workers, armed forces will be left with the option to indiscriminately bomb civilian regions, in the hope of ridding the area of LTTE cadres and Tamil refugees alike.

Secondly, being stationed in a region experiencing conflict (targeted or random) means that one can bear witness to events which would otherwise go unrecorded. If a tree falls in a forest, if a bomb falls on a school....it makes a noise....but if no one is around to hear it, did it actually occur? Such a comparison is a cliché to be certain, but in a region of the world where populations are being desensitized to events as well as words, perhaps a well-worn phrase might strike some simplicity on the state of affairs. Clearly, local and national witnesses are also present in these situations, but rightly or wrongly, the presence of a foreigner makes the event all the more real to international ears, and testimony of the outcomes of the event, again, rightly or wrongly, are perceived as all the more truthful.

It is impossible to effectively measure the manner in which having a foreign presence in a region of conflict can ‘protect’ or somehow ‘buffer’ acts of violence. Of course, aid workers are present when areas are shelled, and yes, they’re also there many times when murders occur in the streets. But how many more would occur if they were absent? And at what stage of terrorism does the tipping point occur – when a foreign face becomes more valuable as a target than as a risk to a cause? We’ll never know in Sri Lanka, as such foreign faces are being forced to leave with a days notice, leaving behind populations vulnerable to attacks and carpet bombings the like the country hasn’t seen in decades.

The Government’s new plan to eradicate the LTTE by killing ‘500 tigers per month’ is chilling. No longer are peace talks on the table, no longer are those who were brokering agreements of ceasefires left in the country. Rules of engagement no longer exist, and apparently, no longer do rules of security for foreigners, of locals, or of humanitarian agencies. In the case of Sri Lanka, we have ceased asking ‘quis custodiet ipsos custodies? (who will guard the guards)’. If a Government can make a public statement that their official way of dealing with civil conflict is to murder 500 ‘terrorists’ per month (not including the civilian body count which, in the past two months, has already reached into the hundreds), then it is clear the ‘guards’ have already been left to their own accord, and they are making it obvious that no one is to be left to see just what happens on their watch.

What we hear from Sri Lanka from here on in will merely be shadows of reality. Those who wished to stay to make a difference are one by one, being quietly ushered down dark alleys off the island. The truth now becomes like an iceberg, the foundations of which are lost to sight. However, what the Government doesn’t appear to realize is that while you can oppress the actions of humanitarian workers, you cannot oppress humanity itself.

We can demand that as things become worse, as they are day by day, that we do not simply compare Sri Lanka to Darfur, to Rwanda, to a cause left in time without action, but that we look behind the curtain to see a population of 19 million people glaring back at us, waiting for a peace and democracy that only international intervention can bring. We may not be based in Sri Lanka, but we can – and we will – bear witness as long as we have a voice to do so.

Images from Vietnam 2008

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Kep

2008-02-18T07:16:00.000-06:00

Siem Reap 2008

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Singapore Photos

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Cambodian monks find no oasis for action

2008-01-11T03:54:00.000-06:00

I recently had the opportunity to see the photographer Beat Presser introduce his new exhibit (showing in the Cambodian National Museum) on monks in Asia. Beat has spent time with monks in numerous countries including Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos and Burma. His current show, entitled ‘Oasis of Silence’ is filled with primarily soft, monochromatic images of monks and nuns in quiet and mellow landscapes. While the images present a traditional and often recognized side of the practices and surroundings of Theravada Buddhism, they are certainly not representational (not that Beat claims them to be) of the activist role that many monks have recently taken in South and South East Asia.

In support of the tens of thousands of monks who led the Rangoon protests against the current ruling party of Burma in August and September 2007, communities of monks across Asia have held supportive rallies to bring attention to the continuous institutionalized violent human rights violations that the junta has committed. I had the opportunity to shoot such an event in Colombo, this past fall (images are in the following blog posting).

The Colombo protests were composed of over 200 monks from at least five countries. While there was a visible military presence hovering around the event, the proceedings were peaceful, with speeches given by eminent monks recorded and reported across the local press. The demonstration was made directly in front of the UN compound, but the UN officials who passed the event did not stop for comment.

