‘Hatred cannot end hatred’: Gaza resonates in Sri Lanka, brings back memories of two decades of war

Ripples of the student protests in America calling for divestment from Israel and an end to the violence on Palestine are being felt in a remote village in the heart of rural Sri Lanka.

“What gives America the right to lecture us on human rights when their police are beating up brown students protesting for innocent Palestinians?” asks Kokawewa Sumedha, known respectfully as the Thera (Buddhist monk), in a historic village called Dutuwewa, in the Anuradhapura District in Sri Lanka’s North-Central Province.

The village is named after Sri Lanka’s hero King Dutugemunu who ruled from 161 to 137 Before Common Era.

We are sitting on a stone bench lining the verandah of the Thera’s residential dwelling at the premises of the Sri Purvaramaya Viharaya, Kokawewa, Gataleva, the Buddhist temple that the Thera has served for 25 years. The oppressive heat and din of the crickets from the surrounding jungle, known for its wild elephants, are a world away from the centres of power.

“Today, we see conflicts between various powerful countries which dominate less powerful countries in the Third World,” says the monk, soft-spoken and mild-mannered, exuding a quiet confidence.

How can certain countries criticise others for their human rights records, he questioned, while those “like Israel” that are allies...

Read more