Archive for October, 2009

Interrogating a public intellectual: Noted bloggers and youth activists engage Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka

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[Editors note: Beyond Borders, as part of a discussion series aimed at connecting youth activists with key opinion  and decision makers, organised a discussion with Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka on 8 October 2009. Around 25 young people interested in politics participated in the discussion. Well-known bloggers Aachcharya, Negligible Minoritist and SP who were present share some reflections on Dayan.] Judging Public Intellectuals by Aachcharya It is impossible not to be swayed by Dayan’s display of intellect. The way he answered  questions was exemplary, being able to quote from very ‘high theory’ and then engage with us the very next minute in some very good ‘common sense’ but vivid and sharp analysis, replete with anecdotes, a quality I must say, is in the dying in our intellectual tradition. I asked Dayan a very lengthy question with primarily two limbs 1) the role of public intellectuals and the choices that they make regarding direct, mainstream political engagement 2) his prescription for Tamil politics (I asked…

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We, The Spectator State

A young boy was drowned in broad daylight this week. Though not a single newspaper carried it, I’m told B. Sivakumaran was his name. He was “believed” to be mentally retarded and known for throwing stones at passing vehicles and trains. Approximately 100 people watched him die. One even managed to capture on film the final five minutes of his life. That five minutes of footage could have been of a possible rescue by one of the 100 or so spectators.  Or, that five minutes of footage could have been shot at the same time a call for assistance was made to the nearest Police Station, by someone present in the crowd. This was the heart of Bambalapitiya after all, and Sri Lanka is not short of mobile phones. But instead, the five minutes of footage shows us the gory, pathetic end of a young life, for no apparent reason. The spectators watched on intently. Three to four men surfaced…

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Theory and Practice of Democracy in Sri Lanka

This is one of the subjects that has in recent years put me in constant confusion. To situate my confused status in its context, let me begin with a personal note. In the 1960s when I began my political praxis, I had very clear and precise a position on the subject of democracy. I observed the presence of certain democratic values, forms and institutions in Sri Lanka and while recognizing their importance especially for left politics, I branded this democracy as a bourgeois democracy giving primacy to the adjective rather than to the noun. My firm perception was that in order to make democracy complete and perfect, the capitalistic mode of production that imposed many constraints on democracy had to be abolished and society should be restructured on a new democratic and just foundation. Within my theoretical perspective, the same logic can be applied to the issue of justice. While I was working on this premise, I didn’t see any…

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In Defense of Buddhism

I feel that there is a pressing need to rise to the defense of Buddhism. This is because Buddhism is being degraded and exploited  as a reactionary political ideology by a grade of low class politicians. Their impact is severe and decisive. Their politicized version of Buddhism is being incessantly drilled into the social consciousness of a particular chauvinist political base, with full state patronage, and more fundamentally, as the core program and agenda of the state and the regime.  The impact has been to imbibe a jubilant sense of a dominant, triumphant ego for having vanquished an oppressed nation, a narrowed, distorted and introverted sense of self, based on nurturing arrogance and intolerance against others. The mantle of the Dharma is being used to entrench the supremacy of the one Sinhala-Buddhist nation, as the basis to subordinate all others and suffocate all dissent. It is being exploited to enthrone the ideology and politics of naked Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinist supremacy. Buddhism…

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Dayan Jayatilleka on post-war politics and enduring obstacles to peace in Sri Lanka

I spoke with Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka recently on his take on post-war politics, his interpretation of the Southern Provincial Council elections, the issue of war crimes and the extension of GSP+, the challenges of peacebuilding (with peace seen as more than the absence of war) and the purported entry of the former Army Commander Gen. Sarath Fonseka to mainstream party politics.

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The Australian and a sardonic cartoon

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Picture courtesy of The Australian, 29th October 2009 The above picture was published in the satirical Nicholson cartoon gallery which features in The Australian. The issue of refugees has been covered extensively in both local and foreign media. At present, Australia has found it cumbersome in dealing with the increase in refugees that are attempting to seek asylum within the country. Groundviews would like to get the perspectives from its readers on what they gather from the cartoon.

