Archive for February, 2007

After Today’s BMICH Explosion

I was with some Tamil students, as a training course was winding down for the day, when news of the explosion at the BMICH reached us. The details of the incident were sketchy at first. Being Muslim, while I felt worried when I heard the news, and the BMICH being close to where we were, I didn’t panic. But I noticed a marked difference in the reaction of the Tamil students. “Oh god what happened,” one of the male students wailed. “We have to go home quickly,” another said. “What will happen to me on the way back home,” another student said with deep worry. They started calling their homes. They even left without telling me. What I could see was that they felt deeply afraid after such incidents. They were not afraid of the average person on the street. They were afraid of security forces and what they might do to them. When I see this kind of thing…

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Popular Activist in Oddamavadi Targeted

A family man, and popular activist in Oddamavadi Aboobacker Ilyas (25) was targeted and fired upon by an unidentified gunman on Boundry Road, Oddamavadi. This incident happened around 5.15 am on 4th February. The gunmen used T56 weapon; 5 rounds were fired, and luckily A.B. Ilyas escaped from this attack. This is not the first time he has been targeted and this is causing a lot of tension in Oddamavadi at the moment. People in the area suspect that the LTTE is behind this because Ilyas is involved in media and may have been seen as a threat to the LTTE.

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Liberation and Relief

I haven’t heard Crowded House play on the radio here before, but the other day, while driving, the sounds and words of “Don’t Dream It’s Over” filled my car. It’s one of those songs that always takes me in to another headspace – to where you get lost in your own thoughts – imagining, searching. There is freedom within, there is freedom without Try to catch the deluge in a paper cup The song made me think about Sri Lanka and its never-ending story of violence. I had been on trip with some friends, and had just returned from the East, where the security forces had ‘liberated’ Vaharai (or Vakarai), a town that used to be inside the territory controlled by the Tamil Tigers. Now, the Government, or the Military, claimed the people have been freed from the clutches of the Tamil Tigers. There’s a battle ahead, many battles are lost The so-called liberated people end up in IDP camps…

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  • 2 Feb, 2007
  • 4 Comments
  • Jaffna,
    Peace and Conflict

People Reading Newspaper At Shop In Jaffna

A person reading Uthayan newspaper publishing in Jaffna at a newspaper agent shop entrance. Newspaper printing has dropped due to publishers not having permission to send more news print paper from Colombo. One agent pasted the newspaper in his shop entrance the customers come and read the newspaper in the early morning. He said he sold 450 copies earlier now the Uthayan company send only 60 copies.” I want to satisfy my customers so that I pasted the newspaper in my shop entrance,” he said.

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Ranil: In lieu of politics

From Mawbima – 2nd February 2007 This article, in Sinhala, examines the Ranil Wickremesinghe’s leadership, or lack thereof, in light of the present crisis within the UNP. Read the full article here.

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Notes of a Citizen Journalist

Personal vignettes, in Sinhala, aimed at stimulating our thinking on social, political and economic issues. In this post I talk about the rapidly disappearing shoe-repairmen, a Singer-Mega mega hoodwink, and the high security nature of migratory birds… Click on Notes of a Citizen Journalist to read my missive.

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Denial and polarisation

Originally published in Himal Southasian, February 2007. The undeclared Eelam War IV in Sri Lanka shows no signs of abating. The Ceasefire Agreement, whatever is left of it, is enervated and made more irrelevant daily. Violence in the north and the east increased dramatically in 2006. Thousands continue to be displaced – unable to return to their homes, starving, without access to basic human necessities or redress against repeated human-rights violations. Many more have fled Sri Lanka to South India, bringing back memories of the exodus of refugees in the late 1980s. In Colombo, a draconian government with scant regard for human rights uses the continuing intransigence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as an excuse to clamp down on civil society, NGOs and the media. Legislation enacted in 2006, most notably the anti-terrorism regulations, has stifled democratic rights and civil liberties. Many peace rallies around the country have been routed by thugs and goons affiliated to current members…

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A circus has come to town

From The Morning Leader – 31st January 2007 With the LTTE cleared from Sampur and Vaharai, the UNP depleted and the JVP marginalised, the cabinet swelled to record proportions, the Donor Forum concluded and the Presidential Commission and international experts to meet soon to deal with the matter of human rights abuses and a pan-Sinhala Ministry of Nation Building with five ministers no less, the Rajapakse presidency seems to be riding the crest of a wave. To where and with what purpose, is the question. The President’s concerns regarding regime consolidation and security in terms of a legislative majority have been taken care of with the substantial UNP cross-over and record-breaking cabinet. We are told that this obviates the need for a general election. However, the temptation to go for one may well be irresistible once the east is ‘cleared’ beyond doubt and before things turn sour there and elsewhere, as they could, if the LTTE successfully returns to guerilla…

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Brotherhood Bloodshed Again?

The TMVP has given a request to the government to conduct eastern provincial council elections and before that to setup an interim council. Because most of the eastern province is now under the control of the government this becomes an important matter. The statement of TMVP that they are the only representatives of the Tamil people in the east has worried other Tamil political parties. Due to this they fear “brotherhood bloodshed”, something that happened in the past with the LTTE. Also if the government doesn’t agree with their request will they resort to violence? Do they want a federal system of devolution or will they even ask for a separate state if their requests are not met? They have not clarified on this matter. Such suspicions and questions are now important in the eastern ground situation. Regarding this, when I spoke with a number of political parties there seems to be major differences in points of view. Speaking with…

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  • 1 Feb, 2007
  • 0 Comment
  • Colombo,
    Peace and Conflict

Groundviews upgrades: Preview websites before visiting them

Using SNAP, readers now get a preview of any link to a website within a post. All you need to do is to hover over a link to see a small window pop-up showing an image of the website the link points to. Since this works best on broadband connections, those on dial-up can click on Options in the upper-right hand corner of the pop-up window to switch off the preview feature. Check it out today !

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Blast Outside Eastern University Batticaloa

Regarding the blast right outside the Eastern University in Batticaloa Vantharumoolai at around 11.30am yesterday, about 15 km north of Batticaloa town, the information I have heard is that there were around 200 students inside the University when the blast occurred. The rest of the students, around 1100 had returned to their home districts such as Jaffna, Vavuniya and other areas after exams. The blast killed 11 including 1 student, while 4 students were injured. Sometimes the army opens fire into surrounding areas in such instances. One reason is that they want to secure the area for those who are involved in rescue and attending to wounded and defend against the enemy. Sometimes the LTTE can detonate one claymore and then wait and detonate a second one to target rescue groups. Occasionally some soldiers might also fire with revenge in mind. No one was injured in shooting yesterday. I have not received any information to the effect that there was…

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About Groundviews

Located at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Groundviews is a citizen journalism website that uses a range of genres and media to highlight critical perspectives on governance, reconciliation, human rights, the arts and literature, democracy and other issues. The site has won two international awards, including the prestigious Manthan Award South Asia in 2009. The grand jury's evaluation of the site noted, "What no media dares to report, Groundviews publicly exposes. It's a new age media for a new Sri Lanka... Free media at it's very best!"

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