by Press Trust of India; published April 9, 2004 POTA review committee gives clean chit to Vaiko In a boost to MDMK leader Vaiko ahead of the elections, the Central POTA Review Committee today gave a clean chit to him and 8 others, saying no prima facie case was made out for invoking POTA against them… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Politics
Geopolitics of South Asia
by Neville Jayaweera; Confluence, January 2004 The geo-politics of South Asia and Sri Lanka’s changing fortunes(Or why the USA and India will intervene in Sri Lanka) by Neville Jayaweera (formerly of Ceylon Civil Service and Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to the Scandinavian Countries) Two dramatic developments in Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict recently are the USA’s direct involvement… Read more »
Sinister Stratagems, Part 2
by Wakeley Paul; published April 9, 2004 SINISTER STRATAGEMS AND ODD ENTANGLEMENTS PART II In view of what passed for legal in 1972, everyone seems to assume that this idea of a Constituent Assembly is some magic mantra which enables parliament to do what it cannot legally do otherwise This is a myth and a fallacy… Read more »
Sinister Stratagems, Part 1
by Wakeley Paul; published April 9, 2004 SINISTER STRATAGEMS AND ODD ENTANGLEMENTS The situation in Sri Lanka seems so tenuous, that it is very likely that a vote of no confidence on a single major issue raised can lead to a toppling of the present government in the not too distant future. The present struggle is… Read more »
What’s Next
by Wakeley Paul; published April 6, 2004 Nostradamus, in a brilliant two part article in The Island in February, has exhibited outstanding insight into the long term future of Sri Lanka. His knowledge, analysis and perspicacity are almost impossible to emulate. In this article, I, by contrast consider what¹s in store for us in the immediate aftermath of… Read more »
Meaning of the Election Results
by Rajkumar Sivapatham; published April 6, 2004 What do the Election Results Mean to Tamils? It is strange that people inside and outside of Sri Lanka worry so much about the election results in Sri Lanka. The fact is the Sinhalese people have given their verdict and that is that. The Tamils on the other hand… Read more »
Our Political Clown
by Neville Chinivasagam; published April 6, 2004 Sachi Sri Kantha’s “Bob Dylan Stares at Sri Lanka” (Tamil Sangam, Feb. 25 2004) most admirably and humorously stares at presidential politics enthused by Lakshman Kadirgamar. It is well known Kadirgamar is indescribably Ms. Kumaratunge’s mouthpiece, voicing her presidential imaginings to earn him the epitaph summed up by Sachi:… Read more »
Vox Populi, Vox Dei
by R. Cholan; published April 4, 2004 ‘The Voice of the People is the Voice of God.’ This is democracy. Many are unhappy with the ‘voice’ spoken by Sri Lankans on April 2nd. Headlines and editorials lament the expected instability of a hung parliament. They are wrong. The results of this election will not bring any… Read more »
Tamil People’s Duty
LTTE Political Division’s official communiqué, Kilinochchi, April 4, 2004 General Elections April 2004 “Tamil people have performed a commendable historical duty” http://www.lttepeacesecretariat.com/mainpages/n04044.htm The Tamil people, by their national mandate in the election held on 2nd April 2004, have performed a commendable historical duty. This endorsement reconfirms their acknowledgement of the supreme sacrifices our liberation fighters… Read more »
FTAUK Press Release
The Federation of Tamil AssociationsUnited Kingdom Earlier known as the Co-ordinating Committee of TAMIL ASSOCIATIONS of the UNITED KINGDOM ————————————————————— Deputy Chairman: Dr. K.S RAJAH, MBBS, FRCS Gen. Secretary: Dr. N. SATCHITHANANTHAN, MBBS Secretary: Mr. J.K. KARAN, FCCA, FCMA, MBIC Treasurer: Dr. L.S. RATNAM, MBBS, DMJ, MRCGP Tuesday 30th. March 2004. PRESS RELEASEAfter many decades… Read more »
