Posts Categorized: International

Diaspora Circulation and Transnationalism

As Agents for Change in the Post-Conflict Zones of Sri Lanka R. Cheran of the Dept. of Sociology and Refugee Studies of York University, Toronto has written a paper entitled “Diaspora Circulation and Transnationalism as Agents for Change in the Post Conflict Zones of Sri Lanka” which does exactly what sociology is supposed to: observe… Read more »

Good Government: You Can Put a Value to It

By Janadas Devan, Straits Times, Singapore, August 2004 WHY did Singapore succeed and so many other post-colonial states didn’t? The answer to that question often takes the form of a litany: Singapore got the fundamentals right – political stability, meritocracy, an incorruptible administration. It instituted the rule of law, ensuring the sanctity of contracts and… Read more »

Vaiko Reiterates Support to LTTE, Not to Seek Bail

by NewIndPress.com, August 4, 2004 CHENNAI: MDMK general secretary Vaiko on Wednesday reiterated his support to LTTE’s activities in Sri Lanka, stating that the Tigers were only fighting for a genuine cause in that country. Speaking to mediapersons outside the POTA Special Court at Poonamallee, he said, “The LTTE is the only organisation which has… Read more »

Sri Lankan Attack on Norway’s Peace Effort

by Brian Senewiratne,  MA (Camb),MD(Lond),FRCP(Lond),FRACP(Lond), Consultant Physician, Brisbane, Australia , August 16, 2004 A group calling itself “The World Alliance for Peace in Sri Lanka” is meeting on 20 August 2004 in Oslo to attack the Norwegian peace initiative in Sri Lanka.  The behind-the-scenes hand of the Sri Lankan Government is clearly visible.  If the flyer is anything… Read more »

WAPS’ Activities Expose Sri Lankan Government’s Duplicity

Vis-à-vis the peace process by Dr. Victor Rajakulendran, Sydney, Australia, August 18, 2004 After the Sri Lankan Security Forces (SLSF) experienced major setbacks in their efforts to crush the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)in the ‘War for Peace’ strategy of President Chandrika Kumaratunge, both the President and the LTTE realised that the 20-year long conflict… Read more »

Singapore Must Not Alienate its Brightest

by Ngiam Tong Dow, Straits Times, Singapore, August 15, 2004 Comments from M. Thiru: As a Tamil I could draw parallels when the concerns of this article come to the population sisze and why our own talents are important. We SL Tamils & the diaspora are a small-sized population and our problems are numerous. So… Read more »

Mapuche Indians in Chile Struggle to Take Back Forests

by Larry Rohter, The New York Times, August 11, 2004 Before the conquistadors arrived, and even for centuries afterward, the lush, verdant forests of southern Chile belonged to the Mapuche people. Today, though, tree farms stretch in all directions here, property of timber companies that supply lumber to the United States, Japan and Europe. But… Read more »

Creating the Right Environment to Take the Peace Forward

The Norway facilitators creating  the right environment to take the peace efforts forward by Kaddurai, Thinnakural, August 9, 2004 (translation from the original Tamil by Thiru) All of us know how the Sinhalese ruling class has given assurances to Tamils since Sir Ponnampalam Ramanathan’s era and how the Sinhalese ruling class has gone back on such… Read more »

Sangam Press Release

Date: August 9, 2004 Title: Statements attributed to the Sangam on the John Kerry Presidential Campaign are not factual. Press Release Sangam ITS August 2004

Politics of Dissension and Divergence

National Day Message 2004 from Singapore’s PM Politics of Dissension and Divergence -Flying Singapore Higher- Straits Times, Singapore, August 8, 2004 [During the 1960’s, Singapore wanted to emulate the success of Sri Lanka.  Forty years have passed, and one can see the role reversal caused by contrasting leadership skills.] Excerpts: In other countries, the politicians… Read more »

The Americanization of Chennai

The Best Job in Town – The Americanization of Chennai by Katherine Boo, The New Yorker, July 5, 2004 Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha ..the British practised overt colonialism. The Americans are now into covert colonialism. Doing anything in covert fashion is the American style. Overt racism is out; but covert racism is thriving…. Read more »

International Community and Proxy War Against Tamils

By Rajkumar Sivapatham, July 17, 2004 [Editorial comment: Present  proxy war against Tamil freedom struggle is nothing but another obstacle along our path to freedom. Proverbial ploy: “Rocking the cradle ( peace talks) and pinching the baby (proxy war)” is not rocket science to Tamils. Nevertheless the writer expresses his unhappiness and enlightens us on… Read more »

Greasing Up to the Power

By George Monbiot, The Guardian, UK, July 13, 2004 [An editorial comment: Modern media can not be expected to play an objective role in presenting the grievances of a community with weak lobbying power. Monbiot’s analysis of power structures that distort and subjugate people around the globe is very eduational. It is relevant to the… Read more »

India Looks East

India is really looking towards the East now by Pranay Gupte, Straits Times, Singapore, June 17, 2004 NEW DELHI – ‘We always said, ‘Look East’, but then we would go West,’ Mr Jairam Ramesh was saying in his small ground-floor office here over the weekend. ‘Now India wants to go East and also have the… Read more »

Playing with Indian Fire

by Rajkumar Sivapatham, June 14, 2004 As expected by the Tamils, the Sri Lankan president is at her tricks again. That is – giving the impression that she is ready for peace talks in one hand and totally rejecting them on the other. So far, this tactic has worked very well with her Sinhalese political friends… Read more »

The Time has Come to ‘Lock Horns’

by Adrian Wijemanne, June 11, 2004 1. This is the infelicitous phrase to describe the peace talks used by Foreign Minister Kadiragamar in his recent address at a meeting in Washington D.C. convened by the Brookings Institution.  There is a combative fervour about the phrase, as if the conference table were another battlefield.  Memories of… Read more »

Kurds Win Round on Constitution

By Dexter Filkins, The New York Times, June 10, 2004 BAGHDAD, Iraq, June 9 — Prime Minister Iyad Allawi said Wednesday that his government would adhere to the interim constitution agreed to in March until elections are held next year, in an effort to defuse, at least temporarily, a looming crisis with the Kurdish leadership…. Read more »

Don’t Know, Should Care

by Jeffrey D. Sachs, New York Times, June 5, 2004. Our ability to understand what exists before and after wars in low-income countries is nearly nonexistent. George Tenet’s resignation this week came after failures of American intelligence in the Iraq war as well as in the lead-up to the Sept. 11 attacks. But the government’s… Read more »