Lakshman Kadirgamar

On our way back to Colombo, late at night on August 12th, we were stopped at military checkpoints. Apparently, the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka; Lakshman Kadirgamar; had been assassinated only an hour or so earlier and anyone on the road in Colombo was considered a “person of interest”. The president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, declared a nationwide state of emergency that remains in effect a week later. There have been sporadic violent incidents in the north and east and Colombo has been plastered with posters, some inciting further acts of insurrection while most are simply tributes to the slain foreign minister and exhortations for peace to prevail. We have bookmarked and check in often with the American Embassy and British High Commission websites. There are many brave people here and around the world working to insure the peace here in Sri Lanka, join me in sending good vibes their way. I have found the Sri Lankan people to be completely charming and deferential to a fault to westerners. We are pretty much carrying on with business as usual; not jaywalking; helping little old ladies across the street; producing our passports when asked; stimulating the local economy and doing everything the guys in uniform tell us to. We'll be just fine.