Monthly Archives: October 2024

Out with the Old, In with the New – for Tamils Too

Sri Lanka elections by Mario Arulthas, Tamil Guardian, London, October 28, 2024 Sri Lanka’s so-called “political earthquake” saw the election of a president from outside the traditional political elites for the first time. Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s election, while an obvious upset and challenge to the ruling elite, promises to maintain some of the more embedded, structural… Read more »

Marco Polo and the Puzzle of a Point Pedro Port Landing

by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 30, 2024  Prelude Previously I had presented my view on Venician explorer Marco Polo’s (1254-1324) visit to medieval Eelam. [https://sangam.org/marco-polos-visit-to-medieval-eelam/]. This is a first sequel, to commemorate Marco Polo’s 700th death anniversary, which passed by on January 9th this year. Where did Marco Polo and his party land in ‘Seilan’? First… Read more »

Memory Wars

Sri Lankan diaspora in Canada grapples with how to honour those lost in civil war by Stephen Khan, The Conversation International, Australia, October 27, 2024 Last August, a foundation stone laying ceremony was held in Brampton, Ont. for a Tamil genocide monument in the city. The memorial’s architectural design was selected from among 100,000 submissions and finalized by… Read more »

JVP Always Denied Eezham Tamils’ Inalienable Self-determination

Anthropology scholar by TamilNet, Norway, September 21, 2024 The JVP has recently lent itself to US efforts to consolidate the unitary state and realise its long-held ambition to capture state power in Colombo. In this regard, they have also engaged with a range of actors, from the IMF, Washington, and New Delhi, as well as… Read more »

The Genesis of the Sri Lankan Unitary State

and the Call for Eelam Tamil Self-Determination by Sahithyan Thilipkumar, December 2023 Master Thesis at University of Zurich’s Faculty of Law Master_Thesis_Sahithyan_Thilipkumar_ZORA 6. Conclusion Contemporary discussions on the conflict in Sri Lanka often start with the country’s independence or the beginning of the war. My thesis examined how the basis of the conflict was laid… Read more »

BTF: President Elect – the Challenge Faced by Tamil Nation

by British Tamils Forum, October 4, 2024 BTF press release re 2024 presidential election FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE President elect — the challenge faced by Tamil nation. Forge a strategic alliance and face any future democratic process unitedly When the nation has been struggling under the regime of successive nefarious governments, the arrival of the newly… Read more »

The 2024 Winds of Change Have Not Yet Reached Southern Lanka

By Gogol G. on his/her blog ‘Voices from Exile,’ October 2, 2024We’re 3/4 of the way through the year of 2024. The year 2024 was considered the biggest year for democratic elections in the world. Not all elections are free and fair societies, so the real questions were/are how the elections of India, France, UK, European Union… Read more »

Washington’s Mixed Messages

Tamil Guardian editorial, October 12, 2024 It has been a week of mixed messaging from Washington on Sri Lanka. In Geneva on Wednesday, the United States as a leading member of the Core Group, successfully led a United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on accountability for war crimes and called for an end to impunity… Read more »

Why Did Tamils & Muslims 0f the North & East Reject JVP-Led Alliance?

by Imtiyaz Razak, Colombo Telegraph, September 30, 2024 Introduction  Sri Lanka’s recently concluded 9th presidential elections culminated in a notable victory for the Marxist JVP, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who secured the presidency after a second ballot count. The election results underscore a significant electoral divide: while a majority of Southern Sinhala-Buddhists rallied behind… Read more »

From Sachi’s File – Chapter 24

A Published Note on Ptolemy’s Taprobana Map by C. Suntharalingam by Sachi Sri Kantha, October 4, 2024 Front Note by Sachi Due to my protracted literature foraging activities on missed items by eminent bibliographer Henry Ian Goonetilleke (1922-2003), on Ceyloniana, recently I was able to locate a research note by mathematician Chellappah Suntharalingam (1895-1985) that… Read more »

Stupidity, Not Corruption, Crashed Our Economy

by Daniel Alphonsus on his Substack, October 6, 2024 Jail the corrupt and bring our money back! This is the cry of our times. It rings from the four corners of the island and echoes across the usual divisions of race, religion, language and class. For our woes were caused by corruption, and redemption will… Read more »

Sri Lankan Fare Takes Center Stage Uptown

Lungi debuts on the Upper East Side this week by Caroline Shin, Eater NY, September 18, 2024 While Sri Lankan food has made a mark in Staten Island, it’s moving beyond the borough to Manhattan’s Upper East Side with Lungi. Co-owner Albin Vincent is flipping Imli, his neighborhood spot for modern Indian food, into Lungi, with a focus on… Read more »

USIP: Sri Lanka’s New President

Faces Daunting Challenges and High Hopes by United States Institute of Peace, Washington, DC, October 1, 2024 KEY TAKEAWAYS Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s election is the culmination of Sri Lanka’s 2022 protests against the status quo. Addressing Sri Lanka’s economic and financial challenges will be Dissanayake’s most difficult task. He will have to carefully balance relations… Read more »

HRW: UN Rights Council Should Extend Crucial Mandate

International Monitoring, Investigations Critical Amid Ongoing Violations, Impunity by Human Rights Watch, New York, October 2, 2024 (Geneva) – The United Nations Human Rights Council should adopt a resolution on Sri Lanka to enable continued UN monitoring, reporting, and evidence collection of rights violations for future prosecutions, Human Rights Watch said today. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who was elected on September 21, 2024,… Read more »

What Bangladesh Can Do to Get Back Laundered Wealth

by Tasneem Raihan, The Daily Star, Bangladesh, October 1, 2024 Over the past 15 years, people from various sectors—including politicians, businesspeople, bureaucrats, and police officials—have reportedly laundered over $100 billion abroad. This figure is likely underestimated, but even if it’s close to the actual amount, the implications are staggering. To put this into context, $100 billion is… Read more »

Letter to the President: A Clarion Call for Fairness

by Roy Ratnavel, Canada, October 1, 2024 Ratnavel letter to new Pres. Dissanayake Oct 1 2024 October 1, 2024. His Excellency Anura Kumara Dissanayake President Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Dear Mr. President, Please accept my warmest congratulations on your election victory. As you embark upon your new responsibilities as the ninth Executive President of… Read more »

What Sri Lanka’s Election Means for India

Another political shake-up in New Delhi’s neighborhood shouldn’t have a major impact on bilateral ties. by Sumit Ganguly, Foreign Policy, Washington, DC, September 24, 2024 The economy was undoubtedly the central issue in Sri Lanka’s presidential election on Sept. 21—unlike in past votes, when ethnic divides between the Sinhala Buddhist majority and the Tamil minority… Read more »

Meet Sri Lanka’s Next President

by Michael Kugelman, Foreign Policy’s South Asia Brief, Washington, DC. September 25, 2024 Presidential candidate Anura Kumara Dissanayake leaves a polling station after casting his ballot in Sri Lanka’s presidential election in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Sept. 21.Ishara S. Kodikara/AFP via Getty Images Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s victory in Sri Lanka’s presidential election on Saturday granted the… Read more »

Dissanayake’s Push for Sri Lanka Economic Change

Leaves IMF deal, debt rework in limbo by Uditha Jayasinghe, Sudipto Ganguly and Libby George, Reuters, London, September 24, 2024 Summary Balancing pro-poor policies with IMF deal is new president’s biggest challenge IMF says to work with him, discuss timing of third review Leader has expressed willingness to renegotiate IMF terms COLOMBO/LONDON, Sept 24 (Reuters)… Read more »