After going through years of internal strife that causes the economy to tumbled, Sri Lanka is set to forge ahead after peace arrives two years ago. After years of arm conflict against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam ( LTTE), Sri Lanka is now going through a renewal and reconstruction process which expected to bring more development to the country.
It is with high hopes that the people of Sri Lanka re-elected the popular President Mahinda Rajapakse for a second term of office months ago which inauguration ceremony was held last Friday near the sea front.
The last time I went to Sri Lanka was more than 10 years ago and the impression that Colombo, the capital city gaves me was a very tense feeling to be at the place that time. During the flight home after attending the World Fellowship of Buddhist Youth 16th General Conference recently, an Sri Lankan engineer in his 30s sat beside me. He is visiting his supplier in Subang Jaya to quality check on the lamp posts which his company is procuring from the Malaysian factory. His company was recently awarded a contract by the Sri Lankan government to built new street lightings along Colombo city roads as part of the re-construction process.
During the flight, he confided that before the LTTE was decimated, his mother was always very worried each time he walks out from home as bombings were happening regularly in Colombo and he might be the next victim as the bombings usually claims innocent pedestrians and members of the public. Now the fear is at the minimal as bombing in public places has been close to non existence for the last two years.
Many lives has been lost due to the 30 years internal strife. It would not be surprising if every Sri Lankan has lost at least one of their family members or known of someone who lost some love ones to the war. The three wheeler or "tuk-tuk" driver who fetch my Thai buddy Anurut and myself to the McDonalds also lost one of his brother to the war.
With his second term in office just being officially inaugurated, President Mahinda Rajapakse gripped on the country's future is as firm as ever and his leadership is expected to bring the long overdue progress to the people of Sri Lanka where about 77% of of them are following the Buddhist faith. - Loka