‘Silent Waters’ in NYC & SF
This movie has a Sri Lankan producer. It is showing on Thursday and Friday in New York City, April 22 and 25 at the San Francisco Film Festival http://www.sfiff.org/fest04/titleDetail.asp?title_id=50, in Toronto in May and various other places around North America after winning many awards in Europe. Ed. MOVIE REVIEW | ‘SILENT WATERS’ The New York Timeshttp://movies2.nytimes.com/2004/03/30/movies/30WATE.html… Read more »
Need of the Hour
by Rajkumar Sivapatham ; published March 30, 2004 As the Eelam Tamils’ face historic changes, undoubtedly it is to be expected that Tamils will also be faced with challenges. These challenges are expected to come in various forms and from various directions. The Karuna crisis is certainly one of them. The dangerous crisis is the post-Karuna reaction… Read more »
After the April ’04 Elections
by The Action Group of Tamils (TAGOT); Kotte, Sri Lanka, March 29, 2004 Kotte, Sri Lanka Email: tagotsl /A_T/ hotmail /D_O_T/ com PRESS RELEASE 29 March 2004 AFTER THE APRIL ’04 ELECTIONS Whilst we await the post-election scenario, it is important to be fully aware of how Sinhala politicians are exploiting the rhetoric of “peace” laced with… Read more »
Life After Former Col. Karuna
by The Action Group of Tamils (TAGOT); Kotte, Sri Lanka, March 19, 2004 The Action Group of Tamils (TAGOT) Kotte, Sri Lanka Email: tagotsl /A_T/ hotmail /D_O_T/ com PRESS RELEASE 19 March 2004 LIFE AFTER FORMER COL. KARUNA The Reaction in the Sinhala south to Karuna’s exit from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is varied…. Read more »
The On-Coming Elections
by K. Mylvaganam; Tamil Circle #3380, March 28, 2004 The election fever is catching up hotly in Sri Lanka. Unlike in the previous elections the people of Thamil Eelam too seem to be taking a keen interest in the same. It is not because to see which of the two leading Buddhist Sinhala chauvinistic parties –… Read more »
Pandora’s Box
by V. Gunaratnam; published March 29, 2004 On the Brink As Sri Lanka stands on the brink of plunging into the murky waters of post-election politics, a veritable Pandora’s box full of political imponderables awaits the Tamils – a Tiger revolt, JVP shenanigans, Buddhist clergy in politics, and a powerful new political alliance. All hell will… Read more »
Terrorism Refined & Distinguished
by Wakeley Paul; published March 29, 2004 Those described by their enemies as ‘Terrorists’ who are engaged in a struggle for Independence from foreign domination, have often wound up as international heroes. Some obvious examples are Jomo Kenyata who defied the British in Kenya, Nelson Mandela who suffered imprisonment and humiliation at the hands of the… Read more »
An Appeal to Eelam Tamils
An Appeal to Eelam Tamils A Rare Moment in History: Seize the Moment In the course of human history, a few nations have been granted rare moments, of a propitious alignment of diverse forces affecting them. It could be luck, destiny or the product of perseverance, but such moments are rare. Some nations have ‘seized… Read more »
UN Commission on Human Rights
INTERFAITH INTERNATIONAL A non-government organisation with ‘consultative status’ at the United Nations * * * * * * United Nations Commission on Human Rights – 60th session Item 5 – Right to Self-determination Intervention by Visuvalingam KIRUPAHARAN March, 2004 In 1918, President W Wilson used the term ‘self-determination’ in his speeches to Congress. He stated… Read more »
The April Fools Election
by Rajan Philips; published March 21, 2004 The April Fools Election and Post-Election Possibilities The almost April Fools election, an election about nothing and one nobody wanted, has suddenly become the moving stage for a political drama that is unfolding as no one could have predicted. The election itself is not the drama, but everything around… Read more »