Just after the Tsunami, Sri Lankan ambassador to US ,Devinda Subasinghe was on C-SPAN .(He did a great job in the US media after tsunami).One of the questions he got from a caller was "What did you do to help when Florida was hit by hurricanes this year?". I think he mentioned that as a resident of Florida for a long time, he knows it first hand but the let the stupid part of the question slip.
It looks like the conditions in New Orleans are getting worse. The people who couldn't leave the hurricane were the poor .There are stories about people pleading for 20 dollars (from Josh Marshall)for gas to get out of the area in Biloxi. The New Orleans' mayor is saying that thousands could be dead.
At the same time there are thousand dead in Iraq and may be thousands dying in other parts of the world without media attention.
One of the news stories that came out at the time of Tsunami was how victims of Belsan terror attack in Russia and victims of earthquake in Iran expressing their sympathy with victims of Tsunami.
I know Sri Lanka cannot do much and I know ordinary Sri Lankan know the loss of loved ones hurts whether it is in New Orleans ,Drafur or Kalmunai.I remember after 2001 flood (or was it 2002?) in Europe Sri Lanka sent some tea to Germany and the German government said they were moved by it.
Ordinary US citizens were the biggest donors and first to respond after the tsunami even before the US government . It is sad that Sri Lankan government hasn't even released a statement. Better if they can send some tea to the thousands of people who are being evacuated from superdome to astrodome ,if they can afford.
P.S.
As an anonymous comment pointed out , now the SL government has released a statement.
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2 comments:
Do you read the news before you post Chandare? :)
Sri Lanka expresses sympathy to US on hurricane
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-09/01/content_3430911.htm
OOOps I didn't read xinhua.
Anyway hopefully they get this thing under control.
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