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Sri Lanka: the waning of Liberalism?

It seems to be the case that over the past few years the State and the public have become much less tolerant of liberal values. In 2006, a bill set out a total ban on alcohol and tobacco advertisements in the media or on billboards as well as free distribution of tobacco or alcohol related products by the manufacturer or the distributor as means of promotion. In September this year, a Magistrate ordered the Police Children and Women’s Bureau to publish the photographs of several local porn stars, which appear in pornographic CDs and are presently being circulated in the market, in order to identify them and take further action. Do the above instances not show a lack of respect and intolerance of individuals and the choices they choose to make? Has the ban on advertising reduced tobacco or alcohol consumption? I do not think so. However, advertising companies have lost a part of their revenue. The Magisterial order to…

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  • 28 Oct, 2009
  • 7 Comments
  • Peace and Conflict

The Present Political Conjuncture: Fatal Delusions, Momentous Challenges and Historic Opportunities

Politics of Supremacy: This article is addressed to the broad revolutionary-democratic platform that shared a minimum, common, transitional  principle and policy towards the Tamil national liberation struggle, in an effort to orient this platform towards the future challenges and tasks. We would all agree that the decisive military victory gained by the State over the LTTE has changed the political playing field in a most dramatic way. This victory marks a turning point. The military victory heralds also the triumph of the dominant ruling political ideology of the Sri Lankan State, and its ruling class. –Sinhala-Buddhist Supremacy: This ideology was molded, nourished and reinforced by every successive government. This ruling ideology is now being centralized, concentrated and applied systematically in all spheres of life, as a way of  exercising and consolidating undisputed ideological hegemony over the hearts and minds of the people. This ideological hegemony is to serve in the reconstruction of the unitary, Sinhala-Buddhist State on a quantitatively expanded…

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Presidential hopefuls and escape-routes for the ‘hopeless’

The buzz in political circles these days is the possibility of there being a ‘common candidate’ (CC) to challenge President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s bid for a second term in the event that a Presidential Election is called before he completes his term, most likely in January 2010.  Among the names thrown around for the CC post are those of former Chief Justice Sarath Silva and General Sarath Fonseka. Of the two, the former’s name was spoken of in CC terms some time ago, but he has since been sidelined more or less by the latter, with wide publicity being given to probably exaggerated claims of a spat with the President. All we know about Sarath Fonseka’s presidential ambitions is what the JVP has been saying.  The JVP, currently deep in the political wilderness, needs some oxygen and perhaps believes that Fonseka might provide some.  The JVP is caught in a bind, as many have pointed out.  It has to oppose the…

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A Presidential Election in 2010? The 3rd Amendment and the Continuing Constitutional Crisis

Media reports suggest that President Mahinda Rajapaksa might decide to hold an early Presidential Election in 2010. It is therefore interesting to look into some of the issues relating to the matter. Some of them are the following: i) the rationale behind the introduction of the 3rd Amendment, ii) interpretation of Article 31(3A)(d)(i) of the Constitution, and iii) the Supreme Court’s interpretation of that provision (see the unanimous judgment of the SC of 26 August 2005, in S.C. (FR) 278/2005). The 3rd Amendment: why? President Rajapaksa, upon completing 4 years in office in November 2009, can ‘declare his intention of appealing to the People for a mandate to hold office, by election, for a further term’ (Article 31(3A)(a)(i) of the Constitution). It is the discretion of the President. It enables a President, who has not yet completed his/her first term, to hold an election, to seek a fresh mandate, before the fixed term of 6 years comes to an end….

