Damage is done Quote by Thisuri Wanniarachchi
““War crimes, you say? No matter how many policies you put on paper, in reality, there are no rights and wrongs in war. War itself is a crime. War cannot be justified. I believe, the only people, in this world, whose opinions matter, are the ones who go the extra mile to help other people expecting nothing in return. Soldiers who fight fiercely for their country, the doctors in Sri Lanka's public hospitals attending to hundreds of patients at a time for no extra pay , the nuns who voluntarily teach English and math to children of refugee camps in the north, the monks who collect food to feed entire villages during crises, they are the people worth listening to, their opinion matters. So find me one of them who will say: they wish the war didn't end in 2009, that they wish Sri Lanka was divided into two parts. Find me one of them who agrees with the international war crime allegations against Sri Lanka, and I will listen. But I will not listen to the opinions of those who are paid to find faults in a war they were never a part of, a war they never experienced themselves. I will not listen to the opinions of those who watched the war on tv or read about it on the internet or were moved by a documentary on Al Jazeera. The war is over. The damage is done. Let Sri Lanka move on. So our children will never have to see what we've seen.””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Public commentary on Sri Lankan civil war, 2009
War is inherently criminal; true moral authority belongs to selfless helpers, not distant critics.
In simple terms: War is a crime; real heroes are those who help without reward.
Listen to those who act selflessly.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- Humanitarian aid
- medical service
- education in crisis
- monastic charity
- public discourse
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can we balance lived experience with external analysis?
- What defines legitimate moral authority?
Critics may offer valuable external perspectives despite not experiencing conflict.