Archive for October, 2008

  • 27 Oct, 2008
  • 2 Comments
  • Colombo,
    Economy

The end of the “Gimme…, Gimme…” era?

In the red-golden glow of the global financial crisis, many are looking inwards to see how they allowed it to happen. Skeptics of globalization such as Korten, Stiglitz, Ralston Saul and Pilger envisioned the collapse and warned of the impending apocalypse fueled by consumerism and greed. Their warnings were left unheeded. The very foundations of US capitalism seem to have been ravaged. Heidi Crebo-Rediker, Co-Director, Global Strategic Finance Initiative, New America Foundation and Former Managing Director/Head of European Debt Capital Markets, Bear Stearns catured the sentiment; “What happened over this past week to US capitalism is truly historic.” Since 1864, American banking has been split into commercial banks and investment banks. But now that’s changing. Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch, some of the biggest names on Wall Street have disappeared into thin air. Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are the only giants still standing. The idea of the free-market economy is challenged. The near nationalization of AIG, America’s largest insurance…

Continue reading »

Sri Lankan Identity in a Time of Seige

“All along the watchtower, princes kept the view” Bob Dylan, All Along the Watchtower   Though it may seem otherwise at first blush, the agitation in Tamil Nadu is not helping the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka. It is hardening majority opinion on the island and serves as a reminder of the existential threat posed to the Sinhalese from across the narrow Palk Straits. It is likely to make the Sinhala majority warier about the degree of autonomy granted to the Tamil majority Northern periphery, susceptible as it may be to the pull factor of Tamil Nadu sentiment given the extreme physical proximity.     While Colombo’s political commentariat had concluded that the agitation in Tamil Nadu was the avoidable result of Sinhala chauvinism stimulated or tolerated by the Rajapakse administration, it was left to Malini Parthasarathy, respected voice of the educated and highly sophisticated Tamil Nadu elite, a director of the 130 year old Hindu newspaper, and observer-commentator of Sri Lankan affairs since…

Continue reading »

Emergency Rule, GSP+, Human Rights and Governance in Sri Lanka

An interview on Emergency Rule, GSP+, Human Rights and Democracy in Sri Lanka conducted with Asanga Welikala, author of A State of Permanent Crisis: Constitutional Government, Fundamental Rights, and States of Emergency in Sri Lanka and, writing as Publius, one of the best read political and constitutional commentators on this site. (If the video is choppy, hit pause and go make yourself a cuppa. The video will continue to download in the background. After around 5 minutes, hit play.)

Continue reading »

Measuring poverty differently

What comes to mind when one hears the word poverty? Scarcity, shortage, paucity, deficiency, dearth are words that are in the Thesaurus. Yet, the word confuses me in the way it is commonly used. I live in Sri Lanka, a developing country with GDP of about US $1,000 per capita. In western terms, this is a poor nation. I became a resident of Sri Lanka in 1988 having lived in Canada for 15 years. Economically, Sri Lankans have less material wealth than an average person in the west. In happiness, I am not sure. I am confused about the word because in the last 20 years I have had a fulfilling life of abundance of whatever is needed to be healthy, happy and lead a meaningful existence. I have been fortunate to encounter an abundance of colourful, interesting people and nature’s bounty. I have had experiences where I have seen the best and the worst in people and the beauty…

Continue reading »

Koti, Deshadhrohi and UNP-Karayas

The title roughly translates to Tigers, Traitor and UNPiers. I’ve come to understand, that the moment you talk about the rights of the minorities, you become a kotiya. If your argument is for a federal system, people’s right to self determination or how minorities are oppressed, you will be tagged a kotiya at the end of it. I’ve come to understand, that the moment you criticize the current administration, you become a deshadhrohiya. If you talk about how your basic rights like free speech and movement are curtailed, how the system manages to cover everything under the umbrella of national security and get away with it, how the administration lacks vision, how the big guy is catering to the red neck Sri Lankan south, you will be tagged a deshadrohiya at the end of it. I’ve come to understand, that the moment you point out the faults of the administration system, when you criticize how the administration is, when you…

