Dear Editor,

While you’re enjoying your summer out at the beach, being with friends, having a great time, people in Sri Lanka are mourning the citizens killed during Black July. The Tamil and Sinhalese groups of Sri Lanka have been disputing and having a civil war on and off since 1983.

This dispute started when the Tamils wanted to become their own independent state in the north eastern part of the island. But instead of the Sinhalese dominant government letting them become their own state, the civil war started on July 24, 1983. The Sri Lanka state of emergency declared “by August 1st, more than 200 persons were reported dead, and another 50,000 homeless, in what was described as the worst violence in Sri Lanka since the country gained independence in 1948.”

The civil war turned into two groups of people fighting over a piece of land. They can’t separate Sri Lanka and make it into separate areas. It’s all or nothing. They’ll do whatever it takes to get the land, even if it means killing innocent people. They are blowing up airports, causing harm to the economy of the country just for the land and all the Tamils want is an independent state in the north and the east of the island.

Help the Tamils get their own state! The LTTE is an organization to help the Tamils get a safe home. Donating money, food, or anything will help these people finally live in peace and in a strong, organized economy. Help stop the genocide and make peace, donate to the LTTE.

Sincerely,


Laura