The role of monks as politically involved public figures is not a new one for Sri Lanka or Cambodia. On December 17^th 2007, a community of Khmer Krom monks protested in Phnom Penh to raise awareness of the needs of monks seeking religious freedom in Vietnam. Unlike the fall Colombo protest however, this demonstration quickly turned violent. The threats and beatings that were put upon the monks by police forces were so abusive, Human Rights Watch was quick to call for the international community to monitor the actions of the Cambodian authorities against the monks, fearing that further rallies might be met with the type of brute force used in Burma.

While Beat evocatively presented one side of Buddhist life in Asia, it is clear that the current situation for some of the monks in Cambodia, this country is certainly more of a ground for cultivation of action than an oasis of silence.

Monks rally in Colombo to show solidarity with Burmese protesters

2008-01-11T00:10:00.000-06:00

Sunset at the Royal Palace, Phnom Penh

2008-01-06T23:45:00.000-06:00

Independence Monument, Cambodia

2008-01-06T23:44:00.000-06:00

Street Life, Phnom Penh

2008-01-06T23:35:00.000-06:00

Lost tomato in Phnom Penh

2008-01-06T23:34:00.000-06:00

Phnom Penh Wedding

2008-01-06T22:45:00.000-06:00

Worst Dengue Fever Outbreak Ever in Cambodia

2008-01-04T03:52:00.000-06:00

Never fun to have, and not preventable by drinking gin and tonics (I know by personal experience), dengue fever is severely dangerous. This fact is proven by figures documenting 2007 as the worst outbreak ever for dengue in Cambodia, with 407 people dying from the disease, most of them being children.
Dengue, which is vector-borne (i.e. you get it from a mosquito bite), has no cure. Those bitten by an infected mosquito are treated for their various dengue-caused aliments, the worst being a hemorrhagic fever. Organizations such as the Red Cross and the WHO (World Health Organization) promote mosquito control as one way to eliminate dengue. However, according to the World Bank, Cambodia spends $3 per person per year on healthcare, demonstrating that here, there are larger bugs than mosqitos in the system to be dealt with...

Canadian Statements on the end of the Sri Lankan ceasefire

2008-01-04T03:36:00.000-06:00

Both Maxime Bernier, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Bob Rae, the Liberal Party's Foreign Affairs critic, have made strong and clear statements about their condemnation of the formal end of Sri Lanka's ceasefire agreement. While Berner issued a formal statement on regretting the end of the agreement, Rae noted that "This [the cessation of the ceasefire agreement] is a formal indication that the country has once again descended into war, which can only result in a humanitarian disaster" (see Douglas Jeyaraj's article on TamilEelamNews). Rae called for further attention to be focused on Sri Lanka's needs by Canada, particularly since Canada is home to the largest Sri Lankan diaspora (over 300,000 people) outside of the island itself.
It is hoped that Canadians pay attention to these calls, which are unique amongst the international communtiy. The reactions of Government forces, rebel groups and LTTE have already been severe after the call for the end of the agreement, with fighting becoming intensified in the North, and security becoming increasingly tight in the South. While officially both parties must wait for the ceasefire to fall two weeks after the announcement of a withdrawl of one party has been made, it is clear by the clashes in the last 24 hours that the only ones waiting to take action are members of the international community.

End of ceasefire in Sri Lanka

2008-01-02T19:47:00.000-06:00

The ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE, which has generally existed only on paper since August 2006, has been formally ended. As such, the international peace mediators monitoring the ceasefire will pull out of the country. The termination of the agreement comes at a time of escalating violence across the island, with more attacks aimed at Colombo.
The end of the ceasefire agreement will bring, without doubt, more violent actions on all sides of the conflict...more fear, more deaths, and more violations of the rights of the people of Sri Lanka.
While many people saw this act coming, the motion itself should not be taken lightly; this is not a time for 'shrugging our shoulders' at the failure of the ceasefire -- it is a time for the international and national communities to look closely at Sri Lanka and determine what can be done to promote peace now, rather than what should have been done to protect it in the past.

Another disgraceful murder in Sri Lanka

2007-12-17T20:34:00.000-06:00

As reported by Reuters and the AFP, another volunteer from the Red Cross in Sri Lanka has been abducted and murdered. Sooriyakanthy Thavarajah, a father of five children, was forced from his home in Point Pedro (near Jaffna) in front of his family on Friday...just two days later, his tortured body was found.
While a Government military representative stated that any volunteers who asked for protection would be given assistance, it is clear from the deaths of dozens of humanitarian staffers that Sri Lanka is not only one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists and aid workers because of the current conflict -- it is one of the most perilous places to work because of the perfidiouos actions of the Government on preventing and investigating these disgraceful acts.

