We must be ashamed

“Sri Lanka is mainly a Buddhist country so where is our "dana" generosity? Where is the"metta" or loving kindness? Where is the compassion? These have been replaced by "lobha" greed in order to bring down the cost of rice in the shops. Had the shipment already been on its way before the cyclone hit Myamar, there may have been an excuse.”

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by Douglas King

(May 27, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) We are now informed that the first ship carrying 7,000 MTs of rice set sail yesterday from Myamar to Sri Lanka. Hundreds of thousands of people, including many children are on the verge of starvation in Myamar according to a U.N. spokesperson and several others who have visited the worst affected areas. The devastated region in Myamar is the main rice growing area, and 90% of the crop is destroyed. It will be many months before the fields have recovered sufficiently for replanting.

Sri Lanka is mainly a Buddhist country so where is our "dana" generosity? Where is the"metta" or loving kindness? Where is the compassion? These have been replaced by "lobha" greed in order to bring down the cost of rice in the shops. Had the shipment already been on its way before the cyclone hit Myamar, there may have been an excuse. However, every day on the news we are confronted with pictures of people who have received no food for many days. Could not the President have ordered that the shipment be either cancelled or scaled down and the rice paid for and donated to demonstrate true Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu and Christian values?

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Buddhist affairs has given 715 saffron robes and the Tea Board 1,600 kilograms of tea. These donations will be of little comfort to those on the verge of starvation. UNICEF has highlighted the severity of the catastrophe saying that the lives of at least 25,000 children are at risk. The disaster is said to have killed over 70,000 but the actual number is likely to be well over 100,000. Millions are homeless, and are likely to stay that way for a long time. When the Tsunami hit Sri Lanka the outpouring of compassion through massive international aid was welcome. Now is the time to show that we can forget our immediate concern with the cost of rice so that those more needy can be fed.

It is still not too late for the government to give orders for the ship to return to Myamar where their current need is greater than ours.
- Sri Lanka Guardian