by Roy Ratnavel; originally published February 11, 2004 “Will someone tell me what the hell this is about?” — Rock Hudson at the Los Angeles premiere of 2001: A Space Odyssey There is no denying that the political arena in Sri Lanka has been filled with unpleasant aromas recently. In addition to manufactured geopolitical fears, Tamils… Read more »
Tamil Parties Cannot Play Coy in a Corner
by Taraki; Daily Mirror, Colombo, February 11, 2004 The Tamil National Alliance has been made out to be more than what it actually is. If not for a variety of external pressures, it would have imploded at inception. Contrary to the chief myth about the TNA – that it is managed by the Liberation Tigers –… Read more »
Sri Lanka Scene: An Opportunity Tamils Should Not Miss
by T. Sabaratnam; originally published February 10, 2004 Weekly Review An Opportunity Tamils Should Not Miss Tamil politicians and analysts view the April 2 parliamentary election as a golden opportunity Sinhala chauvinism has bestowed on the Tamils. They are pleased that the LTTE has already seized the opportunity and won the international community’s acclaim by declaring… Read more »
Getting the Education & Credentials to Advance Your Career in the US
Asylees, Refugees and Asylum-seekers, You are invited to attend… The Action Network for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers Informational Meeting “ADVANCE YOUR CAREER! Getting the Education and Credentials to Work in Your Field in the US” (Plus updates on the “We Want Green Cards Campaign”.) SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21, 1:30pm Guest Speaker Catherine Casey will discuss the EMPLOYMENT… Read more »
The Enduring Power of Traditional Art
by Janadas Devan; The Straits Times, February 1, 2004 SHIVA-NATARAJA, the Lord of the Dance, is a metaphysic in stone – or bronze or copper or whatever material it happens to be made from, the material being immaterial to its meaning. Janadas Devan The features of Shiva-Nataraja have symbolic signifiance but sadly, many Hindus have forgotten… Read more »
The People’s Sovereignty
by George Soros; Foreign Policy, New York, January/February 2004 The People’s Sovereignty How a new twist on an old idea can protect the world’s most vulnerable populations George Soros is a financier and philanthropist. Sovereignty is an anachronistic concept originating in bygone times when society consisted of rulers and subjects, not citizens. It became the cornerstone… Read more »
Projects Needed for Vanni Tech Graduates
originally published February 5, 2004 Greetings from VanniTech, As you may know, our students will be finishing up their studies on February 13, 2004. As we prepare them for real life, we would like to get projects that would create employment for them. We already have some website projects from Canada. We are working on… Read more »
War or Recognition of Realities on the Ground?
by Wakeley Paul; originally published February 5, 2004 WHAT’S NEXT ? WAR OR RECOGNITION OF REALITIES ON THE GROUND The question that confronts everyone, Tamils, Sinhalese and the international community is, how long are the Sinhalese parties in parliament intending to maintain the current stalemate? While nothing happens, who suffers more than the Sinhalese people? The… Read more »
Open Letter to US Secretary of State
by Appuacci; originally published February 5, 2004 Dear Mr. Secretary, Today is February 4, 2004; the day Britain handed over the reins of government to the people of Sri Lanka (the former Ceylon). Lord Soulbury, in a Foreword to the book A Divided Nation by B. H. Farmer, showed his bitter disappointment at the direction Ceylon took during… Read more »
Barriers to Equality of Educational Opportunity in Sri Lanka
by Meera Pathmarajah; originally published February 5, 2004 Meera Pathmarajah is a graduate student at Harvard University Graduate School of Education, pursuing a Master of Education Degree in International Education Policy. This paper was written for her final project in a class titled ‘Education Policy Analysis and Research in Developing Countries’, taught by Professor Fernando Reimers…. Read more »
Batticaloa Summer Camp Seeks Volunteers
by Meera Pathmarajah; originally published February 5, 2004 We are currently recruiting volunteers to staff the 2004 VISIONS leadership camp, which will take place from July 14th-August 1st at the St. Johns Girls Home in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka. Volunteers must provide their own air-fare to Sri Lanka. Food and lodging will be provided free for volunteers… Read more »
Pirapaharan, Chapter 29: The Indian Interest
by T. Sabaratnam; originally published February 4, 2004 29. The Indian Interest Trincomalee Problem The interest RAW officials showed in the Trincomalee harbour helped Pirapaharan to figure out the puzzle. He knew that New Delhi was concerned about its security and had an aspiration to become the regional power. Its interest in the Sri Lankan… Read more »
Is She Truly Sovereign?
by Taraki; Daily Mirror, Colombo, originally published February 4, 2004 Sri Lanka is not a sovereign state. Firstly it does not enjoy sovereignty over its external affairs. Secondly, it cannot exercise its sovereignty over the full extent of territory over which it claims a sovereign right. Thirdly, a section of the people in whom, according to… Read more »
P. Ramanathan
by Unknown; published February 4, 2004 Tamil man who might have changed the fate of the tamils but failed The path to Independence With the surrender of the Kandyan kingdom to the British in 1815, Sri Lanka lost her independence. The last king, Sri Wickrema Rajasinghe was deposed and the Kandyan kingdom was vested in the sovereign… Read more »
Sri Lanka Scene: India to Delay Signing
by T. Sabaratnam; originally published February 3, 2004 Weekly Review 2 February 2004 India to delay signing the Defence Agreement India has decided to delay the signing of the Indo-Sri Lanka Defence Agreement, Colombo-based Indian diplomats said. This information was conveyed to President Chandrika Kumaratunga by Indian High Commissioner Nirupam Sen during the one and… Read more »
Help US Asylum Seekers: 4 Things You Can Do
by Human Rights First; published February 3, 2004 Dear Friends, Do you know hundreds of Sri Lankan Tamil asylum seekers are detained in INS (DHS) detention centers around the country, and some of them for two years? Do you ever wonder what it would be like to go through the asylum seeking process? Do you have… Read more »
Britain Puts UN Child Soldier Plan on Hold
by Reuters; London, February 1, 2004 UNITED NATIONS: Britain, angered that Northern Ireland appears on a UN list of countries where youths are recruited as soldiers in “armed conflicts,” has put on hold UN plans to crack down on the use of child warriors, diplomats said on Wednesday. Britain has asked Olara Otunnu, the UN special… Read more »
Thinakural Cartoon
by Thinakural, Colombo, January 30, 2004 First Man: Why are you in such a hurry to make a defense pact with India? Second Man: When the international community is seeking to find a just solution for the minorities, the only country that can help us to sabotage this is India! Originally published February 1, 2004
An Ayodhya in the Making in Lanka
by Dr. Jayadeva Uyangoda; Daily Mirror, Colombo, January 30, 2004 PA and the UNF are not taking adequate political action to counter politics of militant Sinhalese nationalism One of the most disturbing developments occurred during the past few weeks has been the acceleration of attacks on Catholic and Christian churches as well as places of worship…. Read more »
Lessons to be Learnt from the LTTE
by Rajkumar Sivapatham; TamilCanadian, January 30, 2004 Lessons to be learnt from LTTE by Tamils For years, the Tamils (no matter whether they are from India, Sri Lanka or any other part of the world) have been longing for a leadership that make them proud. There has not been any such organisation which made an impact… Read more »