Who is the devil? and where are the angels?

This is the story of a colleague working in an organisation of which I am a director. I have changed his name as a respect to his privacy, but the story remains the same.

Mr Sivanathan’s family has been severely affected by the recent events in the previously rebel-held areas of North Eastern Sri Lanka.

Mr. Sivanathan’s son and daughter-in-law were teachers in Kilinochchi before they and their four children were forced into the ‘No Fire Zone’ by LTTE rebels. Whilst being held in the ‘No Fire Zone’, the family’s young son was killed by a shell attack. The funeral was held on Tuesday 19th May. The same shell seriously injured the child’s mother, who has been transported to hospital and is being cared for by a team of French Medics.

Mr. Sivanathan’s son and three surviving grandchildren, girls aged 11, 9 and 4, were rescued by the Sri Lankan army, and transferred to an IDP camp in Setti Kulam. Security measures mean that they are unable to leave the camp to visit their mother in hospital; therefore Mr. Sivanathan has assumed responsibility for visiting his daughter-in-law and providing her with essentials such as clothes. Mr. Sivanathan also visits his family at the camp, but is not allowed entry, and must speak to them through the barbed wire fence. The three young girls are desperately upset by the situation. Mr. Sivanathan’s son’s main priority, whilst deeply traumatized himself, is to minimize the suffering of his wife and daughters. To that end he is seeking permission for his daughters to be released from the camp and placed in the protective custody of his father, Mr. Sivanathan.

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