International Human Rights Day

2007-12-13T02:41:00.000-06:00

Here in Phnom Penh, almost 4,000 humanitarian staff are expected to descend on the capital today to celebrate International Human Rights Day. Activities for the day range from speeches by human rights advocates and experts to song and dance performances. However, two activities have already stolen the show for the visitors from the provinces - the presence of a velvet-draped elephant who loves to pose for photographs, and the release of hundreds of balloons into the skies over Cambodia.

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Monitoring Trinco

2007-12-13T00:29:00.000-06:00

On patrol in China Bay

2007-12-13T00:26:00.000-06:00

Blast Enroute to Nilaveli

2007-12-10T01:54:00.000-06:00

The bus was leaning on the side of the road...inside, crying women with silent o’s on their mouths leaned towards each other. The van slowed down to move through the roadblocks and the reason for the delayed journey became evident...the bus driver’s seat blown apart, blood and matter that could only belong to the victim of a bomb blast smattered across the landscape of the roadside. Around the wreckage swarmed military, photographers, police and various uniformed individuals collecting remnants from the explosion into bags.

Normally such an event wouldn’t be mentioned...it would be passed and remembered for moments or days depending on the impressions left on the witness, but in this case, there are reasons to write of it, even long after the roadblock is passed and news pages leave the story behind.

There were photographers at the scene, but no images of the blast were ever made public. Furthermore, the scene was reported by different news agencies in an incredibly diverse manner. One noted that the driver was killed by a grenade tossed in the window by an LTTE cadre hiding in bushes on the side of the road...however, the blast occurred directly in front of a Sri Lankan military checkpoint just after a small, exposed river in the middle of a large field. Other reports have the bus hitting a claymore mine planted on the roadside...also unlikely due to the open and monitored nature of the area. The most believable articles suggest that the driver himself was targeted, killed by a bomb planted under his seat.

The road to Nilaveli bears many scars of conflict, most standing for stories untold, some corrupted by a lack of observers. However, the number of attacks that occur in this area should not desensitize us to each individual kidnapping, beating and murder that has taken place over far too long of a period of time. Each of these events presses an obligation on those of us who have a voice to call for Sri Lankan citizens to be given back their most basic and vital rights – free speech, free press and the right to live in a just and safe society.

Those that were killed and injured in the attack, like so many other victims of violent actions in Sri Lanka, have been wronged by the manner in which the blast was documented and publicized. They have been furthered wronged by the clear lack of justice in investigating the blast. Those that bear witness to such events have a responsibility to share what they see and what they know, and they have a right to do this without worrying about consequential violations to their own security.

Feeling the heat in Italy

2007-07-26T09:06:00.000-05:00

As the rivers of the UK were swelling from heavy rains (see my previous post on the floods), the hills of Italy have been burning with multiple forest fires. On a recent trip to the bella Italia, I was amazed at the number of water bombers zooming so close to motorways and urban regions to protect communities and landscapes at risk to the flames. The pilots’ skills were clear, as they navigated between small rivers and lakes to pick up water, and then clip the tops of trees in valleys just as wide as their aircrafts’ wings.

However, today’s news shows that proficiency sometimes just isn’t enough for the risk. The crash of a Canadair plane in the Abruzzo region of Italy (just where we were driving last week) killed a skilled pilot, and has also left the co-pilot seriously injured. This type of crash has become too common in Europe this past season, with another firefighting plane going down in Greece a few days ago, killing its crew of two and bringing up the number of Fire Service members already killed in Greece this summer to five. Dry heat waves across Europe have left not only Greece and Italy, but also Macedonia in flames.

The shifting winds and rising temperatures in Italy have also threatened the safety of tourists and local communities. EuroNews previously reported that hundreds of people were trapped by the fires on beaches in Southern Italy – VOA News put the numbers of people in the thousands, and ABC commented that a total of 4,000 people had to be rescued by boat and plane from beaches in Italy’s southern Puglia region.

While forest fires are not uncommon in Italy, particularly during these dry summer months, this season has been exceptionally hot (with temperatures reaching into the mid 40’s in many areas) and parched. Firefighters are battling up to 1,500 blazes at a time, and there are simply not enough planes or resources to combat all of the fires.

