Kumaratunga will not sacrifice power for peace by Tamil Guardian editorial, December 22, 2004 Fear of a renewed war has become all pervasive. Tamils, both in the homelands and the diaspora are closely following developments in the Norwegian peace process, albeit with deepening pessimism. Even the usually upbeat Norwegian Special Envoy, Erik Solheim, could not conceal… Read more »
Amnesty Human Rights Scholarship for Student Projects
Dear Colleague, Amnesty International USA is pleased to announce that continuation of the Patrick Stewart Human Rights Scholarship in 2005. Below my signature you will find a promotional blurb that I encourage you to email to student activists or post to your lists. Thank you for your assistance in promoting this exciting opportunity! Happy holidays,… Read more »
Human Rights Advocates Program at Columbia University
22 December 2004 Dear friends and colleagues: I am delighted to announce that the application for the 2005 session of the annual Human Rights Advocates Program at Columbia University is now available. I would like to take this opportunity to ask you to disseminate this information and application to human rights advocates based in developing… Read more »
Notes on Political Instability in Divided Societies
Some Notes on Political Instability in Divided Societies with Reference to the Sri Lankan State and Conflict by A.R.M. Imtiyaz, Ph.D. (Visiting scholar, Department of Political Science, University of Pennsylvania, USA), December 21, 2004 Form of governments Recent political disturbances in ethnically, religiously and linguistically divided societies including Sri Lanka reminds one of Max Weber,… Read more »
Grace Learning Center
Improving Educational Standards in Sri Lanka In fall of 2004, VeAhavta began to plan a new program designed to improve the quality of education in Sri Lanka. While the on-going civil war has severely disrupted all aspects of life in Sri Lanka, perhaps the greatest impact has been upon the children. Children affected by the… Read more »
Brief History of the Stalled Peace Talks
by Wakeley Paul, Esq., December 21, 2004 In December, 2000 the LTTE declared a unilateral ceasefire. Four months of negotiations toward a mutual ceasefire with the President’s PA government came to nought. In July, 2001 the LTTE attacked the Katunayake Airport, but followed this up with a second unilateral ceasefire. In late 2001, Ranil Wickremesinghe’s… Read more »
Revisiting Rwanda’s Horrors
With an Ex-National Security Adviser By JOHN DARNTON, The New York Times, December 20, 2004 It was “shameful,” he added, that his administration refused to employ the term “genocide” for a period of six weeks. “It was based on the belief that if you used the word, then you’re required to take action,” he said…. Read more »
Helping Flood Victims
ALL THE HINDU TEMPLES IN LONDON ARE COLLECTING MONEY TO HELP THE FLOOD VICTIMS IN SRI LANKA. Sri Kanaga Thurkkai Amman Temple will be working with TRO in helping these flood victims. PLEASE READ: http://sooriyan.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1106&Itemid= http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=13669 http://www.troonline.org/en/?menu=../en/news/mullai_191204 Thank you, S Karunalingam Chairman – Executive Committee Sri Kanaga Thurkkai Amman… Read more »
Going Nowhere
by Sunday Leader Editorial, December 5, 2004 Sri Lanka’s tragic fate took yet another twist last week, with the government demonstrating yet again that it doesn’t have a clue what it is going to do to address the National Question. Two and a half years after the event, the international euphoria that greeted the government-LTTE ceasefire agreement… Read more »
TAGOT: War Drums in the South
by The Action Group of Tamils (TAGOT) PRESS RELEASE 21 December 2004 We, The Action Group of Tamils (TAGOT), unhesitatingly compliment the Sinhala President Chandrika Kumaratunga for her political skill. She is implacably opposed to negotiating a political settlement with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). But she has cast the ultra-Sinhala Jathika Vimukthi… Read more »
Rendering Unto Caesar: a Book Review
Bradman Weerakoon, Rendering Unto Caesar, Vijitha Publications, Colombo, 2004, 396 pp. Reviewed by Sachi Sri Kantha, December 19, 2004 Of the millions of Sri Lankans born in the 20th century, Bradman Weerakoon is the only fellow to be blessed uniquely. He was blessed for the first time in the year of his birth (1930), when his police… Read more »
Human Rights Watch and Tamil Children
by S. Makenthiran, B.A., FCCA, Canada, December 19, 2004 There have been some reports by interested parties about the so-called seminar held on December 12, by Human Rights Watch in Toronto. It is made to appear that those who spoke out at the Seminar were Tamil Tigers. It was nothing like that. Many of us… Read more »
Talking with Tigers
Negotiations with suicide bombers can end violence, as Sri Lanka demonstrates Jonathan Steele in Kilinochchi, The Guardian, UK, Friday December 17, 2004 Come to Elephant Pass to witness a rarity: a place where the contradictions of the “war on terror” have not produced the usual regression. In most of the world the fight against “international… Read more »
Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 29: JR’s Trap for Rajiv Backtracking
by T. Sabaratnam, December 17, 2004 (Volume 2) Indira Gandhi’s assassination on 31 October 1984 provided President Jayewardene an opportunity to wriggle out of the peace process and pursue the military option he had carefully mapped out. He abruptly discontinued the All Party Conference on 26 December 1984 and gave the go-ahead to the armed… Read more »
India’s Sri Lanka Policy: Need for a Review
by Ana Pararajasingham, South Asia Analysis Group, Delhi, December 13, 2004 It is only natural that India, the regional power, should have an abiding interest in the manner in which the conflict in the Island of Sri Lanka is resolved. The Tamil National Alliance MP, Mr Gajendra kumar Ponnambalam’s declaration that the Tamil Nation has… Read more »
Reminiscences on Directing M.S.
The Musician-Movie Star by Ellis R. Dungan Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha M.S. Subbulakshmi (the supreme musician of 20th century Tamil Nadu and known to millions simply by her initials, M.S.) bid farewell to us on December 11th at the age of 88. She is on route to moksha – the everlasting celestial palace of angels, dancers and… Read more »
IFT Dec. 10 Press Release
8 Rue Des Pâquis, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland – Tel/Fax: +41 22 732 08 31 – Email:ift /A_T/ bluewin /D_O_T/ ch 10.12.2004 Urgent press statement Government’s suggestions sabotaging the Tamil people’s struggle for equlity and justice International Federation of Tamils (IFT), a confederation of Tamil organizations around the world, urges the President of Sri… Read more »
Child Soldiers and Sunny Beaches
by Ravi Gowribalan, December 16, 2004 Many Tamils once believed that the Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) play an important role in helping the people in the war-affected areas of Tamil Eelam. During the ceasefire, we have seen a dramatic upsurge in the number of international NGOs in Tamil areas and their interest in Tamil affairs… Read more »
Contempt of Court
by Wakeley Paul, Esq., December 16, 2004 The decision of the Sri Lankan Supreme Court Of Sri Lanka finding a politician guilty of contempt, clearly indicates that the Sri Lankan Constitution does not guarantee freedom of speech, a concept which was never referred to in the court’s judgment. One must, however, realize that there were… Read more »
The International Community & Tamils
The True Face of the International Community & a Rational Response from the Tamils of Eelam by Siva Muthulingasamy, UK, December 16, 2004 The International Community(IC) is all united by just one common objective, a World Trade monopoly. They work in partnership with the US, like “the good cop bad cop” duo in a Hollywood… Read more »