Kothamangalam Subbu’s Poem on Jaffna Tamils by Sachi Sri Kantha, July 17, 2019 Polymath Poet Kothamangalam Subbu (1910-1974) has a reputation which many cannot easily match. Apart from being a poet, he was also a movie actor – director, lyricist, script writer, novelist, short story writer, folk lore expert and an exponent in Villu Paatu,… Read more »
Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 28
Prelude to eruption By K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 27 The British Governor, Sir Herbert Stanley (1927-1931), opened the parliament building fronting the ocean at Galle Face, Colombo, on January 29, 1930. It was designed for meetings of the Legislative Council, and subsequently the State Council (1931-1947). Initially, it seated… Read more »
Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 27
Horsewhip Amirthalingham By KT Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 26 Sri Lankan President JR Jayewardene, outlined his plans to appoint district ministers for all the 24 districts. It is believed that earlier in August 1978, in the course of a conversation with Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) leader S Thondaman, Jayewardene outlined his… Read more »
No Justice for ‘Trinco 5’
Joint statement by Amnesty International, London & Human Rights Watch, New York, July 9, 2019 A magistrate in the northeastern town of Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, acquitted all 13 defendants in the execution of five ethnic Tamil students on January 2, 2006, known as the “Trinco Five” case, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said today. On… Read more »
FeTNA & World Tamil Conference 2019
[2020 FeTNA will take place in Atlanta, GA over Fourth of July.] World Tamil Conference schedule – https://www.icsts10.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/ICSTS_Seminar_Schedule_05312019_v002a.pdf FeTNA pictures – https://www.facebook.com/fetnaconvention/ Dance before Parade of Sangams – https://www.facebook.com/bayareatamilmanram/videos/613844709104196/
Time for Recognition of Sri Lanka’s Genocide
by Thambu Kanagasabai, LLM [Lond.] Former Lecturer in Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 9, 2019 Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka, including structural genocide, commenced in 1948 soon after the independence. As defined in the United Nations Genocide Convention of 1948, genocide includes “ killing members of the group, or causing serious bodily… Read more »
Shifting the Blame
by Harini Amarasuriya, Himal, Colombo, June 20 2019 A minority is framed again to cover Sri Lanka’s fault lines, in wake of the Easter attacks. Photo: Francisco Anzola / Flickr Much has been and continues to be said and done, since the Easter Attacks in Sri Lanka on 21 April, that killed over 250 individuals…. Read more »
13 STF Members Acquitted of Trinco Five Killings
by Tamil Guardian, London, July 3, 2019 Trincomalee Chief Magistrate, M.Hansa, delivered the verdict today acquitting 13 Special Task Force members who were suspected of executing five Tamil youth whilst they spent an afternoon at Trincomalee beach on 2 January 2006. Fifteen charges were filed against suspects and they were released due to the lack… Read more »
Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 26
When conflict turns to terror By K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 25 The most important order of business for the new government headed by J R Jayewardene was the drawing up of a new Constitution. During the opening of Parliament in August 1977, Jayewardene repeated his earlier promise, “an All-Party… Read more »
Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 25
War or peace? by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Time,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 24 The general election for the eighth parliament of Sri Lanka was a turning point in the post-independence history of the country. It brought about marked ethnic polarization. Up to this point, it was distinctly a domestic issue, but after 1977… Read more »
From Sachi’s Files – Chapter 8
My First Foray into Research in Sexuality by Sachi Sri Kantha, June 30, 2019 Forty years had passed since I made a 15 minutes presentation on December 18, 1979 at the 35th Annual Sessions of the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science at the University of Colombo premises, on an ‘eye-catching’ and controversial… Read more »
Amended US Complaint on Torture
by International Truth & Justice Project Sri Lanka, South Africa, and Hausfeld & Co., LLP, Washington, DC, June 27, 2019 Rajapaksa-First-Amended-Complaint-Docket-No-35-6.26.19 27-June-2019-press-release on Amended Complaint TEN SRI LANKANS SUE PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL GOTABAYA RAJAPAKSA FOR HIS ROLE IN TORTURE (Johannesburg, South Africa/Washington, DC) – June 27, 2019 Sri Lanka’s presidential hopeful, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, faces ten new… Read more »
Reign of Sinhala-Buddhist Chauvinism in Sri Lanka
by Thambu Kanagasabai, LLM [Lond.] Former Lecturer in Law University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, June 17, 2019 Sri Lanka’s image as a prosperous and multi-racial peaceful country took a nose dive and u-turn from 1956 with the passing of Sinhala Only Act in 1956, a short-sighted political move by S.W.R.D. Bandaranayake to capture power at… Read more »
EPDP
by Immigration & Refugee Board of Canada, March 17, 2017 https://www.justice.gov/eoir/page/file/1047356/download 3. The Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) Political Handbook of the World 2015 (PHW) states that Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) is a “Tamil-based” party (PHW 2015, 1373). The same source indicates it is a government party and that it “was formed in the… Read more »
Sri Lanka’s Muslims Bloodied by Buddhism
by Ana Pararajasingam, ‘Asia Times,’ Bangkok, June 20, 2019 Sri Lanka has become more fragile, fractured and polarized following the Easter Sunday bomb attacks as the country’s Muslims are harassed and subjected to violence by mobs of Sinhala Buddhists who form the majority of the island’s population. Although those targeted by jihadist violence on Easter… Read more »
Sri Lanka’s Strategic Use of Sexual Violence Against Tamils
by People for Equality and Relief in Lanka, June 19, 2019 International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict: Sri Lanka’s Strategic Use of Sexual Violence Against Tamils (Washington, D.C.; June 19, 2019) – On the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, PEARL condemns Sri Lanka’s ongoing conflict-related sexual… Read more »
Pursuing Accountability for Atrocities
by Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, Washington, DC, June 13, 2019 Announcement Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing to examine accountability for mass atrocities, with a focus on the tools and mechanisms available to the United States government. “Mass atrocities” are defined as large-scale, deliberate attacks against civilians, and include genocide, crimes… Read more »
Canadian House of Commons Passes Motion re Genocide of Tamils
by Canadian Parliament, June 19, 2019 https://openparliament.ca/debates/2019/6/19/cheryl-hardcastle-1/ (halfway down page) Sri Lanka Oral Questions June 19th, 2019 / 3:15 p.m. Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and I am hopeful that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That the House, (a) extend its… Read more »
US Senate Resolution 184 on Sri Lanka
Passed by US Senate, June 10, 2019 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. RES. 184 Condemning the Easter Sunday terrorist attacks in Sri Lanka, offering sincere condolences to the victims, to their families and friends, and to the people and nation of Sri Lanka, and expressing solidarity and support for Sri Lanka. IN THE SENATE… Read more »
Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 24
Tamil militancy – a manifestation by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Tribune,’ Singapore, January 26, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 23 The United Front government faced grave economic difficulties in 1973. It needed economic growth for its rampant nationalization programs. The government took over several business and industrial organizations from the private sector, employing over 100 people,… Read more »