He fought with all his heart to defend the rights of Sri Lanka
The nearly 30-year war against terrorism that Sri Lanka fought and the endless bloodshed and tragedy the country endured, are all but forgotten in Sri Lanka now, relegated to a distant nightmare by most people in the country.
However, to Sri Lankans living in other parts of the world, memories of fighting the LTTE are much sharper and longer-lived. This truth was conspicuously driven home during the recent passing of Sri Lankan journalist and activist Walter Jayawardhana, in Los Angeles, California.
From the time the LTTE unleashed its bloody separatist terrorism, and drowned the world in misinformation and propaganda, there were many fearless voices of Sri
Lankan expatriates, raised against the attack on one of South Asia’s oldest democracies. On the frontlines of such activity in the
U.S., we could be sure to see and hear Walter Jayawardhana, challenging LTTE supporters, standing up for the rights of Sri Lankans, with little concern for his personal safety. He boldly provided leadership to protest rallies, while organizing seminars, and participating in TV debates to fight misinformation and present the truth.
Walter faithfully remained on the frontlines over the years, as Sri Lanka’s war on terrorism passed critical milestones, keeping
U.S. law makers and authorities informed of bombings and mass killings by the LTTE, and of the six sessions of peace talks that collapsed, ultimately leading to a military push to end the war.
As the world and the U.S. in particular came to understand the workings of global terrorism after 9/11, Walter’s importance as a prolific writer came to the fore. His deep passion for nuance, his analytical skills and insights, added a major boost to Sri Lanka’s overseas attempts to uproot terrorist misinformation and propaganda. His boundless energy and swift turnout of copy on incidents, events and issues that he got placed on websites and social media platforms with matching speed, made Walter a much sought-after journalist both on the West Coast and the East Coast of the U.S. Many of us heard through him, the collective voice of Sri Lankans who stood for peace, democracy and human rights in Sri Lanka. Walter’s contribution in terms of hundreds of articles and opinion pieces on Sri Lanka’s war on terrorism, is a priceless gift of information for posterity.
Walter’s writing, however, was not limited to Sri Lanka and the world’s war on terror. He enshrined his memories and his knowledge of Sri Lanka in a collection of books in Sinhala. His memories of Badulla, his hometown, and life as he lived there, are chronicled in a book called Kambi Adiya. This is another treasure of information and knowledge that Walter left behind for future generations.
Having spent over half his life in a consistent battle to defend the rights of Sri Lanka, Walter Jayawardhana passed away amidst the restrictions on gatherings in a COVID-19 lockdown in Los Angeles. However, the quiet and subdued ending to his life, showed in greater contrast, the spirited and daring life he lived, true to his values, and unshakeable to the end. Confucius said, “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” This is what Walter did.
May he attain the supreme bliss of Nirvana.
Sri Lankan expatriates in the U.S.