With sections of Europe in flames, and other pieces under water, it is clear that we cannot neglect our responsibility to reduce the vulnerability of regions to disasters. As pilots and firefighters put their lives at risk to protect ourselves and our families, we simply have a duty to do what we can to increase our own resiliency to these events. From members of the Government who have to stop placing blame on ‘the weather’, and instead put more money, time and foresight into policies dealing with hazard mitigation, to constituents of communities that must demand assistance from their countries to protect their citizens in times of emergency as well as see how their own actions are increasing their vulnerability, each of us has to determine what we can do to effectively react to these events.

I shot these photos last week, mainly out of the car window, in regions of Abruzzo and just south of Naples.

Cabbages, Harry Potter and the Great Floods of 2007

2007-07-26T04:42:00.000-05:00

Children in the flooded areas of the UK may have to wear their rubber boots (wellies) more often than not, but at least they might get out of eating cabbages and broccoli – two crops that are expected to have their costs soar with the current inundation of water.

Not everyone, however, is happy with the current situation. As the deluge stays steady in the streets of many parts of the UK, the critiques of how the Government has handled these floods, the worst the nation has seen in decades, are on the rise. While all agree that the severity of these floods was due to the incredibly high amounts of rain received in a small period of time, communities are wondering why their homes were left so vulnerable to such an event.

The amount of building which has been allowed on flood plains in the UK is certainly to be contested – if not by the residents themselves, by the insurance companies who are being forced to pay out at least over 2 billion pounds in damages.

The availability of flood insurance to the tens of thousands of families found vulnerable to this form of flooding is said to plummet, as insurance companies suggest that the government and municipalities aren’t keeping up their end of the bargain in reducing risk.

It has become apparent that flood risk management strategies in the UK do not take into consideration the location of essential infrastructure. Power stations and water treatment plants, which should be located in areas resilient to flooding and other hazards, have been planned in vulnerable areas. Indeed, the most difficult part of this crisis for communities to deal with has been the lack of fresh drinking water – not the inundation of their houses by flooding.

It has also become clear that the flood hazard mapping conducted for the UK, which is supposed to show flooding risk within and around municipalities, is incomplete. Not only did the maps miss areas around tributary streams that have flooded, they also did not take into account risks the community faces if they do not replacing poor drainage systems. Updating sewage systems and old piping is one of the fastest and most effective ways of reducing flood risk within municipalities.

The administering of aid to such a large population not used to relying on distribution networks and humanitarian teams has become an incredibly difficult and muddled task. Families are confused about what they should be receiving, and are often receiving conflicting information from government and distribution sources. Where household water sources have been turned back on, the water being sent is not to be drunk as it is being pumped through old infrastructure. However, households receiving this water are only being told about the risk of drinking it by leaflets – but systems of delivering these leaflets are scattered at best.

Numerous businesses in flood-affected areas are suffering, as they cannot effectively operate without electricity and supply lines. Still, a few key provisions are getting through – stories of a postman delivering the new Harry Potter book to flooded homes are pouring out of the region. There also haven’t been any reported emergency calls for supplies of tea.

While the waters are holding steady and expected to recede in a few days, this crisis is far from over. Over 340,000 people in Gloucestershire alone remain without water supplies. Sanitation risks are rocketing with flooded areas being confirmed as having high levels of bacteria. Buildings which have had their foundations under water for at least five days risk serious infrastructural damage. Farmers in the region are expecting a 40% crop loss, and say that this situation could be worse for the industry and UK food supplies than the previous blight of foot and mouth disease.

Most likely, the financial cost of these events will only be known next year. The political fallout of the flooding is just beginning. We will certainly see more public announcements from the government on increased funds being made available for flood defences. These funds will only make a difference if they are used as part of a larger disaster management strategy, and incorporate the needs and vulnerabilities of individual communities.

Those affected by the flooding are to be commended for both their patience and resilience over the past week – particularly those that have been able to manoeuvre kayaks filled with 10 litre bottles of drinking water through parking lots.

All major (and minor for that matter) media outlets in the UK are offering coverage of the flooding. The BBC has particularly good reportage on the situation, with photographs of the affected areas, background information on flooding in the UK, links to other news sites and involved aid agencies, and maps of inundated regions all available on their website.

Shot in the back in Jaffna

2007-07-24T06:13:00.000-05:00

After dropping off his wife on the way to work, Mariyanayagam Aloysius was shot dead in the street. Aloysius, a Sri Lankan staff member of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), was 26 years old and recently married.

