ITEM in THE GUARDIAN, 29 October 2024 with this headlin
The golden sands of Sri Lanka’s Arugam Bay are usually carefree, a place for tourists to surf the famous break and relax on the beach.
But last week, the slow rhythm of the bay was dealt a shock. The US embassy, followed up by Sri Lankan police and Israel’s national security council, warned of a serious terrorist threat in the area. Israeli travellers were believed to be the intended target of a planned attack and were told to evacuate immediately. Hundreds of police and senior intelligence officials descended on the small coastal town, setting up patrols and road blocks.
While Sri Lankan police officials and government ministers kept the nature of the threat vague, one thing was made clear; it was seen as directly linked to the ongoing wars in Gaza and Lebanon.
Officials who spoke off the record said investigations indicated the threat had originated in Iran and was intended as “revenge” for Israel’s regional attacks. A Sri Lankan national based in Iraq was among three people arrested by anti-terrorism police.
“From last October there were parties who were at war against each other,” said Priyantha Weerasooriya, Sri Lanka’s acting inspector general of police, at a press conference. “That has now spread to other parts of the world.”
n Arugam Bay, there was surprise that the fallout from the Middle East had reached their coastal idyll. The area’s popularity with Israeli travellers, many whom visit after mandatory military service, has soared in recent years. While some pass through as surfers and tourists, others have taken advantage of long-term visas to set up their own restaurants, bars and tourism companies often catering to other Israelis, with Hebrew signage evident across the town. A local official said there were often more than 1,000 Israelis staying in the area in high season.
Police spokesperson Nihal Thalduwa said one of the targets of the recent threat was the Chabad House, a Jewish community centre.
Zulfi Faizer, 39, a tour guide, said that locals in the area, who are predominately Muslim, largely had no issues with the Israeli presence, which had brought in lucrative tourist dollars. “This area is mostly run by Israeli tourists,” said Faizer. “Majority of Muslims live in this area and there was no problem with them. We did business with them. Good Islam people are not against them.”
He emphasised that the establishment of the Jewish community centre had not caused issues and Muslim locals freely mingled with Israeli tourists, but said there had been friction after some Israelis were accused of trying to buy up swathes of land and undercutting locals. Local politician Rehan Jayawickreme last week accused Israelis in the area of “illegal business practices” and fuelling instability. There have also been accusations that cultural norms around modest dressing were not being respected.
Faizer said he was among those locals, who in the wake of the apparent security threat, were now in favour of a ban on tourists from Israel. However, Israelis make up just 1.5% of the 1.5 million tourists who visited Sri Lanka in the first nine months of this year. “Them coming here used to be good for us, but now we have a problem,” he said. “If an attack is carried out on them our people will also die.”
Sri Lanka has in the past been hit by terrorist attacks. In April 2019, the biggest luxury hotels, as well as churches, were hit in Islamist suicide bombings that killed 270 people, 45 of them foreigners. It was found that intelligence about the attack had been ignored by the government and security services. Combined with the Covid pandemic, it took years for Sri Lanka’s tourism industry to recover as it has also grappled with the worst economic crisis in its history, which has left the country bankrupt and even more reliant on dollars brought in by tourism.
Vijitha Herath, minister of public security, said all the at-risk areas had ongoing special police protection and a security council meeting had been convened. “A special situation arose because Israeli nationals are in the country as tourists. This month marks a year since the war started in the Middle East. Therefore, Israeli nationals hold religious ceremonies during this time. The suspicion was that some disturbance would be made at these places,” he told reporters.
By the end of last week, almost every Israeli had been evacuated from Arugam Bay. One of the few remaining was Miller Maoz, 59, who retired to Arugam Bay in 2019 after first falling in love with the area as a surfer back in 1991. He said he had always been welcomed by the local Muslim population. “They don’t mind politics and they appreciate Israelis,” he said. “Israelis are not welcome all over the world, especially after the war started, but the hospitality here is amazing.”
He expressed scepticism at the threats in the area. “I don’t see any real proof of what people are saying is going on,” said Maoz. “They say that a terrorist group is coming around here to target us. But why come to Arugam Bay to kill Israelis?”
A COMMENT from A Sri Lankan in USA, 30 October 2024
Over the past 20 years or so, Arugam Bay has been a favorite ‘Rest and Recreation’ location for Israelis. Most of them are IDF reservists. I am told that they enjoy an allowance for R&R granted by the Israeli government.
The Batticaloa and Arugam Bay area is a Muslim enclave. However, there is a strong Evangelical Christian movement that has grown – obviously funded by US Evangelical organizations.
The raging Israel-Palestine conflict makes this enclave hugely vulnerable to terrorist activity and destabilization efforts initiated by outside interests. The wide-ranging negative publicity that SL has received in the Western press has a major impact on the tourist industry. With SL struggling to pay off its debts and the economy hugely dependent on revenues from tourism, a reduction in foreign currency inflows could disrupt the debt restructuring program and force SL to approach the IMF for additional debt relief.
