Archive for June, 2007

  • 14 Jun, 2007
  • 6 Comments
  • Peace and Conflict

We will no longer tolerate …

It seems that students from the Sri Lankan diaspora are getting activated. An email is  doing the roungs urging people to participate in an email campaign. I have pasted this email message below. ———— URGENT! MAIL CAMPAIGN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE! Sri Lanka has reached a cross-roads between two very different paths, destruction or hope. We can be the voices needed to begin change. We can make a difference. The campaign asks you now to email the following people. President of GOSL Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process Editor of Island newspaper Editor of The Nation newspaper Editor of the Sunday Times (Sri Lanka) Asia tribune UNP and Gov’t Opposition Leader International Correspondent Columnist NYT (Nicholas Kristof) Sri Lanka Pro-Peace (to gauge response) CC: gosl@presidentsl.org info@scopp.gov.lk prabath@unl.upali.lk info@unp.lk kristof@nytimes.com editor@nation.lk editor@sundaytimes.wnl.lk webmaster@asiantribune.com sri.lanka.pro.peace@gmail.com Re: Peace in Sri Lanka To: His Excellency the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process, Dr….

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(Rajapakse) & Co.

A Tragi-Comedy in Three Parts Act I “& Co.” is a political satire on Swarnavahini that’s quite hilarious, until of course we realise we are essentially laughing at the tragedy that is Sri Lanka today. Comedy flourishes as a form of political commentary precisely when political repression is the greatest. For example, one SMS I received after the eviction of the Tamils in Colombo last week read: “Limited offer! Stay in a Colombo lodge and win a free to Vavuniya and back! Courtesy, Ministry of National Security. Call Gota on XXXXXX” Soon after however, I got another SMS: “A one time offer! Those who forwarded the previous message to more than 10 people will be picked up from the Fort Railway Station and transported, one way, to Kiriella or Wennappuwa. There is no need to speak to Gotabaya. He is already looking for you” Truth, it is said, is stranger than fiction – and this is certainly the case with…

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A question to the government and the LTTE

What place is home for Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala Sri Lankans? Home is the place where, when you have to go there, They have to take you in.                        — Robert Frost, “The Death of the Hired Man” The recent fiasco of trying to evict Tamil people from the city of Colombo, saw them being transported by the SLFP government to the North-East of the Country. In different circumstances, in 1983, when Tamil people were being killed and their houses burnt in Southern cities by Sinhala mobs, the UNP government, while encouraging the rampaging mobs, also sent Tamil people living in the South to the North-East. The much loved poet Robert Frost has a definition of home that is as incisive and accurate as it is lyrical: ‘Home is the place where, when you have to go there, / They have to take you in.’ By this definition, Sri Lanka’s ruling governments and politicians, whether SLFP or UNP, whatever…

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Half a Democracy

Photo credit: CDD This government does not represent me. It’s been said time and time again by the dissatisfied, the outraged and the incredulous community of Sri Lanka that is rapidly running out of patience with its leaders. Amongst cries against the warfare and racial tensions that continue to unsettle the island, the cost of living that is spiralling out of control and deplorable public services, it is difficult to see exactly who this Government does represent. Certainly not these angry people; nor the apathetic portion of society that has well and truly given up hope; and most certainly not women. Women make up of 52% of Sri Lanka’s population but in parliament women’s representation is a mere 4.7% and less than 2% in local government. Not only is this number drastically lower than those in Western countries such as the UK (19.5%) and Germany (31.8%), but also lags behind South Asian neighbours such as Malaysia, where women make up 10%…

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“We could have put all of them in detention.” ?!?!