Continue reading »
  • 22 Oct, 2008
  • 1 Comment
  • Colombo,
    Media and Communications

I want to be an activist! : Lindsay Ross, Sanath Balasuriya, and the Glamour of Complacency

Ten years ago at a meeting with the media industry professionals of Sri Lanka, the Colombo Declaration of Media Freedom and Social Responsibility was drawn up. A review conference is currently being held at the Sri Lanka Press Institute to look back upon the developments that have occurred within the past decade. At the first session of the event, two interesting observations were made by two of the panelists. The first was by Lindsay Ross of the Commonwealth Press Union. Lindsay observed a certain amount of complacency that is growing within the young journalists. She attributed this to the (somewhat) safe working spaces that have been created by the older generation of journalists. The second was by the co-chair of the Free Media Movement, Sanath Balasuriya. Sanath spoke of the glamour in the media industry that new journalists are attracted to, and attracted by. Lindsay also spoke passionately about the previous generation of journalists who were and are the activists….

Continue reading »

Citizens unite to uphold the Law!

I was at a protest rally on the 15th of October in support of Attorney-at-Law Mr. Weliamuna, whose house was bombed/grenaded as he slept with his wife and two infant children. There were many of us at the rally to support ‘Weli,’ as he is affectionately known, but as one of the speakers pointed out, there weren’t enough of us. Here’s why you should have been there. ‘Weli’ has been in the news lately for reasons other than his near death experience. He is the lawyer that fought the case against former President Chandrika Kumaratunga and various influence-peddlers who illegally transferred 118 acres of public land in Battaramulla to a crony businessman. The land, which was supposed to be used for a public purpose, was filled using public funds and made into an exclusive golf course called Water’s Edge, open only to those who could afford the Rs. 250,000 membership. Mr. Weliamuna won the case, and in a landmark judgement…

Continue reading »

“Today’s terrorist is today’s and tomorrow’s murderer”: Resolving violent conflict in Sri Lanka

“There is a false and foolish and evil saying that today’s terrorist is tomorrow’s freedom fighter. Today’s terrorist is today’s and tomorrow’s murderer.” These were the words used by the former Foreign Minister of Australia Alexander Downer while delivering the Lakshman Kadirgamar memorial lecture 2008 in Colombo on Wednesday (October 15). In an era when some people are attempting to glorify the terrorists and justify terrorism as a means to achieve political ends, these words of Mr.Downer should get all right thinking people really thinking. As Sri Lankan we all know the terrible toll the unleashing of terrorist violence has taken on this country. . It has not left anyone untouched whatever their hierarchy in society maybe. From the politically powerful to the man lowest down in society, terrorism has in some way touched their lives, irrespective of which race or religion they belong to. The late Lakshman Kadirgamar was a victim of an act of terrorism. If I say “a senseless…

Continue reading »

The end of neo-liberal economics: Great Crash of 2008 and the demise of the Regan-Thatcherism

stock-1

The end of neo-liberal economics: Great Crash of 2008 and the demise of the Regan-Thatcherism Kumar David The ‘global-state’ (G7 and some G20 governments, central banks, and the IMF and IBRD multilateral agencies) intervened in the international banking system during the October 11-12, 2008 weekend, financially on an unparallel scale, and politically with resolute, coordinated, authority. One is left wondering what is left of global finance capital that is distinctively capitalist anymore. The implications of intervention on such a scale are momentous for international banking and finance. If the intrusion goes much further, British, French, German and other governments will become the primary owners of banks in a watershed reversal of Regan-Thatcher neo-liberalism after 30 years. For the ilk of Francisco Fukuyama, this is the end of his-story.  One more thing, US global financial hegemony is over, forever, that is for sure; an economic-multipolar globe based on a new sharing of global power-positions is taking shape. For years I have…

Continue reading »