Check out evidence of the activity funded by the Evangelical movement:
”Sri Lanka will not forget you Israel – October 7th Memorial” …………….. Listen to the lady speaker that starts at 8.17 on the video feed. Speed up the video to save time…………..“Sri Lanka loves you passionately dear Israel. We are loyal and steadfast in our commitment”
https://youtube.com/watch?v=1efxfuUL96U&feature=shared
Israel Sri Lanka Solidarity Movement …… https://youtube.com/@issom94972?si=y-zEhTl7YX7LIwnK
NB Also = Island wide plantation program; The island wide plantation program launched to commemorate two Sri Lankans and 1200 Israeli civilians who died in the terrorist attack on Israel on 07 October, 2023 ……………….. https://web.facebook.com/ISSOM94972?_rdc=1&_rdr
Preview YouTube video Sri Lanka will not forget you Israel -October 7th Memorial- (ENGLISH VERSION)…………. Sri Lanka will not forget you Israel -October 7th Memorial- (ENGLISH VERSION)
The Late Professor Punchibanda Meegaskumbura (Peradeniya University) told me that the “Arugam bay” of Today was known as “Arunagama” a couple of centuries ago, and provided literary evidence for it from that period. The word “Aruna” (අරුණ) means “Dawn” in Sinhalese (note also Latin Aurora). This location, the eastern-most point in Sri Lanka, is the place where “dawn” arrives first. Hence the name “Arunagama” was an appropriate name. At that time the residents of this area seem to have been almost 100% sinhalese-speakers. However, with the settlement of Muslims by King Senarath (1604-1635 A.D) in the Eastern Province, the demography changed. Furthermore, as one may read from the annual reports of 19th (and early 20th) century British government agents, the “puraana villages” were increasingly populated by Tamil speakers. This aspect of the evolution of Eastern villages has been studied by Prof. Gerald Peiris. The agricultural settlemet schemes (wrongly called “colonization” schemes) like Gal Oya-Inginiyagala schemes once again brought back some Sinhala-speaking colonists to these areas. Indeed, Tamil Nationalists opposed this, and this was one issue brought up by the ITAK in 1957 in the context of the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayagam Pact. It became a bone of contention with Philip Gunawardena and C. P. de Silva refusing to concede anything in land tenure, as required by the B-C pact.
(This has been discussed by N. Sanmugathasan I think in his book “A Marxist view of the history of Ceylon” written in 1974).
Meanwhile, the 20th cenury saw an increase of the Muslim population in the area. However, in the late 20th and early 21st century, the impact of tourism is again changing the character and demographics ofsome localities within this area. Would any mid-20th century demographer have predicted that Arunagama of the 17th century (aka Arugam Bay of today) will acquire a significant Israeli and German presence!
More details about the place name “Arugam Bay” may be found in https://dh-web.org/place.names/index.html
These circumstances will give rise to the need for an Israeli security detail to protect their citizens. The thin end of the wedge.
Currently, all Israeli organised events are exclusively for Jews.
Colonisation of land and business will proceed apace under the watchful eye of an Uzi submachine gun. A GAZA strip in Arugam Bay will soon be staked out.
I’m somewhat amused by Prof. Chandre Dharma-wardana’s fancy derivation of the name Arugam bay, from Aruna-gama!
Did he take note of the Tamil derivation Arugam Kudah (from Arugam pul, in Tamil, which is Bermuda grass). It is also known as couch grass in Australia, according to wikipedia reference I checked. Among Hindus, Arugam pul has religious significance.
I suggest Prof Chandre to check the wikipedia reference to Cynodon dactylon, the botanical name of Bermuda grass, for additional information. The link is as follows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynodon_dactylon
Secondly, as for the (in)famous Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact, Prof. Chandre notes, “It became a bone of contention with Philip Gunawardena and C. P. de Silva refusing to concede anything in land tenure, as required by the B-C pact.
(This has been discussed by N. Sanmugathasan I think in his book “A Marxist view of the history of Ceylon” written in 1974).”
I did check my copy of Sanmugathasan’s 1974 book; chapter V – The Bandaranaike Era , pages 59 to 81. Here is my query? Will Prof. Chandre let me know, in which of these pages, Philip Gunawardena and C.P. de Silva, are mentioned together?
item 1: Philip is mentioned in p. 60.
item 2: B-C Pact is covered briefly in a paragraph, pp. 63-64, and also in a sentence in p. 65.
item 3: C.P. de Silva appears only in p. 69, after Bandaranaike’s death.
I wonder whether the version of Sanmugathasan’s book I have, is different from the version Prof. Chandre has quoted. Mine is the 2nd edition, dated December 1974.
From Daily Mirror 01/11
https://www.dailymirror.lk/opinion/WAR-CRIMINALS-AS-TOURISTS-WHITHER-MORALITY/231-294998
Regarding questions raised by Sri Kantha
[sorry for the delay in replying. I only saw this on 6-11-2024]
1. Philip Goonawardana and C. P de Silva are two minitsres who are mentioned regarding the BC-pact. I can no loger locate copy of Shanmu’s book book but I have some notes saying that PG and CPdeS wanted control over land, as also confirmed by what is in KM de Silva’s biography of JRJ.
2. As for the placename Arunagama අරුණගම for what is today named Arugam Bay, I do not know if the name “arugam bay” was independently acquired from the name of Bermuda grass among the Tamil community. How can be ascertain that?
This is a very common grass, known also as a common “lawn grass, crab grass” etc; it is found everywhere in Sri Lanka and in many parts of the world (including in my lawn in Ontario). It is also equally often named Muyalpul in Tamil; and Niladurva in Sanskrit. So, it is not special to the Arugam bay area. Given a common plant, many placenames from that plant usually arises, e.g., from Nochchi –> Killinochchi, Nochchimoddai, Punnochchi, are all Tamil placenames related to Nochchi, which is Vitex negundo. Old name for Killinochchi seems to have been “Giranikke” as there had been a brid sanctuary (mainly parrots) in a forest of Nika (Vitex negundo) trees by Royal decree there.
So, while crab gass is everywhere, there is only one arugam bay.
I have on the good authority of late Prof. Meegaskumbura that the place-name Arunagama was used in sinhala literary works going back to medieval times for this location.