In a chilling and frank admission of the true mentality of this repugnant government, Defense Secretary Gothabaya Rajapaksa (not known for his tact) admits in an interview to Reuters that the eviction of Tamils last week was better than what, in his opinion, it could have been: “So you can tell them, if you don’t have any legal business in Colombo … we don’t want to detain you, you go back to your homes. In fact this operation was much better. We could have put all of them in detention.” Gothabaya bandies tired arguments against the US & UK in an interview that clearly exposes why this Government does not, as I noted in my last article, give a damn for human rights. Gothabaya’s chillingly frank statement and the incredibly misplaced largesse of his for those evicted, a day after the public apology by the PM for the evictions, is telling in that it is clear admission that this President…

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  • 12 Jun, 2007
  • 7 Comments
  • Colombo,
    Peace and Conflict

Thoughts on Sri Lankan Muslims: Ethnic Identity within Cultural Diversity

I thank the International Center for Ethnic Studies for giving me an opportunity to participate in this event to mark the launching of the book, Sri Lankan Muslims: Ethnic Identity within Cultural Diversity by Prof M A Nuhuman. The last ten years witnessed a proliferation of writings in variety of forms on Muslims in Sri Lanka. This signifies the changes that have been happening in Muslim politics in Sri Lanka since mid 1980s. Prof Nuhuman’s book is timely and would be a significant contribution in understanding Muslim as he focuses on some of the neglected dimension of Muslim politics. He produces enormous amount of details to substantiate his argument and to show the flaws of some arguments advanced in identitarian discourse. I am not sure if I can do justice to this book as my knowledge on many aspects, especially the historical details, discussed in the book is very limited. I don’t possess any professional training in history although I…

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The banality of evil

How can those who tortured and those who were tortured co-exist in the same land? How to heal a country that has been traumatised by repression if the fear to speak out is still omnipresent everywhere? And how do you reach the truth if lying has become a habit? How do we keep the past alive without becoming its prisoner? How do we forget it without risking its repetition in the future? Is it legitimate to sacrifice the truth to ensure peace? And what are the consequences of suppressing that past and the truth it is whispering or howling to us? Are people free to search for justice and equality if the threat of a military intervention haunts them? And given these circumstances, can violence be avoided? And how guilty are we all of what happened to those who suffered most? And perhaps the greatest dilemma of them all: how to confront these issues without destroying the national consensus, which…

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THE GOVERNMENT IN THE NUDE: A REVOLTING SIGHT

News from Sri Lanka had been disquieting for the last several months with the escalation of conflict, the collapse of the rule of law and the protection of fundamental human rights. It was also becoming clear that the government was rapidly taking leave of its senses and losing sight of any moral compass that it may have possessed. That, however, did not prevent widespread double-takes and sheer incredulity that greeted the Neanderthal antics reported today, of the expulsion of Tamil people of North-eastern origin from Colombo, enforced, SS-style, by the police. It is possible to cite chapter and verse the violation of international human rights and humanitarian law as well as Sri Lanka’s own constitutional rights that this kind of executive action entails. Basic expectations of the rule of law and citizenship such as equal treatment and non-discrimination, civil rights such as freedom of movement and the fundamental personal liberty not to be harassed by the State have been denuded….

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  • 7 Jun, 2007
  • 24 Comments
  • Peace and Conflict

Arrogance at it’s peak – Expulsion of Tamils from Colombo

“Don’t worry. It’s only those who were not able to prove their identity and those who didn’t have a reason to stay in Colombo who have been evacuated”. This is how a friend who speaks a different language to mine responded to the ouster of 376 Tamils from Colombo on Thursday the 7th of June. The need to possess a ‘legitimate’ reason to stay in Colombo. A Tamil is expected to possess a ‘legitimate reason’ to stay in Colombo, which may include attending university, doing a job etc. Otherwise he does not have any business to be in Colombo. Even those who can stay in Colombo are expected to possess sufficient reason to be on the streets. The question “Kohitha Yanne?” strikes at the rock bottom of our freedom and fundamental rights. It wont be acceptable to provide answers in the likes of “off to the beach side to get some fresh air” to this Kohithe Yanne question. That definitely…

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Tiran Alles and the Media War

Tiran Alles was Mahinda Rajapaksa’s emissary to the North-East during the run-up to the Presidential Elections in November 2005. Now he is in custody and shares a fate similar to that of Sripathi Sooriyaarachchi, Mangala Samaraweera and Rohana Gamage. Media that was against vehemently Mahinda Rajapaksa during the Presidential Elections now clamour to openly, or in secret, support his rule. Truth is stranger than fiction. The about turns of media, friends and foes reminds me of Stalin’s Russia, where friends where killed, foes kept in check through sheer terror and a public kept in the dark through the control of the media. Gen. Ratwatta used to tell us through the media that he was certain he had won 85% of the war against the LTTE. We now know what a disaster both he and his war against terrorism was. Today, we are in the midst of another media war. Three vital uses of the media by the government at a…

