Using ‘Sri Lankan’ tag to gain sympathy is unacceptable

“Half Sri Lankan woman ….” This was the headline which detailed the story of a woman who has been in an incident at the Sydney Airport, for wearing track pants and a crop top and sitting on her boyfriend’s lap.

She has further claimed that she was targeted because she was “half Sri Lankan”. I am intrigued by that claim. If, as she claims, she has some roots in Sri Lanka, it amounts to a total affront to all Sri Lankans both females and males, as our culture, religious beliefs and traditions of all ethnic groups in our country, do not encourage the manner in which this woman was seen dressed and is said to have behaved in a public place.

There are millions of Sri Lankans of all ethnicities, living abroad in many countries permanently as well as temporarily, but these Sri Lankans behave and dress in an acceptable and cultured manner.If, as claimed by her, she has some Sri Lankan connection, she would not have appeared in public dressed that way and behaved in a manner which the airport authorities believed would have caused the airline to refuse her on a flight.

It appears that this woman has conveniently made use of Sri Lanka in order to gain sympathy and escape further outrage by using our country’s name. She has the freedom and the right to wear whatever she wants, but her dragging our country to gain sympathy is unacceptable.

Dress well and behave well and do not take cover by bringing in your half Sri Lankan ethnicity.

B.Anton Jeyanathan

Via email