★ While planning your journey, accept that ethics are not included in the price of your ticket;
★ Tell yourself your currency is helping the country;
★ Do not question government control of the tourism industry;
★ When researching your destination, skip the sections on families in camps,
book a tour even if the army will not give them back their land;
★ Never ask why killing fields have been converted into resorts run by the military;
★ Learn the dominant language, which translates war criminals into heroes;
★ Make eye contact with soldiers and police in the North-East;
★ Inhale island steam from export quality tea, exhale
torture, sexual violence, and surveillance as ongoing strategies;
★ Speak freely in public in your accent of opportunity;
★ When talking about the people, identify them all as Sri Lankans;
★ Do not stare too long at the survivors of genocide;
★ Do not use that word at all;
★ Gaze into the sea that greets occupied Tamil homeland and name it paradise;
★ Collect souvenirs celebrating elephants so your friends envision beauty,
not mass atrocities;
★ Define tourist as none of this involves me;
★ Take photos of every sunset;
★ Always have your passport handy;
★ Keep your conscience secure in the hotel safe.