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An African connection: Kaffir culture in Sri Lanka

Historians say that the Kaffirs of Sri Lanka started arriving from the eastern shores of Africa in the 1500s with the Portuguese, and later in more waves with the different colonizers of Sri Lanka. ‘Kaffir culture’ is a video portrait of one such community of Kaffirs and their struggle to keep their culture alive in the face of falling numbers. Written and produced by Kannan Arunasalam. Music by the Ceylon Kaffirs. Special thanks to Sweta Velpillay, Nethra Samarawickrema, Leah Worthington and Greg Kelly. Click here to watch this movie in stunning widescreen high definition (720p) on our Facebook fan page, where you can also easily share it with others. You can also watch it in high definition on Kannan’s Vimeo page  here.

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  • 23 Oct, 2009
  • 5 Comments
  • Disaster Management,
    Environment,
    Human Rights

“Don’t be stupid! The climate deed is done, so let’s move on to solutions!” – President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives

Nalaka Gunawardene (left) and President Mohamed Nasheed in Male, Aug 2009

The President Mohamed Nasheed of the Maldives in an exclusive interview with Nalaka Gunawardene The Indian Ocean archipelago of the Maldives is the smallest country in Asia – it packs 325,000 people into a land area just under 300 square kilometres. With an average ground level of 1.5 metres (5 feet) above sea level, it is also the lowest country on the planet, and now on the frontline of climate change impact. As the polar ice melts and sea levels rise, these and other low-lying islands will be the first to go under water. Coastal erosion, salt intrusion and extreme weather events will make many islands uninhabitable much sooner. Since he became the first democratically elected head of state of the Maldives in November 2008, President Mohamed Nasheed has been an outspoken and pragmatic voice speaking on behalf of his and other small island states, grouped under the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS). President Nasheed sees climate change both as…

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Post-conflict Transition and Aid Effectiveness: Reconstruction and Reconciliation in Sri Lanka – Part 2

[Editors note: Read Part 1 of this article here.] Economic and Governance Challenges in Post-conflict Areas The Rajapakse government is increasingly dovetailing its policies to make Lanka a destination of Indian and Chinese investment. As a first step in attracting investments in the former north-east conflict zones, the government recently announced a 15-year tax holiday for companies setting up operations in these regions. Among those queuing up are NTPC, Cairn, L&T, Purvankara and various information-technology (IT) companies. India’s National Thermal Power Corporation is expected to sign an agreement soon to set up a 1,000 MW coal based power plant in Trincomalee with an investment of US$500 million, while Cairn India has received approvals for oil exploration projects at a cost of US$400 million. Infrastructure companies Larsen & Toubro and Puravankara are also headed to the island nation to set up shopping complexes and housing projects. BSNL recently bid for the Sri Lankan operations of Luxembourg-based mobile service provider, Millicom International….

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GSP Plus: Minding our business

The Final Report of the investigation initiated by the European Union under the terms of the GSP Plus concession entitled “The Implementation of certain Human Rights Conventions in Sri Lanka” has been handed over to the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL).  The GOSL has time till the 6th of November to respond to the report. Two months from that date- 6th January 2010- the Council will take the final decision on the extension of GSP Plus to Sri Lanka, which will be effective six months from that date. According to the statement released by Lutz Gullner, the spokesperson of the European Commission: The Commission has completed a thorough investigation into the human rights situation in Sri Lanka and in particular whether Sri Lanka is living up to the commitments it made to respect international human rights standards when it became a beneficiary of the European Union’s GSP+ trade incentive scheme which provides for additional trade benefits. The report comes to…

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  • 22 Oct, 2009
  • 17 Comments
  • Media and Communications

Freedom of Speech, Violent Fascism, Democracy, Nick Griffin and Mahinda Rajapakse

A milestone in British democracy and the right to freedom of speech happens on BBC’s Question Time program tonight. Nick Griffin the head of the BNP (British National Party), which allows only white members, will headline tonight. BBC defends it’s decision on responsibility of due impartiality. The BBC trust says it is a question of editorial judgement whether it is appropriate for the BNP to appear. As a recent Asian migrant to this country I am alarmed. Is violent fascism preached by the BNP now part of the mainstream? Like me, how will the other Asian, African, and West Indian descent citizens of the United Kingdom feel? Or the East Europeans and South Africans?

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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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