The murder happened in Jaffna, in the north of Sri Lanka...the DRC was working on various humanitarian projects in the region, including securing food and water supplies for conflict-affected populations.

The 'incident' (a cold, distant word for such an event) is being portrayed by the media as yet another case of a violation of human rights in Sri Lanka. It will be added to the list of 'incidents', and marked as another instance of violence against aid workers...the LTTE are publicly blaming the shooting on the SLF. The ColomboPage news desk however, is noting that the main suspects in the killing are members of the LTTE. This crossing of blame is typical for Sri Lanka, and consistently complicates investigations into murders, kidnappings, and other numerous atrocities.

A wife has lost a husband, the DRC has lost a dedicated worker, and the population of Sri Lanka has lost one more individual living his life to help others (before his posting with DRC, Aloysius worked with Halo Trust). We cannot also lose our responsibility as members of the international community to condemn this particular act on its own credit. In the wake of a mass of discussions on the effectiveness of investigations into human rights violations in Sri Lanka, this case can be put forward as one to be followed, not added to the stack. Marianayagam deserves more than being headlined as 'one more aid worker killed'.

I'm with Lucy...

2007-06-21T06:12:00.000-05:00

(Strip Copyright to www.snoopy.com)

Step up to the plate...or the wickets (whichever you prefer, really)...

2007-06-19T05:54:00.000-05:00

Today’s Daily Mirror’s opinion article “Effective Sri Lankan institutions are better positioned to stop the abuses” builds on the recent discussions in relation to stopping the human rights violations currently occurring in Lanka. The piece talks about the President’s recent discussions in Geneva, amidst other current events. While meeting with the ILO and foreign HR orgs, President Rajapaksa focused on the notion that the Government is doing all it can while operating in a country facing a ‘problem of terrorism’, and that any notion of wrongdoing by the Army or Police forces were fostered by ‘false propaganda’. From the situation his government is currently facing, this was his only strong stance to take – it allowed his ideas to be aligned with other countries facing terrorism (think of the human rights violations that still occur in Canada and the US following the 9/11 attacks), and he attempted to instill doubt in the foreign media sources that have actually reported on the human rights violations.

However, Rajapaksa had a chance here to accept that violations were occurring in Sri Lanka, publicly acknowledge these events, and demonstrate that instead of turning a blind eye (or worse, denying their existence) to these contraventions, he would make his Government stronger by acknowledging their very own limitations and flaws. Any strong politician should know that in a debate, you put forward your weakest points before your opponent gets the opportunity –and then personally and publicly dismantle them, leaving opposition without an argument against you. The President once noted that “The Presidency is a creation of an honest leadership to achieve expectations of the people of Sri Lanka”. A way of demonstrating this honest leadership would be to publicly claim that there may have been instances of HR violations under the current Government, and actively create an open and responsible process to investigate these claims. By an open and responsible process, I mean one in which a ‘credible investigation mechanism’ is established (as recently called for by IIGEP amongst other international groups).

This mechanism would be even stronger if it were a national initiative. As noted in the Mirror article, the Supreme Court recently demonstrated that it had the power to react to international and national criticism of Government actions which were obviously violations to the rights of the Colombo Tamils who were evicted from Colombo without being charged, informed, or notified of valid reasons for their deportation. Truly democratic societies do not need international guards looking over their shoulders and approving their actions. The President has said that he wants to take a “more realistic and pragmatic approach to the role of governance and redressing the public sector to be useful to the people”. I would suggest that a pragmatic approach should begin with the establishment of independent national commissions to evaluate the democracy of the actions of administrative bodies of Sri Lanka. The international community could advise these commissions, but in the long run, they should not be the commissions. The Supreme Court can take more than a reactionary role to abuses in Sri Lanka – they could begin by following up on suggestions put forward in the two recent IIGEP statements. They should begin however, by following up on suggestions of democracy put forward in their own constitution. After all, the establishment of a successful democratic state, particularly in the face of terrorism, is not, in the end, a spectator sport.

Escape.

2007-06-13T07:38:00.000-05:00

When frustrated with the situation around you, it's easy to become your own worst enemy. Two things have held my attention recently, that let me relax and fade away in an escape to the arts. The first is the website of a friend of mine, Mark Gregory, an artist extraordinaire. His paintings bring me back to North America in an Alice in Wonderland sort of way...
The second, is a collection of poetry by Afdhel Aziz, entitled China Bay Blues. Aziz's phrases are accessibly smooth and suited to the aggressive beauty and hot nights of Lanka.

