Words imply literacy, knowledge and awareness; words preserve and pass on history; words communicate experience and so create understanding… In this tragic and terrible situation, the creative energy of Tamils also finds expression – testimony or resistance – in Art; more precisely, in fiction, autobiography, poetry, song, painting and film.
Sri Lanka Countries with High Religious Hostility
In some countries, violence toward religious minorities intensified from the levels reported in previous years. In Buddhist-majority Sri Lanka, for example, monks attacked Muslim and Christian places of worship, including reportedly attacking a mosque in the town of Dambulla in April 2012 and forcibly occupying a Seventh-day Adventist church in the town of Deniyaya and converting it into a Buddhist temple in August 2012
The Sentinel Project for Genocide Prevention’s Report
Almost five years later, the risk of mass atrocities in Sri Lanka remains high. This report addresses some of the underlying sources of the risk of mass atrocities that represent a threat to human security in Sri Lanka.
Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka: 2006-2013
2 Comments This is a summary of a longer report. Please download it as a PDF here or read it online here. All photos taken and provided by the author.Introduction According to Article 7, paragraph 2(i) of the Rome Statute[1], an Enforced disappearance is defined as “…the arrest, detention or abduction of persons by, or with the authorization, support… Read more »
Fury in Sri Lanka at U.S. Embassy Tweet on Killing of Tamils
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defense expressed shock and anger on Friday atwhat it called a “baseless allegation” against the nation’s military in a photo caption posted on the official Twitter feed of the United States Embassy the day before. The photograph showed the American ambassador to Sri Lanka, Michele J. Sison, and Stephen J. Rapp, the United… Read more »
Colonization Schemes
by Hon.R.Sampanthan-MP, TNAPolitics.org, December 15, 2013 I am happy to follow the Minister, the Hon. Janaka Bandara Tennakoon, who, I think, in the course of his statement referred to the multifarious problems that exist in the North and the East pertaining to State land. I will be dealing with some of these issues in the course… Read more »
Art Buchwald Humor Awards for 2013
The seventh death anniversary of humorist Art Buchwald (1925-2007) falls on January 17th. And for this occasion, I also release the 5th consecutive list of news-making 15 individuals who are natives to South Asia region, for 2013. These selections are based on the words or deeds performed by the chosen individuals during 2013, as indicated… Read more »
A List of Commissions and Committees Appointed by GoSL (2006- 2013)
by Centre for Policy Alternatives, Colombo 9 January 2014, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) has produced a table that contains basic information pertaining to Commissions of Inquiry (CoI) and committees appointed by the Government since coming into power in November 2005. Section I of the table examines the CoI and Section… Read more »
26 Victims Exhumed in Mannar
by TamilNet, January 6, 2013 Some of the victims slain in the mass grave at Thirukkeathessvaram in Mannaar have been shot after being ordered to stand up straight inside the bunkers, according to those who witnessed the excavation of the mass grave in Mannaar. Of the four more skeletons recovered on Friday, one skull was found… Read more »
The Military, The Minorities, And Neo-Fascism
So, President MR could go down in history for enabling the defeat of the LTTE and also for preventing the military coming to power, but the second achievement – as I pointed out in my first paragraph above – is of an ambiguous and provisional order. …
Perhaps all this is a consequence of the dilemma facing the Government: what peacetime role should be assigned to a conquering army?
Cooking Blogs
Some interesting food & cooking blogs. Please suggest your favorites to be added to the list. Sri Lankan Cusine at http://srilankancuisine.wordpress.com/…includes such essentials as Jaffna curry powder. My Tamil Kitchen at http://mytamilkitchen.com/ Sri Lanka Recipes at http://www.srilankanrecipes.info/recipes/index.aspx Rice and Curry at http://riceandcurry.wordpress.com/ The Feast for All at http://thefeastforall.com/ Malini’s Kitchen at http://www.infolanka.com/recipes/index.html Tamil Festivals is no longer active, but has many… Read more »
Tamil Council to Count Sri Lanka War Casualties
COLOMBO, December 26, 2013 (AFP) – The provincial government in Sri Lanka’s main Tamil region said Thursday it would compile its own death toll from the country’s ethnic war, saying an ongoing census would play down the number of casualties. Tamil officials said the census ordered by President Mahinda Rajapakse last month would give a… Read more »
Message from 55 Tamil Organizations
With our diverse backgrounds we are united in working for our people who have been oppressed by the successive Sri Lankan regimes since “independence” in 1948, and pledge to work against the continuing oppression of the Tamil Nation…and fully commit ourselves to mobilize the International Community to establish an independent international investigation by the United Nations to investigate war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide against the Tamils.
Who are Sri Lanka’s Disappeared?
Sri Lanka’s civil war is officially over, but people are still being “disappeared” – vanishing without a trace, often, allegedly, in the state’s unmarked white vans. Video at http://bcove.me/lfeljkyh After Iraq, Sri Lanka has the highest number of enforced disappearances in the world, the United Nations has said. The latest report from the UN’s working group on enforced… Read more »
MGR Remembered – Part 13
by Sachi Sri Kantha, December 22, 2013 Part 12 Thoughts of Three Readers I provide the thoughts of three readers of this series, and my responses to them. In an email that I received on Nov.8, a reader Manickam Miller from Chennai wrote the following: “Your details and non-traditional perception of things interested me. I… Read more »
An Open Letter to DBS Jeyaraj
Re your article ‘Tussle in North between Governor and Chief Minister’ In your 10 page essay you have given copious criticisms of the elected Tamil Justice Wigneswaran, but none for the ex military Singhalese governor. Don’t you think Chandrasri and Rajapakse also need your wisdom? You seem to presume that Chandrsri and Rajapakse are infallible and can do no wrong,… Read more »
2006 Report by SLHRC Special Rapporteur on Conflict-Related HR Violations
Sri Lanka HRC 2006 report A report written by Sri Lanka’s Human Rights Commission’s Special Rapporteur on Conflict-Related Human Rights Violations that was never publicly released. The report covers 1.) Abduction of TRO staff 2.) Killing of 5 students at Trincomalee 3.) Rape and murder of Elayathamby Tharsini 4.) Killing of Kattankudy Divisional Secretary 5.)… Read more »
Towards Reconciliation and Rebuilding of our Nation
Catholic Bishops Conference Sri Lanka Pastoral-Letter Dec 2013 Sri Lanka is at the cross roads of a possible new beginning after a disastrous 30 year conflict which did bring much suffering and pain to all our people of every race and religion, the effects of which are sƟll being felt and causes the emergence of… Read more »
Tamil Tragedy
by Bhekuzulu Khumalo, ‘Washington Times’ Communities blog, December 12, 2013 WASHINGTON, December 12, 2013 — Congress recently created the Congressional Caucus on Ethnic and Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka. The Caucus was initiated by efforts of Congressmen Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Danny Davis (D-IL). The objective of the Caucus is to bring the attention of the… Read more »
Indictment of Sri Lanka War Criminals and Violations of Human Rights
Incriminating evidence of serious war crimes and violations of human rights against Tamils minority by the Sri Lankan (read Singhalese) government and individuals is inexorably piling up. Gothabaya Rajapakse, unelected Defense Secretary and brother of President Rajapakse is the number one war criminal to be prosecuted. His brothers President Mahinda Rajapakse, Basil Rajapakse, Chamal Rajapakse,… Read more »