Yearly Archives: 2017

Germany Sued for Damages of ‘Forgotten Genocide’ in Namibia

by Reuters, New York, January 5, 2017 Descendants of the Herero and Nama people brought lawsuit for what they called a campaign of genocide by German colonial troops in the early 1900s Germany has been sued for damages in the United States by descendants of the Herero and Nama people of Namibia, for what they… Read more »

Time for a Political Solution

by Meera Srinivasan, ‘The Hindu,’ Madras, January 9, 2016 Two years after the national unity government took power on the promise of reform and change, the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe combine needs to recover the earlier momentum Two years after Sri Lankans made an emphatic point by voting for change, which President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil… Read more »

Memoriam: Dr. Alvapillai Vijayaragavan (1932-2016)

by Sachi Sri Kantha, January 6, 2017 ‘Better late than never’ has been one of my working mantras. So, I pen this memoriam to one of one of my benefactors and big fans of my writing, Dr. Alvapillai Vijayaragavan, a neurosurgeon of repute among Eelam Tamil doctors. Though a kin and living in Colombo, as… Read more »

Consultation Task Force Final Report

Final Report of the Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms Executive Summary and Recommendations Colombo, Completed November 17, 2016, Released January 4, 2017 Download at https://drive.google.com/file/d/0Bzl_GkvmvUNzRVBkcmh3Rnoyc2c/view Full report at http://www.scrm.gov.lk/documents-reports

What Nutmeg Can Tell Us About Nafta

by Amitav Ghosh, ‘The New York Times,’ December 30, 2016 GOA, India — For many years the word “globalization” was used as shorthand for a promised utopia of free trade powered by the world’s great centers of technological and financial innovation. But the celebratory note has worn thin. The word is now increasingly invoked to… Read more »

The Proposed Constitution

… Will It Accomodate the Just Demands of the Tamils or Abandon Them to Choose Their Own Destiny? By: Thambu Kanagasabai, January 2, 2016 Sri Lanka, the tear shaped island, according to researchers, came into existence about 7000 years ago when the island separated from the Indian sub continent while the narrow strip of shallow… Read more »

Sovereignty can be Bought and Sold like a Commodity

by Stephen Presser, Aeon.co, January 2, 2017 Though it is not often thought of as a commodity, sovereignty resembles one in that it can be bought and sold. Indeed, the purchase of sovereignty was a primary vehicle of American expansion. In a series of treaties that helped create the United States of today, governments operated… Read more »

Narendra Modi’s Year of Living Dangerously

by Sanand Dhume, ‘The Wall Street Journal,’ December 29, 2016 When Narendra Modi stormed to power two-and-a-half years ago with India single-party majority in a generation, much of the world expected a vigorous economic reformer When Narendra Modi stormed to power two-and-a-half years ago with India single-party majority in a generation, much of the world… Read more »

Federalism Addresses Minority Rights: Prof. R. Sivachandran

by Kelum Bandara, ‘The Daily News,’ Colombo, December 30, 2016 Prof. R. Sivachandran, a Central Committee member of Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), in an interview with the Dailymirror by email, advocates the Federal structure of government for the North and East. The ITAK is the dominant ally of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) at… Read more »

Letter to Amb. Power

by S. Kanesathasan, February 15, 2016 This short submission highlights some unprecedented aspects of the Sri Lankan experience and makes a plea for a strong personal and early initiative by President Obama and Secretary Kerry to finally end the pernicious practice of Sri Lankan governments, including the current one, of unmet commitments made at its… Read more »

Verdict on Raviraj Murder Case

Another Travesty of Justice by M.K. Eelaventhan, December 27, 2016 The recent acquittal of six accused in the political murder trial of late MP Raviraj is not surprising. It is yet another expected verdict from the Sri Lankan judiciary. It would have been a real surprise if the accused were convicted, as in the Sri… Read more »