Dark clouds on the horizon

2007-06-13T07:02:00.000-05:00

Peter Apps published "Don't expect swift justice for Sri Lanka aid killings" for Reuters. He discusses the disgrace of last year's killing of 17 STF workers from a personal perspective -- as he was part of the 'media tour' brought to Muttur just a day after the battle that they had been trapped in. His take on the current situation here in SL in regards to the investigation of human rights violations echoes portions of the recent statement put out by the IIGEP (see previous post Guarding the Guards) -- that progress on these cases is hindered by a lack of transparency as well as numerous other factors.

Apps also touches on the recent killings of two SLRC aid workers, an event that's covered in Time's recent article "'Ethnic Cleansing' in Sri Lanka?" (note that the question mark is Time's, not mine).

The Tamil population has been a direct target of violence for years now -- those that bravely still work for NGOs and aid organizations are facing serious threats to their personal security.

Apps is right -- we can't expect swift justice....because there is no justice for these workers! False apologies are falling on ears burning with fear, hollow ministries offer no safety to constituents in need, and the bombs defused in the gutters are nothing compared to the explosions of aggression aimed at civilians. These are indeed dark, dissonant times for Sri Lanka...and more clouds I fear are looming on the horizon.

Trincomalee at Dusk

2007-06-12T01:40:00.000-05:00

Haunting and engaging, a visit to Trinco will leave you unsettled, but wanting more. As the location of Government offices for the North and East of Sri Lanka, Trinco receives perhaps more of its fair share of military and rebel attention. Behind the sandbags and metal sheeting however, lays a thriving community of both Tamil and Sinhalese citizens. Beyond the roads of the town, nestled into tsunami wreckage and a peppering of guest houses, is one of the most beautiful stretches of beach on the island. Once you've been to Trinco, you're caught. Heartbroken if you leave, you'll want to stay to keep her head above water if you go.

Guarding the Guards.

2007-06-12T01:31:00.000-05:00

IIGEP, the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons, is comprised of a panel of experts whose role it is to observe the efforts of a Sri Lankan Presidential Commission investigating human rights violations (officially entitled the 'President's Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Alleged Serious Violations of Human Rights').

IIGEP has recently released a statement on the activities and performance of the commission, which notes, amongst multiple concerns, serious doubts into the transparency and impartiality of the Government of Sri Lanka and the commission itself. The statement has been picked up by numerous international news outlets, including the BBC, Reuters AlertNet and the New York Times (the last source offers the strongest discussions on the statement). It has also been headlined by local news sources, including TamilNet, and has a front/multiple page spread in the Daily Mirror.

It is hoped that the critical eye that IIGEP has taken on the commission will provide insight to the international community on both the number and severity of the recent human rights violations in Sri Lanka, as well as on the convoluted and biased manner in which violations are currently investigated.

London's 'Olympic Spirit'

2007-06-12T01:00:00.000-05:00

As a follow-up to my last post on forced evictions and the olympic games, I wanted to send out a link on a similar story in today's Guardian, "London is getting into the Olympic spirit -- by kicking out the Gypsies".

The article, written by George Monbiot (author of 'How to Stop the Planet Burning'), cites the study I mentioned in 'Jumping through the hoops'. It paints a dark picture of the games, and includes an interesting suggestion -- that since the games affect the city in which they're hosted in such a negative manner, they should just keep them in one place, where "the damage has already been done".

Protection

2007-06-11T04:32:00.000-05:00

50,000 More, Please

2007-06-11T03:41:00.000-05:00

Sri Lanka’s Sunday Leader newspaper reported this past weekend that the Government wanted to recruit another 50,000 troops. This demand comes in the wake of heightened security concerns across the island. In order to afford to pay the salaries of these troops, the President has informed Ministers to cut any ‘unnecessary expenditures’, including hiring any new staff for their ministries and departments.

Recent stats have shown that in the past two years, there has been a 30% decrease in Government spending on education, a 39% decrease in funding of healthcare and a 381% increase in the salaries of the President, PM and Ministers.

