IN FOCUS
EASTER SUNDAY IN SRI LANKA:
CRISIS, CORRECTION AND HOPE
BY ASANGA ABEYAGOONASEKERA*
“What happened on September 11th is at least, theoretically, small stuff compared to what can happen.”
– Robert D. Kaplan
I
was 16 when I witnessed the horror of terrorism fi rst hand.
It was the blast in which I lost my father. When the long
battle ended with the Tamil Tigers in 2009, I was relieved
that what I witnessed would not be seen by my children.
I was wrong.
April 21st, 2019 was when I had to cover my seven-year-
old child’s eyes while my family was evacuating from the
emergency exit of the Shangri La Hotel soon after the two
suicide attacks which shook the entire building. The stairs
were soaked in blood. Lifeless bodies were carried out and
many body parts blown off . Not many families made it out
of the fi re exit like us. My family is shocked and living in
fear like many others today. I sympathize with the victims
and their families who have lost loving family and friends.
Had I arrived 3 minutes earlier in the lift, I would not be
writing this piece.
Since this day, questions raised by my six-year-old and
seven-year-old are hard for me to answer. Why do people kill
each other? How many bad people are there in the world?
Why do people make bombs? It goes on. For my young son’s
peace of mind and happiness, I painted a heroic story that life
will be better soon after a superhero saves us.
62 • Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Diplomatist • Vol 7 • Issue 4 • April-May 2019, Noida