The latest reports from the aid organizations, inside the no-fire zone along the coast of Mullaitivu, estimate more than 100,000 people are held as a human shield by the rebels. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, well known as L.T.T.E., have been shooting at innocent civilians who are fleeing into government forces seeking protection.

The world’s largest hostage rescue mission, started by Sri Lanka Army 58 Division, indicate more than 30,000 civilians were held hostage by L.T.T.E. terrorists at the northern boundary of the no fire zone. Meanwhile, three L.T.T.E. suicide cadres ran in to the civilians and exploded themselves, killing 17 and injuring nearly 200 civilians. On April, 20, Sri Lanka government gave a final 24-hour period to the L.T.T.E. leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his group to surrender. The Sri Lanka president ordered relief to the escaped civilians, and the U.N. steps up efforts to provide humanitarian assistance as well.

Sri Lanka’s government has been battling the Tamil Tiger rebels in a civil conflict that has lasted nearly 25 years. I was a year old

when this war started July 23, 1983. That evening, L.T.T.E. ambushed a military convoy in the north of Sri Lanka outside the town of Jaffna. In order to avoid any violent retaliation acts from the population due to the ambush, the government decided to quietly bury the 15 soldiers. July 24, the day the 15 servicemen were to be buried, the beginning the events dubbed “Black July” became the worst days of Sri Lankan history. Mobs around the cities started assaulting Tamils, while looting and burning their properties in retribution for what happened. Many of the Sinhalese and Muslims tried to save the lives and properties of Tamils despite the activities of the gangs. My parents have told me that how they helped their Tamil friends and for weeks all they had to feed us were potatoes.When the government declared an emergency curfew, these gangs began vandalizing government properties such as trains, buildings and buses. This would have been genocide but the security forces were able to regain control in the cities the violence broke. The country’s economy fell a part and many Tamils flew out to other countries seeking protection. It was civil war in the northern part of this beautiful island.

Sri Lanka is a country with four main ethnic groups who are trying to live in peace since their independence from the British in 1948. Sinhalese are a majority of 75 percent of the population, and the L.T.T.E started killing every Sinhalese and Muslim living in the northern and eastern part of the island, who are the minority in the area.

In July 1987, the L.T.T.E. carried out their first suicide attack and since then, has carried out more than 200 suicide attacks. L.T.T.E. expanded their vision and surprised with assassination of many Tamil human rights activists, including India’s ex-Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. This became a treat to other Tamil and Muslim activists in the country and they had no other choice than holding arms for their own survival. Many Tamils, Muslims and even Sinhalese start leaving to other countries due to the unstable situation in the country.

In 1991, when I was in third grade, I experienced my first suicide bomb attack. It was about a block away from my classroom. All I remember is a bright yellow light I saw through my right eye and the building shook enough to throw my teacher away from the table where she was sitting. I wasn’t tall enough to peek over the window to see anything or wasn’t really sure what was going on. In the 22 years I grew up in Sri Lanka, I have escaped from many bombs within a five or 10 minute time span.

I won’t forget when I was in the tenth grade, the attack was about a mile away from my high school. I was going to the leading Sinhala Buddhist high school in the nation which was high target on L.T.T.E’s list, because it had sons and relatives of many armed force personals serving in the battle field. There were already military standing outside a 20-foot brick wall fence around school. The sound of massive explosion occurred in our ears. We were in fear since it sounded like it was at the school’s front gate. This time I was tall enough to watch over the window and all I could see were people rushing wounded to the hospital. Suddenly, I remembered that my dad drove through this road during that time. I was scared until he walked into my class room, knowing how I would be feeling.

I never hated neither the Tamils nor Muslims. We all sat in the same classroom, sharing the same desk. The Sri Lanka government never fought this war against the Tamils. This is a war against a group of terrorist who belong to the Tamil ethnic group. The government doesn’t have any intention to end this conflict by weapons but a political solution. They have already started the process giving power to the minority ethnic leaders in the eastern province. The Sri Lankan government has appointed the L.T.T.E. eastern province leader Colonel Karuna as a member of the parliament and a government minister. He laid down arms and surrendered to the armed forces. The Tigers have been declared a terrorist organization by 32 countries, including the U.S. As many as 70,000 people have been killed by this war and thousands of innocent people have been displaced. Sri Lankan people are tired of this war. Regardless of the suicide attacks, people and social institutions function as they should be and ranked high in developing in the nation. Today there are many Tamils living in other countries protesting against the Sri Lankan government, and are fighting to end this war against terrorism.

I’m proud to be a Sri Lankan for the fact of how humble these people are. They never let these terror acts bring them down. They have lived through them, with courage to live a better life. They had faith in the armed forces that this war will end soon, in hopes they can live again in harmony.

This column was written by Varuna Ponnamperuma, a junior majoring in international studies and management information systems.