Teaching the Teachers

2007-06-11T03:37:00.000-05:00

With low salaries, a 30% decrease in Government spending on education over the past two years, and very little training, teachers in Sri Lanka find their jobs difficult to say the least. Over 40,000 teachers are absent from their schools on a daily basis – a fact that shows up in the quality of education the students are receiving. This past year, 51% of Sri Lankan students failed their 0-levels (standardized tests). This photo is from a teacher workshop on working with conflict-affected children. The training was provided by Sarvodaya, and held in Trincomalee.

Dragonfly

2007-06-11T03:12:00.000-05:00

For the Momma.

Kitugala Road Tripping...

2007-06-11T03:01:00.000-05:00

I’ve recently had the opportunity to do a weekend road trip to Kitugala. Not only was the food, company and scenery fabulous, but also the conditions for whitewater rafting were almost perfect. These photos are a few that I took along the way. The St. Anthony miniature bobbed away on the dashboard of the van, the lunch was at Rafter’s Retreat, just on the Kelani river, and the rain only lasted long enough to just moisten the flowers.

Uncle Jayaveera's Curd Stand

2007-06-11T01:26:00.000-05:00

On the way to Trinco, you’ll find a small village called Kanthale. While Kanthale is best known for the fact that it’s near the checkpoint at 85 Junction (the start of a set of checks that can take hours to pass through), the area has a fabulously hidden secret – Uncle Jayaveera’s curd stand. Not only is Uncle good for a chat (he’ll show you oodles of photos of previous clients), he peddles what is easily the best curd & treacle on the island.

Brolly Canoodling

2007-06-11T01:15:00.000-05:00

A popular past-time on the coast for young couples is spending the afternoon 'hiding' under umbrellas. Of course, the brollys are to keep the sun off. Move on, nothing to see here...

The Economist on SL

2007-06-11T00:21:00.000-05:00

I’ve been sent a link to an Economist article, 'A War Strange as Fiction', on the current situation in SL (thanks James). The piece has some chilling personal accounts from the Batti refugee camps on the aggressions of the LTTE. It also has a strong overview of the terrorist tactics used by all actors in this conflict, and discussions on the layout of the political minefield of the nation.

A few Canadian notes

2007-06-11T00:06:00.000-05:00

TamilNet has reported on an official press release from the Canadian High Commission in Sri Lanka, condemning the eviction of Tamil civilians from Colombo. The link includes the contents of the statement – I have been unable to find the original Press Release.

Simon Gardner, in the Globe and Mail (a Canadian daily), reported Friday on the Sri Lankan Supreme Court’s ordering of the Government to halt the evictions of Tamils from the capital. The report notes that those already evicted were housed overnight in a school in Vavuniya district, near the front lines of the conflict. Gardner stated that while the Government will bring evictees back to Colombo if they want to return, “aid workers said those at the school were not allowed to leave”.

A ‘Big Mistake’

2007-06-10T23:25:00.000-05:00

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake apologized to Sri Lanka’s Tamil community yesterday, for the eviction of almost 400 Tamils from Colombo (see posts ‘We don’t know where we are being taken’ and ‘No room at the inn’).

“It was a big mistake”, said Wickremanayake, “It should never have happened”. The apology comes after outcries from the international community on the Government’s demonstration of a lack of interest in the human rights of Sri Lanka’s Tamil population.

Some of the evictees were brought back to Colombo on special Government buses, but it is not clear where they have been taken, or how many individuals have been allowed to return. The PM assured the Tamil community that such an event ‘will not happen again’, and that the Government was ‘considering compensation’ for those forced to leave the city.

He further noted that the Government, specifically the President of Sri Lanka, is ready to take action against those found guilty of ordering the evictions in the first place...and that the President has asked for a ‘special report’ from the Police Chief on the incident.

However, the Police Chief who is preparing the report is Victor Perera – the same Victor Perera who, in the day of the eviction, publicly stated that all of the Tamils who were shipped out of the city had ‘left the lodges on their own accord’.

This leaves members of local and international communities with grave doubts on both the legitimacy of the content of the yet-to-be completed report, and the seriousness of the Government’s commitment to an impartial inquiry on the eviction.

In the meantime, the Tamil civilians returned to the city are undoubtedly again looking over their shoulders, keeping a bag packed by the door, and wondering where, in their own country, they can seek sanctuary.

"We don't know where we are being taken"

2007-06-07T03:21:00.000-05:00

If you turn on the television right now in Colombo, you can see chilling images of confused Tamil Sri Lankans being herded onto buses by armed police officers.

