A Dead End: Arugam Bay

Next week is Poya – a very Looooong weekend.
It’s the Height of this year’s season!
Arugam.info has been flooded with requests.
When will the next FMP at Arugam Bay take place?
Where and when is it going to be?
Will there be live music and entertainers?

Arugam's traditional Full Moon Party

Frankly, we don’t know what we can do, say or answer!
Therefore, allow us explain a bit of the background and predicament just about everyone is in:

Arugam Bay is, of course, part of the Mainland of Sri Lanka.
Due to its location in the deep South East, its distance from Colombo, the long war years and, perhaps more significantly, the fact that the hamlet is positioned in a kind of “Dead End” it feels more like an island than part of a larger one.
Indeed, the only bridge connecting the Bay with the rest of Sri Lanka was locked up every night until a few years ago.
As a result, the little place was largely left alone, to its own devices.

Crime was never a problem; everyone knew everyone.
And, the few visitors or outsiders who were in Arugam Bay overnight, all wanted to be there and integrated well.
The Bay never had passing traffic, passing visitors (like Hikkaduwa etc.) – It was totally left alone.

A spin-off effect from this “lawlessness” was, of course, a nice, certain freedom.
Parties with no end, a few bottles of beer without a proper license, a puff of smoke here and there.
No corruption to speak off, no hard drugs to be concerned about.
(Sadly, the latter has only now, in so-called ‘regulated’ times surfaced)

In short: A nice, quiet, tolerant place with plenty of personal freedom.
And total harmony between all ethnic Communities living together in peace.
This is, when we think about it, the reason Arugam Bay is so popular.
And has such an excellent name, worldwide.

Now things are totally different!
Plenty of rules, regulations, permits, permissions, licenses, inspectors, raids.

It is not that local hotels don’t wish to follow the law.
They are in a predicament:
How to serve visitors (who like a glass of beer or wine, with a meal, at least, on a well earned holiday)
How to get a license  – when our dear Government basically does not issue any?
How to make a nice, peaceful, fun party -when the law says: You can’t?

A popular Arugam Bay Establishment was fined 75,000Rs./ recently.
For just one bottle on the premises.
Another popular, old and long standing hotel has applied for a drinks license since 1993 – and still hasn’t been able to get one, legally. They now sell ‘alcohol free’ beers only – so they say.

These two, top places, for example, are no longer willing to “break the Law” and offer a good service or entertainment.
As a result of all this, everyone is now even  reluctant to stage any of the traditional FMP’s (Full Moon Party).
Details and better information of the history of Traditional FM Parties can bee seen here:

http://www.arugam.info/2007/02/01/full-moon/

In short::
What can we offer our International visitors under such circumstances?
How can and how should we reply to all the request to show some action, and, under such circumstances, how can we
Revive the neglected East?

What to do? As one says, In Sri Lanka.