A Royal Pain in the Throat Tinnitus - ENT & Allergy Associates

“Pe a r l o f t h e In d i a nO c e a n” S r i La n k aNa g a l i n g a m Je y a l i n g a m , M.D.Sri Lanka, the island nation formerlyknown as Ceylon -- “Pearl of the IndianOcean”-- is the home to over20,000,000 people. Its lush tropical forests,white sandy beaches and breathtaking landscapeare a paradise destination for honeymooners,golfers and adventure seekersworld wide. Vacationers at Sri Lanka’s manybeachside resorts are often impressed at howquickly much of the island recovered fromthe devastating tsunami that killed hundredsof thousands of people on December 26,2004. The shoreline had been destroyed.The tsunami was the result of the secondlargest earthquake ever recorded in seismographichistory, measuring 9.3 on the Richterscales. It lasted so long in duration that itsfive-minute life span caused the entire earthto vibrate at least half an inch and triggeredearthquakes as far away as Alaska.Restoration has been a slow tedious process.With the help of private industry, moniescollected by the Red Cross, and othergovernment agencies, the tourist industryis booming. People in the tsunami tornvillages and cities are slowly moving out oftemporary housing facilities and back intohomes. Unfortunately for one group, the SriLankan Tamils, a normal life is just a dream.Since the 1980’s, political unrest compoundedby a Tamil separatist movementled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam(LTTE) has caused the Government of SriLanks to discriminate against the Sri LankaTamils, labeling them all “terrorists” or “ter-21