by Rajkumar Sivapatham; published April 20, 2004 Are we getting anywhere with this peace process? After this unwanted election, things in Sri Lanka are getting more unpredictable and funnier. The much-celebrated alliance, the UFPA, is becoming a laughing stock even before the first sitting in the parliament. The SLFP, the almost 50% partner in the UFPA,… Read more »
On the Colombo Run
by Sachi Sri Kantha; published April 19, 2004 On the Colombo run of routed Karuna There is a Tamil proverb which refers to the petty-mindedness of temple priests; ‘Even if the God grants divine munificence, the priest wouldn’t give his blessings’ [Kadavul varam koduthaalum Poosari idam kodaan.]. While two Sinhalese and one Muslim analyst openly stated… Read more »
NGOs in the Tamil Homeland
by LTTE Peace Secretariat, Kilinochchi, accessed April 19, 2004 Major Non Governmental organizations (NGO’s) operating in the Tamil Homeland There are three major NGO’s operating in the Tamil Homelands. These are the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) formed in 1985, The Economic Consultancy House (TECH) formed in 1993 and the Centre for Women’s Development and Rehabilitation… Read more »
‘No Legal Basis for a Constituent Assembly’
by Romesh Abeywickrema; The Sunday Leader, Colombo, April 18, 2004 For the constitution to be amended or replaced a consensus or in other words a two third majority in parliament is an essential requirement says Dr. Nihal Jayawickrama, an expert on constitutional law. By taking part in a constituent assembly, opposition parties are being party to… Read more »
The US & Sri Lanka’s Muslims
by India Abroad News Service (IANS), April 4, 2004 One wonders why the US is being so solicitous of Sri Lanka’s Muslims. There seem to be at least 3 reasons: 1.) A Muslim party was an important constitutent of the last government, so had the information about how the US aid process works, the time… Read more »
In Search of Peace
by V. Gunaratnam; published April 18, 2004 An air of theatre hangs over Sri Lanka as the country is caught up in a chaotic transition process after the general elections. There is a sense of dark plots being hatched, and cloak and dagger things going on behind the scenes, while the UPFA struggles to cobble together… Read more »
Foreign Intervention, Part 2
by Neville Jayaweera; The Sunday Island, Colombo, February 22, 2004 Foreign intervention and Sri Lanka’s changing fortunes Part 2The coming crisis by Nostradamus Part 1 We have seen that for securing the interests, primarily of the US and partly of India and Japan, intervention in Sri Lanka is an imperative. Already, the US’s frenetic interest… Read more »
Foreign Intervention, Part 1
by Neville Jayaweera; The Sunday Island, Colombo, February 15, 2004 The following 2 articles were printed in the February 15, 2004 and February 22, 2004 editions of The Sunday Island under the pseudonym ‘Nostradamus’ and are reprinted here at the request of some of our readers. Foreign intervention and Sri Lanka’s changing fortunes Part 1 Geo-politics of… Read more »
Another Pirabhakaran Knockout
by Sachi Sri Kantha; published April 17, 2004 Nothing but another Pirabhakaran Knockout It’s a good feeling to enter the ring with thousands of people booing you. Especially when you know you can deliver what you predict. -Muhammad Ali [in his autobiography, The Greatest: My Own Story, 1975] Every sport has its own hair-raising magical moments. A… Read more »
Pirapaharan, Chapter 37: Heroic Death of Seelan
by T. Sabaratnam; published April 15, 2004 Dear Readers, With this Chapter I am concluding the first of this 3-volume series. Pirapaharan has entered the scene. From the Thirunelveli ambush Pirapaharan asserts his superiority and gives a new direction to the struggle. At this stage I seek your advice on two matters. First, is it worth… Read more »
Where to, Sri Lanka?
by Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam, Ph.D.; California, published April 15, 2004 PoliticalPartyPosition_4_04 The Voters have elected members of Parliament (MP) and parties who differ on the path and the form of the solution to resolve the Tamil National Question (TNQ). In this essay I will lay out what I think are possible pathways for moving forward toward resolving… Read more »
Tamil Studies, NZ, Press Release
TAMIL STUDIES AND HUMAN RIGHTS TRUST, NZ (INC.)2153A Great North Road, Avondale,Auckland 1007 New Zealand Tel: 64 – 9 – 8202113 R.Selva /A_T/ xtra.co /D_O_T/ nzPRESS RELEASE 09th April 2004 The General Elections held on 2 April 2004 have conveyed through the voting pattern three stark truths. 1. By returning a vitriolic racist alliance –… Read more »
Straw Man
Tamil Guardian editorial; London, April 15, 2004 Straw Man: Karuna’s revolt was overstated and its defeat welcome When the LTTE’s then Special Commander for the Batticaloa-Ampara district declared in early March that he was splitting from the movement and establishing a separate administration in the eastern region, the development was described as the movement’s most… Read more »
Sri Lanka Scene: Revolt Strengthens Pirapaharan
by T. Sabaratnam; Colombo, April 13, 2004 Weekly Review Revolt Strengthens Pirapaharan Fled in a Hurry Karuna’s revolt is now history. It collapsed abruptly. Karuna fled Sunday night in a hurry with a group of about 15 of his confidantes and bodyguards. They escaped in two vehicles. They fled towards the Tharavai-Kudumbimalai region in the Thoppigala… Read more »
SWOT Analysis
by R Shanmugananthan; published April 14, 2004 It was a swift operation commencing Friday. By Monday it was all over. It took only three days to retake the entire liberated lands in Maddu-Amparai. In these three days an area comprising many thousand kilometres have changed hands with minimal disruption to civilian life. Once again the LTTE… Read more »
TNA MPs Pushed Around by SLA
by Surinamala; The Sunday Leader, Colombo, April 10, 2004 PM stakes and the war setting http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20040411/politics.htm ..[T]he events last week could well lead to a situation of a severe backlash from the LTTE given the conduct of the President and the security forces over the five TNA MPs from the Batticaloa and Ampara Districts considered loyal… Read more »
Collapse of Col. Karuna’s Chariot
by Sachi Sri Kantha; published April 13, 2004 Much to the dismay of his local and international handlers [stinking skunks, media-bite specialists and prattling wordsmiths included], Col.Karuna’s war chariot collapsed abysmally. These agents had derived much schadenfreude [a German word, which doesn’t have an appropriate equivalent in English; i.e.,malicious joy in the misfortune of others] pleasure during the… Read more »
Vanni Trip, Section V, Part I
by K. Mylvaganam; Tamil Circle, published April 13, 2004 We are back in the wilderness of concrete blocks and polluted air from the heavenly atmosphere of Vanni. We had a wonderful time with our people there. The place we put up our house is surrounded with hundreds of our boys and girls from the LTTE. They… Read more »
‘Another Fine Job, Well Done’
by Rajkumar Sivapatham; published April 13, 2004 As the new year is born, the situation in the eastern Sri Lanka has changed upside down. The so-called Karuna crisis is effectively over now, as predicted by the people who know the inside out of the Tamil struggle in Sri Lanka. However, for the past 5 weeks or… Read more »
Tribute to M.K. Eelaventhan
by Sachi Sri Kantha; published April 12, 2004 M.K.Eelaventhan – A Tribute to a Mentor It is gladdening to read in the TamilNet news of April 9th that Mr.M.K.Eelaventhan has been officially nominated by the Tamil National Alliance as one of the two national list parliamentarians, through the Thamil Arasu Katchchi (ITAK). What a turn of events for… Read more »