Right now, over 350 Tamils on board these 'special buses' are being evicted from Colombo. This action, which is a follow-up of the evictions I wrote of in the 'no room at the inn' post, strongly appears to be a deplorable violation of human rights.

This eviction should be immediately investigated by the international community. Surely, an official security plan does not need -- and surely should not be allowed -- to be founded on the interrogation and mass eviction of citizens who are of an ethnic minority.

In this Reuters report, the IG for Colombo Police states that this evacuation is to deal with the problem of people 'hanging around' the capital amidst the current security situation. A Senior Police Officer called this eviction part of a 'routine search operation'.

However, a representative of the Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives calls the action 'almost like a variation of ethnic cleansing'.

While one is enroute to Batticaloa, six of the seven buses are headed for Vavuniya, a district directly on the front lines of the civil conflict.

Jumping through the hoops

2007-06-06T00:47:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the Parents for sending on this article on forced displacement due to the Olympics. Of particular interest will be seeing how Beijing faces up to the accusation that over 1.5 million people will be forcibly moved from their homes to make way for the 2008 games.
The article is based on a report by COHRE, the Geneva-based Center on Housing Rights and Evictions.
A direct link to COHRE's report is available here.

Train bombing

2007-06-05T23:57:00.000-05:00

BBC and Reuters are yet to pick up the story, but the AFP is reporting a bomb blast under a train coming to Colombo from Batti (East coast of SL).
The bombing comes on the day of the funeral of the two murdered SLRC aid workers from Batti, who were kidnapped from Colombo on Sunday.
While foreigners and those working for the Government, NGOs and INGOs in the East can generally use private transit to access their destinations, most civilians can only afford to travel to see family, or head to work, by bus or train....therefore directly increasing the risks they face to these attacks on a daily level.

Video from SL Front Line

2007-06-05T07:11:00.000-05:00

Tony Birtley, is reporting while embedded in the SL Military front line in this YouTube clip. Note what some of the bunkers are made of, towards the end of the clip...

Murder of 2 Sri Lanka Red Cross Aid Workers: Footprints in the Sands of Time

2007-06-05T05:25:00.000-05:00

Two Sri Lanka Red Cross volunteers were kidnapped and murdered on Sunday June 3^rd, 2007. Normally based in Batticaloa, Sinnarajah Shanmuganathan (38) and Karthigesu Chandramohan (28) were taken from the Fort Railway Station in the north of Colombo. They were on their way back home, with four of their colleagues, when they were apparently approached by men posing as police, and taken aside to have their identity cards checked. The bodies of the men were recovered around 60 miles from Colombo. They had been shot dead.

Ban Ki-moon, the United Nations Chief, has recently released a strong statement on his concerns for the security of both civilians and aid workers in Sri Lanka. AlertNet has picked up a Reuters article on this statement: ‘Sri Lanka killings worry UN’s Ban, Japan envoy on way’. An article from the CS Monitor, ‘Continued unrest hampers aid effort in Sri Lanka’, does a good job at covering how various news outlets are discussing the killings and the effects of this event on aid distribution.

While I know this story speaks for itself, I want to stress the shame of this situation. Two aid workers, individuals who are working for the good of the people of Sri Lanka, are kidnapped from the middle of the busiest railway station in the country, and executed. The Red Cross is calling for investigations into the death of their staff members, but the atmosphere here is unhopeful, to say the least, for closure ever being given to this case. The Batticaloa Sri Lanka Red Cross office, including 5,000 volunteers in the region, have halted their operations ‘until further notice’ in response to the murders.

Aid workers have been targeted in Sri Lanka before – the Muttar massacre of 17 staff of the French NGO Action Contre la Faim (ACF) last summer, is still under investigation. While initial reports said that the killings had been conducted by the LTTE, the SLMM (Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission) was reported in August 2006 as saying that the crimes had been committed by the Sri Lankan military.

To conclude what has become a rather long post, and at risk of sounding just a bit kitsch, I’m going to include a poem that was recently sent my way. While the piece is on choosing a path that allows us to make a difference, its encouragement for taking action where needed reflects the passion of many aid workers, including local Sri Lankan staff, who continue to choose to devote themselves to causes within their own country in spite of serious personal security risks.

Footprints in the Sands of Time

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream! —
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.

Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.

In the world's broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act, — act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o'erhead!

Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

-- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1825

Watching the show

2007-06-05T05:16:00.000-05:00