City’s Sri Lankans struggle for news
Wellington’s Sri Lankan community are struggling to reach friends and family in the aftermath of Easter Sunday’s deadly attacks.
A social media ban by the Sri Lankan Government has left many people still unsure whether their loved ones are safe, Wellington Sri Lankan Association president Athula-Wanasinghe said.
‘‘The Government has blocked Facebook, WhatsApp and Viber so there is no communication. We are still waiting to find out if our friends are among the dead or injured.’’
The death toll following the string of explosions that rocked churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday – one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar – had reached 290 yesterday afternoon.
Sri Lanka’s defence minister, Ruwan Wijewardena, described the bombings as a terrorist attack by religious extremists and said most of the blasts were believed to have been suicide attacks.
Police said 13 suspects had been arrested, though there was no immediate claim of responsibility.
Wellington’s Sri Lankan community was scattered because of the Easter and school holidays and that, as well as the social media ban, meant the local impact of the attacks was still unknown.
‘‘I’m calling people to gather information on whether anyone needs support. We’re finding it really hard to find out,’’ Wanasinghe said.
About 450 to 500 Sri Lankan families lived in Wellington and the city was popular for students to live and study in.
‘‘There are about 3000 in Wellington’s community and anything is possible at the moment. The death toll is [almost] 300 and
we fear that it is our friends and families among the dead and the injured.
‘‘It’s not like the tsunami when people needed money; at the moment, we just need real information.’’
In the coming weeks, the community would gather for solidarity but at the moment it was a matter of trying to reach everyone. ‘‘Our prime focus is to see if any Wellington families are affected.’’
United Sri Lanka Association President Palitha De Silva condemned the attacks and expressed ‘‘our deepest condolences’’ to the Sri Lankan Christian community.
‘‘For many Sri Lankans who have made New Zealand home and have lived here for a long time, the attacks come at a time when the wounds from the Christchurch mosque attack is still raw in their hearts.
‘‘Violence has no justification in the modern world, and even less when it is perpetrated on innocent people at prayer and with so much peace in their hearts.’’