by Jayadeva Uyangoda, ‘The Sunday Observer,’ Colombo, July 8, 2018 There are two new developments in Sri Lanka’s contemporary politics which is getting crystalized and clearer these days. They are: (a) the consolidation of a hard right-wing alternative to a weak and shaky democratic regime option, and (b) the projection of an ex-military officer as… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Other
PT: Missing Accountability for War Crimes
by Pasumai Thaayagam, Chennai, July 2018 PT-MISSING ACCOUNTABILITY-SriLanka-VNR Delivered to UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF), 09 to 18 July 2018, New York. SUMMARY The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has submitted the Report of Sri Lanka Voluntary National Review (VNR) on 18 June 2018. The report will be presented at the HLPF… Read more »
ITJP: List of May 18, 2009 Disappeared
by International Truth & Justice Project Sri Lanka, South Africa, accessed May 23, 2018 http://www.disappearance.itjpsl.com/#lang=english This website remembers the Disappeared in Sri Lanka. Initially we are listing those who disappeared in army custody in the final days of the war in May 2009. Please email additional information/corrections to: itjpsl /A_T/ gmail /D_O_T/ com NOTE: There can be… Read more »
MP Sampanthan’s Speech on Local Elections
by MP Sampanthan in Parliament, February 19, 2018 Excerpt: Local election results by district – http://lgelections2018.dailymirror.lk/election/localauthorities/TM/10 ——————————– MP Sampanthan’s Speech on the interim report of the Steering committee of the Constitutional Assembly on 1st November 2017
Discrimination in 2018
by Sanjana Hattotuwa on his blog, January 14, 2018 It’s the little things that matter the most. Google in Sri Lanka now defaults to Sinhala. Whenever you access a Google Form, the interface by default is in Sinhala. Whenever you use Google Maps, road, place and now even names of famous buildings, are rendered in… Read more »
Comments on Articles on New Constitution
by Veluppilai Thangavelu, October 23, 2017 from Thamilvaddam discussion group # 4708 COMMENT on ‘Battling for a New Constitution’ In the first place Jayampathy Wickremaratne is not a Minister. He is an appointed MP. So why quote Jayampathy Wickremaratne and why not quote Mahinda Rajapaksa, former President, has said about the current constitutional process? That… Read more »
[US] Learning to Live With a Changing World Map
By JOSHUA KEATING The NY Times SEPT. 22, 2017 (Print Edition on Sept. 25, 2017 has the title: The U.S. Likes the World Map the Way It Is.) (Sangam’s Observation: Any reference to Tamil Freedom struggle for Eelam in Sri Lanka is missing. Internationally assisted genocide of more than 140,000 Tamil civilians to suppress independence… Read more »
Amnesty: “Disappearances & Political Killings: Human Rights Crisis of the 1990s’
A MANUAL FOR ACTION by Amnesty International, London, September, 1993 Amnesty 1993 disappearance murder as techniques of counterinsurgency asa370131993en Sri Lanka: “Disappearance” and murder as techniques of counter-insurgency EXTERNAL (for general distribution) AI Index: ASA 37/13/93 Distr: SC/CO/CC No. of words: 4700 ————————- Amnesty International International Secretariat 1 Easton Street London WC1X 8DJ United Kingdom… Read more »
Violence against Religious Minorities in Sri Lanka
by UCAN (Catholic News Asia) in Vatican Radio, May 26, 2017 http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2017/05/26/violence_against_religious_minorities_in_sri_lanka/1314905 Human rights groups, religious leaders, lawmakers and the United Nations have all called on the Sri Lankan government to take immediate action against sectarian violence and growing tensions in northern and eastern Sri Lanka. The groups blame the government for failing to halt… Read more »
Sri Lanka’s Crumbling Credibility
