by Neeraj Kaushal; Economic Times, India, April 27, 2004 The World Bank’s estimates released last week show that the number of people living in extreme poverty has declined by 350 million in the last two decades. In 1981, 1.45 billion people were in extreme poverty. By 2001, the number had declined to 1.1 billion. Tempting though… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Politics
Sri Lanka Scene: Sex Scandal, Blackmail & Kidnap
by T. Sabaratnam; published May 19, 2004 Weekly Review Sex Scandal, Blackmail and Kidnap New Trends Tuesday’s election of the Deputy Speaker and Deputy Chairman of Committees appeared a tame affair, an anti-climax. There was no shouting. There was no seizing of the ballot box. They were elected unopposed. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse proposed Geethanjana Gunawardene… Read more »
CSIS: Election Shake-up
by Teresita Schaffer and Sean Farrell, South Asia Monitor, Center for Strategic and International Studies, Washington, DC, May 2, 2004 https://csis-website-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/legacy_files/files/media/csis/pubs/sam70.pdf Sri Lanka: Election Shakes Up Political Landscape Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election, held April 2, is likely to usher in a new phase of polarization and introspection in the country’s deeply divided politics. The new… Read more »
28th Anniversary of Vaddukoddai Resolution
THE RESOLUTIONUnanimously adopted at the First National Convention of the TAMIL UNITED LIBERATION FRONT held at Vaddukoddai on May 14, 1976 Chairman S.J.V. Chelvanayakam Q.C., M.P. (K.K.S) Whereas, throughout the centuries from the dawn of history, the Sinhalese and Tamil nations have divided between themselves the possession of Ceylon, the Sinhalese inhabiting the interior of… Read more »
Are the People Sending a Message?
by Rajkumar Sivapatham ; published May 16, 2004 The recent elections in two South Asian countries send some messages to the world loud and clear. The important one is that “Don’t take the ordinary people for granted.” Recent Indian election results were shocking to the BJP, despite its records in the government. They were unbelievably surprising to… Read more »
ISGA: Chance for a United Sri Lanka
by Taraki; Daily Mirror, Colombo, May 13, 2004 ISGA: The chance to persuade Tamils to remain in United Lanka Everyone would agree today that a bit of homework is necessary for taking forward the peace talks stage by stage. The study of the negotiating behaviour of the party or person with whom one is going to deal… Read more »
Sri Lanka Scene: Kumaratunga’s Strategy Fails
by T. Sabaratnam; published May 12, 2004 Weekly Review Kumaratunga’s Strategy Fails LTTE leader Velupillai Pirapaharan has sent President Chandrika Kumaratunga the clear message that he is not prepared to help her overcome her problems in the guise of peace talks, political analysts say. “He wants to watch her sincerity, her government’s stability and her capacity… Read more »
Peace Talks Wrecked Before Resumption
by Wakeley Paul; published May 11, 2004 Based on the multitude of inconsistent, illogical and contradictory positions taken by the two K¹s [Kumaratunge and Kadirgamar] on the peace talks, it is quite obvious that they have already done everything in their power to quash the Peace negotiations for good. Yet they pretend to be committed to… Read more »
The Only Possible Solution
by Kumar Ponnambalam; The Weekend Express – Saturday, November 7 – Sunday, November 8, 1998 The only possible solution to the Tamil National problem The island is burning. The country is bleeding. Most of us are fiddling some of us are tinkering. Is this fair? Is this human? The cause of this state of affairs is… Read more »
Thinking the Unthinkable
by V. Gunaratnam; published May 10, 2004 Power to change Power springs from the people, not a piece of paper that is a country’s constitution. When power becomes an instrument of oppression by the tyranny of the majority, as against the Tamils of Sri Lanka, the need for justice empowers those oppressed to seek such remedies… Read more »
Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 2: The Jaffna Massacre
by T. Sabaratnam; published May 7, 2004 (Volume 2) 2. The Jaffna Massacre Must Put an End Shell-shocked Balthazzaar and his top men held a conference at Gurungar Camp on their return. The radio room had by this time informed Colombo about the blast and the death of 13 soldiers. Balthazaar got a call from… Read more »
Sri Lanka Scene: Peace Talks to Resume Soon
by T. Sabaratnam, Colombo, May 4, 2004 Weekly Review Bala Coming Back A full-scale effort to resume peace talks stalled for over a year will be made this week, Colombo and Kilinochchi sources said. “Talks will start soon. I cannot say it will start immediately. A few procedural and other matters have to be sorted… Read more »
Security Council Resolution 1539 re Child Soldiers
Security Council resolution 1539 April 22, 2004 (see article re this resolution at end) “The Security Council, “Reaffirming its resolutions 1261 (1999) of 25 August 1999, 1314 (2000) of 11 August 2000, 1379 (2001) of 20 November 2001, and 1460 (2003) of 30 January 2003 which provide a comprehensive framework for addressing the protection of… Read more »
Tibetan Hunger Strike
by Daniel Wakin; The New York Times, May 1, 2004 Tibetan Hunger Striker Hospitalized On the 29th day of their hunger strike against China’s policies in Tibet, one of three Tibetans collapsed yesterday, and was taken to Bellevue Hospital Center. The two other hunger strikers promised to keep fasting until their demands are met. The hunger… Read more »
Pirapaharan 2, Chapter 1: Thirunelveli Attack
by T. Sabaratnam; published April 30, 2004 (Volume 2) 1. Thirunelveli Attack The Ambush Pirapaharan and his men alighted from the minibus which Sellakili parked along the crossroad that connected Point Pedro Road with Palaly Road. They walked up to the junction, in small groups of two or three, turned towards Jaffna and went a further… Read more »
UNHCR Urges More Help for Displaced
UNHCR urges fresh bid to help S.Lanka’s displaced COLOMBO, April 29 (Reuters) – The U.N. refugee agency urged the Sri Lankan government and rebels on Thursday to renew efforts to help hundreds of thousands of people displaced by decades of civil war. “There needs to be a renewed focus on resolving this long-standing humanitarian problem,”… Read more »
Are Tamils to be Fooled Again?
by Rajkumar Sivapatham; published April 29, 2004 Are Tamils going to be fooled again? The UFPA government and the president planned for the constitutional amendment by hook or crook. The loss suffered by the UFPA on the speaker’s election has put a dent in that plan. Then the president started her next plan. This is to… Read more »
Sri Lanka Scene: Eelam Has Come to the House
by T. Sabaratnam; Colombo, April 27, 2004 Weekly Review A significant aspect of Thursday’s inaugural session of parliament was highlighted by Jathika Hela Urmaya (JHU) leader Ven. Methananda thera when he said: “Eelam has come to the House.” The presence in the chamber of 20 men in silk verti, national and salvai and a lady in… Read more »
Restored Deadlock
Tamil Guardian editorial; London, published April 23, 2004 Restored Deadlock: The prospects for peace are at their lowest IF THE point of the April 2 general election was to end the political imbroglio that had deadlocked Sri Lanka’s government for months, the results had precisely the opposite effect. This week found all three major Sinhala parties… Read more »
What Does This ‘Peace’ Mean?
by Rajkumar Sivapatham; published April 23, 2004 For the past couple of years, the most commonly used word in the Sri Lankan affair is “peace.” Even before the MOU between the GOSL and the LTTE was signed, Chandrika and her military had been waging a war for “peace.” This war is even now justifiable to some… Read more »