Actions | War and Peace

Boycott Tourism to Sri Lanka Until the Situation in the Camps Improves

To: Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Earlier this year more than 300,000 Sri Lankans fled to the camps to escape the brutal fighting which marked the end of Sri Lanka's twenty-six year civil war. Conditions in the camps are horrific.

Yet aid agencies have only limited access to the camps. According to an excellent article on Reuters AlertNet: "Many aid workers view the government's call for a scaling down of aid operations as a deliberate move to prevent outsiders from witnessing conditions inside the camps."

Far more people have died in the camps in Sri Lanka than in Darfur this year.

It's hard to imagine vacationing in Darfur, yet tourism in Sri Lankan is growing rapidly, up 8% over last year. The Sri Lankan Government has set the goal of attracting one million tourists a year by 2011. Overall, tourism is one of the main industries in Sri Lanka.

Too often, we read about these atrocities, and it seems there's nothing we can do. In Sri Lanka, tho, we can make our voice heard, even in a small way. We can at least let the Sri Lankan Government know that until the situation in the camps improves, tourism will suffer.

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Boycotting Sri Lankan Tourism

Director General Kalaiselvam,

Director General Kalaiselvam,

I am appalled at the situation in the displaced camps in Sri Lanka, including the Government's refusal to allow aid agencies full access. Until the situation improves, I pledge to boycott Sri Lankan tourism, and to urge all my friends and acquaintances to do the same.

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Ruth S. Kiel, Germany

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 18
Cynthia Johnson Glen Ridge, NJ

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 15
ekeim teeuwisse the hague, Netherlands

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 15
Michael T. Tiedemann Poughkeepsie, NY

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 14
Nick Davis Toronto, NY

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 14
Susanne Tyler Kiel, Germany

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 13
CherokeeGirl for Change Sacramento, CA

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 12
Pommawolf Johnson Fairbanks, AK

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 11
Sara Turk Kansas City, KS

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 11
Ilia Raye Steilacoom, WA

Sent letter to Mr. S. Kalaiselvam (Director General Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority)

Nov 10