Dear friends,

Hello from Nashville! After a long transition from Sri Lanka to the U.S., I’m settling in for the next phase of my life as a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School for the next 3 years. Orientation started today, and my first day of classes is next Monday. It’s nice to be close to home again. Y’all come on down and visit.

My new contact info is:
Cell~ (931) 436-3873
Email~ diane.e.faires@vanderbilt.edu
Address~ 1917 Adelicia Ave., Nashville, TN 37212

I’ll still be checking my old email (juno), and my parents will forward any mail sent to their house in Clarksville, though.

As I adjust to life back in TN, part of my heart is still with my friends in Sri Lanka, who are facing an increasingly dangerous situation. Tensions that started building just as I was leaving last December have escalated to all-out war. Although the ceasefire between the government and LTTE still exists on paper, on the ground over 1,000 people have died so far this year, and close to 100,000 displaced from their homes in the past few weeks. Many of the areas experiencing bombings and violence are communities still struggling to rebuild after the tsunami.

The northern part of the country where I lived is now experiencing heavy shelling. Over the past few days news reports say that there’s an almost around-the-clock curfew in Jaffna, and no electricity or phone service. There are also reports of a girls orphanage in the LTTE-controlled region hit by army bombs, killing somewhere between 19 to 61 children (depending on whose reports you believe). And in the capital, Colombo, the rebels are accused of several suicide bomb attacks over the past few months, whose victims have included innocent bystanders. School has been cancelled for at least the next 2 weeks throughout the country.

The conflict has had a heavy toll on civilians, most of whom are weary of fighting and want a peaceful resolution. But even the men and women doing the fighting (on both sides) are often young Sri Lankans who have few other options than joining the army or the tigers, in a country with high unemployment rates. It’s so tragic that this beautiful country, with high standards of education and rich resources, hasn’t been able to find a way out of this conflict in the past 20 years. There was so much hope during the time I spent there, people thought that the peace really was going to last. And now, less than a year later, it’s all fallen apart once again.

This conflict doesn’t make the mainstream American news, so please keep the people of Sri Lanka in your thoughts and prayers. I know from my experience in Jaffna that Sri Lankans living in many of these isolated communities (made even more isolated by the fighting) often feel forgotten and alone in their struggle, so it would mean a lot to them to be remembered at this time.

With love,
Diane


For those who are really interested, read on for some comments from friends of mine about the situation on the ground. You can also get good updates at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/

This report came this week from the staff of a church-run hospital in Jaffna:

“The telephone (landline only) works intermittently whenever the electricity is on. So far the fighting has not spread to Manipay - few shells fell very close to the Hospital campus but no damage. The nearby Army camp is still intact. Devan and the Team are coping extremely well, it seems. They are pretty well stocked up for food and fuel and staying together in the Centenary Block at nights. Whenever the curfew is relaxed (apprx. 2 hours each day) patients come to be seen. There were about 30 patients this morning during the one and half hours. (The war wounded are mainly in the peripheries and the islets off the peninsula and I understand that the situation for them is just terrible. Many are unable to reach the Jaffna Teaching Hospital). The power generator is adequate to pump the water - so that has not been a problem so far. I understand we are a bit short on some medicines - but the pharmacies in town are also closed. We had done some preplanning for emergencies and that has helped.”


Here are some comments from friends’ letters, written earlier this summer, even before the most recent escalation in fighting:

“Now in Jaffna the situation is going very bad. Every day we hear the sound of shooting and bombing. People do not like to go to Jaffna and unnecessary places. Most of them spend their time in their house.” (from my adopted mother in Jaffna)

“We are praying that God will open a way to peace through these experiences. We just can’t face another WAR, and it’s absurd, a little island like this, unable to solve a problem and have to call so many international agents to solve it.

Before coming to Sri Lanka I was told that a key characteristic for a life abroad would be flexibility, and oh how true that has been, especially these past few months. The whole third term of the school year has been full of political upheaval, funerals, strikes, and surprise "holidays".
It's impossible to plan ahead with any degree of certainty. Flexibility is just a way of life in Jaffna. The final day of the school year was no exception. The school had planned to have a farewell party for me before handing out report cards. Instead, we found ourselves under a cyclone warning. In spite of the driving rain and winds, a few students braved the weather to find out if the program was still on. I had decided to venture over to school with a fellow teacher, and was met in the lane by soaked kids bearing flower garlands that they insisted on bestowing. It was very sweet, even if it wasn't quite what I had in mind as a going away party! I also had a very touching dinner organized by the boarding students, complete with songs and a skit written especially for the occasion. I am leaving Jaffna with a heavier heart than I expected, less because of the good byes, and more because of my fears for the future of the people I care about here.
The ceasefire agreement is crumbling. Since the beginning of December there has been an attack on army personnel almost every day, with around 26 soldiers killed so far (the attacks have let up this week because island-wide school exams are going on, and exams seem to get priority over fighting). There has been some sporadic retaliation, but so far the military hasn't made any coordinated response. I don't know how much longer this will last, though. Many people seemed resigned to the war starting again sometime early next year. Perhaps there is still a chance the peace process can be revived, but the mood is not optimistic. Please keep Sri Lanka in your prayers that the voices against war will prevail. Note: Both Norway and Japan are working on trying to revive the peace talks. The newly elected president of Sri Lanka is not for an independent LTTE (rebel) state within Sri Lanka, which is what the Tigers want. The Jaffna Peninsula, which is where Diane lives, is part of the land that the rebels want to control.