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From democracy to farce

“Majority decisions tell us what people want at the moment, but not what it would be in their interest to want if they were better informed… The argument for democracy presupposes that any minority opinion may become a majority one.” – F.A. Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty “…there is no room anymore to assist terrorism directly or indirectly, and talk about democracy. This is because they use this democratic space to design the destruction of the entire society. The democracy that creates an opportunity for terrorism is a joke. It is no simple joke but a deadly joke.” – The President, Address to the Nation, 6th December 2006 In an article I wrote recently titled I am an Enemy of the State, I said that there is no longer any difference between the Government and the LTTE in the manner in which they understand democracy and use terror to serve their own ends. I also said that this government’s war…

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Coming Back Home to a Truth more Dangerous than Fiction

This columnist spent the last two weeks in the UK and the US speaking to opinion and policy makers on the human rights and humanitarian situation in Sri Lanka. In these conversations he pointed out that sadly and tragically, Sri Lanka was one of the worst places in the world for civilians caught up in armed conflict and that human rights protection in Sri Lanka urgently required an international dimension in the form of a field based presence of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights since no local institution or institutions commanded the respect, trust, confidence or resources to fulfill this basic task of the state in a functioning democracy- the human rights protection of all its citizens. He also pointed out that the much vaunted Commission of Inquiry (COI) and the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) were mandated to deal with past violations dating back to August 2005 and not the daily and…

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An appeal to support Kumbi Kathawa (Ant Story): A Dance Drama

Kumbi Kathawa (Ant Story) was conceived by Anjalika, Chitrasena and Vajira’s daughter. She was inspired by a Russian children’s story. The ballet is choreographed and directed by Anjalika and Mahesh, who has also designed the amazing costumes and stage sets. As with any production from the Chitrasena Kalayathanaya, this ballet has been in development for many years, and has been carefully nurtured to reach a level of excellence, in keeping with the standards of the Kalayathanaya. Our total budget for the production is around Rs. 3 million. It is a cost that we cannot cover on our own. The tepid response from those we have approached thus far for funding has left us in a very difficult position since we are far short of what we require. We require your help. An overview of the many ways in which you can support us with your generosity is available through a Powerpoint presentation that can be viewed online and downloaded. Kumbi…

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The Publicity Baby

Abilash Jeyarajah looks like any other ordinary toddler, living with his family in a small village near Kalmunai in the Ampara district of Sri Lanka. But life was not so ordinary for him a little over two years ago, when the tsunami literally swept him into the limelight. At that time, Abilash was more widely known as Baby 81, the famous four month old who was torn from his mother’s arms when the tsunami struck and was later found among the debris and wreckage. He was brought to Kalmunai Hospital and as his identity was unknown and he was the 81st person to be admitted, he became known as Baby 81. In the weeks following the disaster, many were still trying to trace their friends and relatives. Parents who couldn’t find their children searched high and low in hospitals and welfare centers in desperation. Several showed interest in Abilash and one other person made a claim for the baby. But…

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Mahinda – Better than G.W Bush ?

Photo credit: Al-Jazeera A friend recently forwarded me this story – an interview featuring the Sri Lankan President on Al Jazeera. I am slightly confused by it – and thought it would be useful to get some local interpretations… Click here for original source The following is a transcript of an interview between Al Jazeera’s 101 East presenter Teymoor Nabili and Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president of Sri Lanka: Teymoor Nabili: Mr President, the Tamil Tigers launched their first attack against your government and against the Sri Lankan people only weeks after you came to power. Why do you think it was, that after so long of adhering to the peace plan, they suddenly decided to start attacking again? President Mahinda Rajapaksa: They would have thought it was a weakness of mine, that I could be defeated. That was a good opportunity for them to establish a separate state. They would have believed that. Is it possible that for Prabhakaran, war…

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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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