Winning war?

In the midst of the incessant severe-migraine-inducing-even-with-the-office-windows-closed shouting and yelling, it's all too easy it is to forget that for a great, great many, the UN is seen to be the only *potential* Earth-bound savior.

Amid political, humanitarian and Sinhalese shouts of joy that the longest running civil war ever in all of Asia has finally "come to an end", it is all too easy to forget that there are always, always two sides to the coin. For the thousands of minority Sri Lankan Tamils religiously demonstrating outside the main gates of the UN for the last four months - for the man who committed suicide burning himself alive in desperate protest against what they claim to be a government-sponsored "genocide" against their people - the end of the 25 year Sri Lankan civil war is no reason at all to celebrate.

Little wonder, then, that the 2,000 or so Tamil demonstrators "adorning" the UN main gates over the last two days were among the most passionate, most desperate this city has seen . They were already well-warmed up by 8:30 in the morning ... and don't ask me how the woman kept her voice enough to still be screaming strong at six in the afternoon.

Glass bottles and malatov cocktails thrown at the police were countered with water cannons, afternoon meetings inside the UN were interrupted again and again with security messages and requests for additional guards. Demonstrators lie strewn throughout the streets where they had lain down to block traffic - several managed to get over the main gates... trying to replace the Sri Lankan flag with the Tamil one. (Watch a video of some of the happenings HERE.)

Heaven above only knows who's right and who is wrong in this case, but "Let the Tamils live. Are we not human beings?" has been the mantra of the day(s) ... and a not-so-subtle reminder that "winning war" is always, always a matter of perspective.