"These people - these are truly gentle people,"

The Capital Online: Locals travel to tsunami-hit areas to provide relief Though large relief organizations including the American Red Cross, Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders are not accepting new volunteers in the devastated areas of Southeast Asia, some locals have found other ways to get there. J. Thomas Giunta, an Annapolis lawyer, traveled to Sri Lanka last week after his vacation plans fell through.Stunned by the mounting death toll of more than 150,000, including 30,000 in Sri Lanka, he left on Jan. 3 after hearing about Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation. It was founded in 1985 to provide relief and rehabilitation for people in northeast Sri Lanka. Now back in Annapolis, Mr. Giunta described the Sri Lankans as the "lotus flowers of the Earth.""These people - these are truly gentle people," he said. "I've never felt more comfortable anywhere I've traveled, and I've traveled all over the world. I've never felt so safe."

"Nothing like a giant tsunami to ruin a good rebellion".

At this hour of national and regional tragedy, one could detect among sections of the Sinhalese signs of malign glee ( As seen by: saag.org: THE TSUNAMI & THE LTTE ) not only over the damage suffered by the LTTE, but also over the fatalities suffered by the Tamil civilians. One only has to visit the Internet chat rooms of many Sinhalese groups to have an idea of their mind-set. I am giving below random examples of the comments of the Sinhalese: " If we let them alone, disease will wipe them out. Sounds like the seven plagues in Egypt to me. Let God do what man has been unwilling to do; " "Nothing like a giant Tsunami to ruin a good rebellion;" "Those kids (children who were killed by the Tsunami) would have ended up as child soldiers of the LTTE anyway;" "Let them (the Tamils) rot. Perfect opportunity to go in and wipe out what's left of them;" "Have their leaders strap on MEGA-bomb vests, then explode themselves. I'm sure they'll leave behind a crater large enough to bury quite a few bodies."

"not just to visit but to celebrate peace."

"hoping to be able to come back and visit all parts of Sri Lanka, not just to visit but to celebrate peace." "So the ordinary people of Sri Lanka have come together on an extraordinary scale to meet the needs created by the emergency. I fervently hope that their political leaders would do the same in joined hands," - Secretary General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan in Colmbo.