It is difficult to envisage delivering a lecture to commemorate Mr. S.J.V. Chelvanayakam without reflecting upon the one issue that concerned him most – the minorities question in Sri Lanka. Mr. Chevanayakam and his Party, the Federal Party, engaged in a long and difficult struggle to win the Tamil peoples’ rights. I would like to… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Politics
Armenian Groups Are Increasingly Focused on Reparations for Genocide
Behind the Turkish government’s denials of the century-old Armenian genocide lurks the possibility that survivors and their descendants could be deemed legally entitled someday to financial reparations, perhaps worth tens of billions of dollars or more. The Turkish authorities take the position that there is nothing that needs to be repaid. Moreover, no judicial mechanism… Read more »
The End of the Rainbow Nation Myth
If you ask South Africans of my generation to name the most important political event of their lives, many will cite the assassination of Chris Hani. Mr. Hani was revered for his bravery in fighting against the apartheid government and for his internal dissent within the liberation movement. In 1990, after Nelson Mandela was released… Read more »
Sri Lanka’s Tortuous Path to Reconciliation and Justice
Elections might have ousted an authoritarian leader, but without the political will of Sri Lanka’s new president, genuine reconciliation may continue to elude the island nation.
US A/S DRL in Sri Lanka
Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor: Forum on Women’s Role in Post-War Reconciliation 04/02/2015 11:35 AM EDT Forum on Women’s Role in Post-War Reconciliation Remarks Tom MalinowskiAssistant Secretary, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor Colombo, Sri Lanka April 2, 2015 As prepared for delivery Thank you all for having me here today. Thanks particularly to Ms…. Read more »
UN Panel Will Share Syria Suspects’ Names With Prosecutors
BERLIN — The head of a U.N. panel investigating human rights violations in the war in Syria said Tuesday the panel is willing to give names from its secret list of alleged war criminals to any prosecutors pursuing cases. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that the group will “share… Read more »
International Judicial Mechanism Needed to Serve Justice for All in Sri Lanka
by ‘Tamil Guardian,’ London, March 15, 2015 Mcrae press release The United Nations Human Rights Council will have to act on the investigation into Sri Lanka’s atrocities (OISL), moving to establish an international judicial mechanism in order to ensure justice is served to all communities, said the director of the documentary, No Fire Zone, Callum… Read more »
JDS Journalist on Rights & Accountability
Abeyawardene is speaking to Callum Mcrae on what motivates him to oppose the GoSL on oppression of others. https://vimeo.com/121718885
Panel Discussion: NPC’s Resolution on Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka
Vidéo Northern Provincial Council’s Resolution on Tamil Genocide in Sri Lanka and the International Community’s Responsibility to Protect Mardi, 17 mar 2015 – 01:30 « La Pastorale » Route de Ferney 106, Genève (Bus 5 – Direction : Aéroport – Arrêt : Intercontinental) http://2013.pressclub.ch/fr/conference/northern-provincial-councils-resolution-tamil-genocide-sri-lanka-and-international Vidéo With Dr. Maung Zarni Burmese democracy advocate, human rights campaigner,… Read more »
Thirteenth Amendment Can Never be the Final Solution
[T]he Chief Minister recalls a quintessential continuity of the stance of moderate Tamil nationalism… — ft.lk commentary on this interview 3/14/15
Letter to PM Rajiv Gandhi from TULF on 13th Amendment
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/archive/20080217/issues.htm Our Disappointment With Proposals Contained In The Two Bills 28th Oct 1987 Shri Rajiv Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, New Delhi. Dear Prime Minister, We thank you once again for all your efforts on behalf of the Tamil people. We repeat our deep anguish at the tragic turn of events in Jaffna. We feel it is… Read more »
Can an Evil Man Change?
Unlike many other white people — perpetrators and bystanders — who have benefited since 1994 from the reconciliatory attitude of black South Africans, Mr. de Kock actually began to engage with fellow South Africans in restorative ways. Slowly, over the years, he transformed himself from a highly effective killer to somebody who genuinely engaged with those looking for answers…
The underlying goal of the T.R.C. was to build a new ethical society through change: The truth about our past should transform all of us from a people apart into a people who care for one another.
Modi Visits Tamils’ Cultural Heart in Tour of Sri Lanka
“We stand with you in your efforts to build a future that accommodates the aspiration of all sections of society, including the Sri Lankan Tamil community for a life of equality, justice and dignity in a united Sri Lanka,”
Hope for Colombia’s Peace Process
Still, an agreement is the best alternative to ending the fighting, which has ebbed as the talks have progressed, and giving Colombians in war-torn districts hope for a brighter future. The Obama administration recently signaled its strong support for the process by naming Bernard Aronson, a former senior diplomat with expertise in the region, as an envoy to the peace process.
Sri Lanka Grants Bail to Tamil Rights Activist
“But the true test will be whether her release marks the beginning of a broader reversal in a pattern of harassment by the security forces against families of the disappeared and other Tamil activists” …
Devolution in the Northern Province
by Centre for Policy Alternatives, Colombo, March 10, 2015 The first elections of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) held in September 2013 provided an important opportunity to test the utility of the Thirteenth Amendment in devolving power. Until then, the Northern Province was essentially under Central administration (through the Governor) for the larger part of… Read more »
Sri Lanka Must Seize This Window of Opportunity
by David Cameron, ‘Tamil Guardian,’ London, March 10, 2015 Writing in the Tamil Guardian today, British Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated his commitment to ensuring those responsible for war crimes in Sri Lanka are held accountable and said he would press the country’s new president, Maithripala Sirisena, to deliver on his commitments, during a bilateral… Read more »
Identity & The Island’s Political Order
What Tamils would call ‘The National Question.’ — Ed/
The only debate is which nation that is: Sri Lankan or Sinhalese. I’d say both.
The claim of Tamil nationhood is the flip side, the other way, of the expressing the refusal to accept that on this island the Tamils are a national minority… The Tamil delusion is that on this island they are entitled to the same political status, weight, space and share of power as the Sinhalese who are a vast majority. The Tamils cannot have the same weight and space in the island’s political order…
It is too small and vulnerable to experiment with loose centrifugal forms of state. Sri Lanka needs a strong single state which covers the natural borders of this island.
Top UN Political Official Urges Sri Lanka to Seize ‘Historic Moment’ for Reconciliation
The United Nations will stand with the people and leaders of Sri Lanka as the country forges ahead along the path to reconciliation, the Organization’s top political official said today, as he voiced encouragement at the Government’s ongoing commitment to promote accountability and human rights following the nation’s three decade-long civil war. Addressing reporters in… Read more »
Hindu Party in India in Coalition for Kashmir
Negotiations between the two parties about forming a government were prolonged, chiefly because the two hold diametrically opposing views on crucial questions.
These include whether to repeal a law that gives Indian soldiers broad immunity from prosecution, even in cases involving the rape and murder of Kashmiri citizens, and whether to keep a constitutional provision, which the B.J.P. wants to scrap, that provides special privileges to Kashmir.
In a carefully worded alliance agenda, the two sides acknowledged their continuing differences.