By: Kumarathasan Rasingam, April 29, 2017 — The credibility of Sri Lanka in relation to the settlement of the 60 year old ethnic problem of Tamils can be judged from the fate of several pacts, agreements and undertakings which were made from 1956 to 2009 and the Sri Lankan Governments unwillingness to comply with the… Read more »
Trade in South Asia: A Disconnected Region
CSIS interactive map of transportation projects, “Reconnecting Asia” – https://reconnectingasia.csis.org/map/ including rehabilitation of the Talaimannar Railroad spur, etc. 2012 UNCTAD paper on the “Political Economy of Regional Integration in South Asia” – http://unctad.org/en/PublicationsLibrary/ecidc2013misc1_bp5.pdf Graphic by World Bank, accessed April 24, 2017 at http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2016/05/24/the-potential-of-intra-regional-trade-for-south-asia
UN System Owes Sri Lankan Tamils Remedial Justice
For its failures in delivering justice and to protect them during the genocidal war from 2004 to 2009 by Kumarathasan Rasingam, January 10, 2017 “In the end, it comes down to values, as was said so many times today. We want the world our children inherit to be defined by the values enshrined in the… Read more »
Sri Lanka At A Crossroads – A Tamil Perspective
by Suren Surendiran, ‘Colombo Telegraph,’ December 18, 2016 Suren Surendiran January 2015 saw one of the worst tyrannies in the history of Sri Lanka come to an abrupt end. The unexpected was realised through the ballot and not through bullet. President Maithripala Sirisena swept to power with 51.2% of the vote compared with his rival… Read more »
Why Facebook Won’t Help Heal War Torn Sri Lanka’s Wounds
by Senel Wanniarachchi, ‘The Sunday Leader,’ Colombo, November 6, 2016 Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, one of the world’s most protracted and destructive conflicts of our time was brought to a bloody, military end in May of 2009. Seven years have passed since, but the communities in the country remain divided along narrow ethno-religious lines. In… Read more »
Judge Reduces Jail Sentence over Haunting ‘Injustice’ in Sri Lanka Case
by John Marzulli, New York Daily News, October 13, 2016 Brooklyn judge reduces convicted terror trio’s jail sentence over haunting ‘injustice’ in Sri Lanka case Judge Raymond J. Dearie (pictured) has reduced the sentence of three Canadian nationals with ties to Tamil Tigers after admitting the haunting Sri Lanka case “has just taken over my… Read more »
What Have You Done with My Husband?
By Ananthi Sasitharan as told to and with additional reporting by Melissa Petro | Comic by Danielle Chenette, ‘Narratively,’ August 12, 2016 As Sri Lanka’s bitter civil war ground to a bloody end, many rebel leaders disappeared, never to be seen again. Seven years later, one wife wants answers. In October 2015, the United Nations… Read more »
A Reality Check
by Prof. Jayadeva Uyangoda, published in ‘Groundviews,’ Colombo, July 15, 2016 Text of the presentation at the seminar on “Peace and Reconciliation & Nation-Building”, organized by the Association for Social Development and held at Organization of professional Associations Auditorium, Colombo, on July 10, 2016. I share the basic premise on which the theme of this… Read more »
Xavier was my Saviour
by M.K. Eelaventhan, July 12, 2016 J.R. Jeyawardena brought this draconian legislation in 1979 to wipeout the so-called terrorism. In his declaration he said wipeout terrorism on or before 31st December 1979. I was kept in the Jaffna military camp housed at the old kachcheri premises and later I was transferred to the Jaffna Prisons housed… Read more »
The American Hug
Fundamental military alignments with US, taking place without open debate, may foreclose India’s options.
Pressing Your Case: Nonviolent Movements and the Media
Introduction by Nada Alwadi Organizers and strategists of nonviolent movements often struggle in dealing with the mainstream news media. Some consider it their enemy, because coverage can be patchy or inaccurate. Others unrealistically expect the media to advocate for their causes. Yet few resources for activists have provided a reliable explanation of how an… Read more »