A thought for the stranded refugees in Vanni

I wish to draw wider public attention to the following extract appearing in “A short note from the Vanni” written by “Witness” and appearing in the Groundviews on September 30, 2008: “The people now staying at Vattakachi and Tharmapuram areas are requesting to announce these areas as “safe zones” for the civilians. Food and shelter are desperately needed, as people are suffering without anything to eat and nowhere to rest.” I can visualize the pathetic situation vividly as I personally watched a similar scene in 1996 when refugees marched back to Jaffna from Kilinochchi. Unfortunately, the above revelation has failed to attract sympathetic attention to the miserable plight of the refugees in Vanni today. Instead a barrage of comments has followed on the larger issues of our ethnic conflict defending and condemning positions taken by parties on both sides. The on-going debate cannot reduce an iota of the present suffering of the refugees. Our indignation over political inequities often takes…

Continue reading »

Personal experience of the Vanni today

By Witness On the 30th of September, I traveled to Kilinochchi through Oddusuddan, Puthukudiyiruppu. This is not the regular A9 road which we travel from Vavuniya to Kilinochchi. It is the road A34 which turns towards Mullaitheevu at Mankulam from A9. Fortunately, this time I got a lift by an Ambulance from Omanthai; it is 70 km longer rather than the normal rout to Kilinochi. This time I stayed at Kilinochi. I had a discussion with several people including priests about the needs of our suffering displaced people. I agreed to arrange for the provision of the foodstuff for around 2,000 families. I went to purchase foodstuff on the 1st of October to Kilinochi and Tharmapuram, but could not find such amount of foodstuff in both places. On the same day around 10.30am, there were aerial attacks just 1km away from us near the Kilinochchi hospital. Two civilians were killed and another 13 civilians injured due to this aerial attack….

Continue reading »

SERENDIPITY AND INGRATITUDE: THE MAHINDA MIRACLE AND JANAKA PERERA’S ASSASSINATION IN RETROSPECT

R.Venugopal The course of this conflict has seen many unlikely bed-fellows, serendipitous twists of fortune, and actions that led to very unforeseen consequences. When the dust settles and the history of the present is written some day, it will have to record the extraordinary debt that the Rajapakse clan and its retinue bear to their nemesis, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Janaka Perera’s assassination yesterday morning, (presuming it was by the LTTE), is yet another example of the extent to which the ruling clan’s hegemonic grip on power is beholden to the Tigers. How so? Well, first of all, let it be clear that this is not a conspiracy theory. Despite their reputation for Machiavellian manipulation, it is most unlikely that the Rajapakses are consciously complicit in this latest outrage, although they have nevertheless benefited. Neither is it likely (the cult of martyrdom notwithstanding) that the Tigers could have fully predicted the consequences of their actions, or that…

Continue reading »

Put back missing chairs and stop the APC musical chairs game!

For all intents and purposes, the All Party Conference (APC), has been a waste of time by playing for time, all the time. Periodic boycotts and exits of parties based on their factional agendas have indirectly helped the procrastination, supported by the lack of political will and courage on the part of those in authority. Now at last there appears to be a ray of hope arising from the emerging political climate based on the state of the war and the performance of the respective political parties at the recent provincial council elections, not to mention international pressure. It was reported in the papers recently that the APC had made up its mind to implement the Thirteenth Amendment and was writing to the UNP to ascertain their views on the proposed move. Evidently that would be an added incentive to further delay, through correspondence! In that context, there is much common sense in the reaction of the JHU to the…

Continue reading »

A brief note on the attack on J.C. Weliamuna

by R.M.B. Senanayake The attack on the human rights lawyer Weliamuna in the night where he is living with two small children show that danger is not far away from all citizens who uphold human rights and democratic norms. We the educated and influential in society have been silent when white vans abducted Tamils who ended up in police cells for questioning by the Terrorist Investigation Unit of the Police. The President has appointed incompetent cronies to important posts in violation of the 17th Amendment. The Inspector General of Police is perhaps one of them if we go by his record of successive failures to enforce the law against influential criminals who have political patronage and protection. So the public cannot expect any effective action by him or his assistants. It may not be as bad as Caligula who put his horse in the Senate. But then Caligula’s horse had a track record. We like to remind all decent human…

Continue reading »

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!"

cezarneaga.eu