by Shrey Khanna, The Print, New Delhi, January 17, 2022 Anti-China sentiment among the Sinhalese allows China to influence the Tamil north. This time, through the fishermen crisis. The arrest of more than 60 Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy last month created a political stir in Tamil Nadu. The state’s fishermen are continuing their indefinite strike from 19 December,… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Politics
China Sits on the Sidelines of Peace Efforts
Despite High Stakes in Ethiopia by Joseph Sany, Ph.D. & Thomas P. Sheehy, US Institute for Peace, Washington, DC, January 19, 2022 Since November of 2020, Ethiopia has been suffering from a deadly internal conflict that has claimed an estimated 50,000 lives and displaced over two million. The United States, the African Union and others… Read more »
Friend or Foe? China Ventures into the Tamil Homeland
Tamil Guardian editorial, London, December 24, 2021 Last week China’s ambassador to Sri Lanka made his first visit to the North-East, in an interesting venture to the Tamil homeland. Qi Zhenhong went to great lengths to ingratiate himself with the Tamil people. The ambassador’s efforts ranged from visiting the historic Jaffna Library where he donated laptops and… Read more »
A United Voice for a Referendum for Eelam Tamils
by Kumarathasan Rasingam, Secretary, Tamil Canadian Elders for Human Rights Org., January 21, 2022 “A people who are subjugated by an alien people have the inherent right to free themselves from such alien subjugation” It is the right which is the right of self determination – A right which has today become a peremptory norm… Read more »
Did You Come with the Pongal Package, Brother?
by Nillanthan in his blog, January 16, 2022 [translated from the Tamil by Google Translate with some edits] Sajit Premadasa had arranged a meeting in Jaffna last Tuesday. The meeting was organized by the National Organization for Professionals and the Intellectuals Forum in support of the United People’s Power Alliance. Scholars from the University of… Read more »
2022 – Tamil Eelam Politics?
by Jathindra, Samakalam, January 2, 2022 [translated from the Tamil by Google Translate with some edits] There is a claim in Naladiyar (a Tamil poetic anthology written 100 CE) “All the days that pass are your lifetime.” Does this apply to our politics? Because in a political struggle – as the years go by, people… Read more »
Seven Tamil Parties Seek Modi’s Help for Implementing 13-A in Full
by DBS Jeyaraj, Daily Mirror, Colombo, January 8, 2022 In a significant political move, seven political parties mainly representing the Sri Lankan Tamils of the Northern and Eastern provinces have written a joint letter to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking his help to fully implement the provisions of the 13th amendment to the Constitution…. Read more »
Sumanthiran Charts Way Forward
by Marianne David, The Morning, Colombo, January 8, 2022 No need to reinvent the wheel in constitution making No response on building consensus on previous processes US will take leading role on Sri Lanka at UNHRC once again ‘One Country, One Law’ opposite to promises give to world TNA still awaiting meeting with Prez on… Read more »
Tamil Timing
Coming crack-up, President’s plans and Tamil timing by Dayan Jayatilleke, Daily FT, Colombo, January 6, 2022 … Tamil talks: Last trainThe process of negotiation among the Tamil and Muslim parties over a consensus document to be addressed to India with regard to the Accord and the 13th amendment in light of the coming Constitution, has… Read more »
‘Executive Authoritarianism’ as Sri Lanka’s New Political Normal since COVID-19
by Jayadeva Uyangoda, Social Scientists Association, Colombo. October 2020 or shortly thereafter The ways in which countries from the global North to the global South have politically managed the unprecedented public health emergency situation brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has both national and global dimensions, have given rise to much anxiety among democratic… Read more »
Planning the New Year
by Nillanthan on his blog, January 1, 2022 [translated from the Tamil by Google Translate with some edits] What awaits in a new political year? Or what to do? The decision can be a continuation of the last year, so the new year can be planned based on a compiled estimate of the previous year…. Read more »
Activating the Dormant 13th Amendment of 1987
by Thambu Kanagasabai – Former Lecturer in Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, January 26, 2022 The 1987 13th Amendment, a conceived and delivered baby of India under the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 for adoption by Sri Lanka, has been lying in the constitution of Sri Lanka partly implemented and mostly ignored by the… Read more »
The Tamils are the Original Inhabitants of Sri Lanka
by CV. Wigneswaran, Colombo Telegraph, December 16, 2021 C. V. Wigneswaran Someone asked me; We read in the press your response to a question recently. You seem to be making sweeping statements about the Sinhalese. As far as we know the Sinhalese were the original inhabitants of this Island and the Tamils came in the… Read more »
Myanmar Coup: Military Regime Seeks to Weaponize Religion
In a propaganda blitz, the military portrays itself as the guardian of Buddhism and stokes fear of a Muslim takeover. by Billy Ford, Zarchi Oo, US Institute of Peace, Washington, DC, December 16, 2021 Ten months have passed since Myanmar’s military overthrew the country’s elected government, and by now it’s apparent that arrests, executions, torture… Read more »
TG: Getting Serious on Sri Lanka
Tamil Guardian editorial, London, December 15, 2021 Last week, the United States announced long-overdue travel restrictions on two more accused Sri Lankan war criminals. The move is a step in the right direction and will be welcomed across the globe by those who seek justice on the island. It serves as a reminder to the Sri Lankan… Read more »
Challenging the LTTE’s FTO Listing
by Steve Schneebaum, TGTE’s virtual Parliament sitting, December 4, 2021 Other videos from the sitting at தேசமாய் சிந்திப்போம் நாட்டை உருவாக்குவோம் ! சிறப்புடன் கூடிய நாடுகடந்த தமிழீழ அரசாங்கம் !! – Homeland (tgte-homeland.org)
Wigneswaran: ‘By No Stretch of Imagination’
‘Could you call this country a Sinhala or Sinhala Buddhist Country’ by Daily Mirror Online, Colombo, December 6, 2021 Q Recently in Parliament the words “Tamil Homeland” and “Tamil National Leader Prabhakaran” were used and objected to by the Government Members who wanted those words to be expunged from the Hansard. The Chairman of that… Read more »
TLHR Hearing: Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka
by Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, US House of Representatives, Washington, DC, December 8, 2021 Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka | Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (house.gov) Announcement Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic multi-religious state that… Read more »
Remembering the Bandaranaike-Chelvanayakam Pact of 1957
by Tamil Guardian, London, July 26, 2020 Bandaranaike and Chelvanayakam in 1957. On 26th July 1957, Sri Lankan Prime Minister SWRD Bandaranaike and the leader of the Federal Party SJV Chelvanayakam signed a deal, that contained provisions for the recognition of Tamil as the language of administration for the Northern and Eastern provinces, which came to be… Read more »
Meeks, McCaul Urge State Department to Prioritize Political Solution
in Engagement with Sri Lanka by US House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair & Ranking Member, December 3, 2021 https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/2021/12/meeks-mccaul-urge-state-department-to-prioritize-political-solution-in-engagement-with-sri-lanka Washington, DC – Today, Representatives Gregory W. Meeks and Michael McCaul, Chair and Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken urging the Administration to prioritize in… Read more »