Archive for March, 2010

HAS MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA BEEN A TRAITOR TO SRI LANKA?

What is the definition of a traitor? A traitor is usually defined as someone who betrays his or her country. But this definition leaves out the question of what, exactly, constitutes betrayal. Recently, the term has been used of journalists and human rights defenders who talk or write about  human rights violations and war crimes in Sri Lanka, especially if they are accused of making these allegations to the international community. It was also used of Sarath Fonseka, because he offered to give evidence to an international war crimes tribunal about the last stages of the war against the LTTE. The argument is that in attempting to defeat a dreaded terrorist organisation, a government needs to have full freedom of action. Therefore, criticising the government for any actions taken in pursuit of that goal amount to treachery, since they assist the dreaded terrorists to get away with their assault on the nation. This argument was used not only during the war against the…

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Parliamentary Elections, April 2010: An opportunity for voters in the North and East

I remember visiting Jaffna in 1997. Local government elections were due. Several leading political figures had been assassinated in the preceding years, some by the LTTE, others by anti-LTTE groups.  In the prevailing climate of fear, the Federal Party had reluctantly submitted nominations for elections for the Jaffna Municipal Council and one or two other local bodies. The LTTE was against the whole exercise, but the anti-LTTE gun carrying groups were contesting the elections. The Federal Party candidates showed great courage in contesting but minimized their risk by avoiding public meetings and house-to-house campaigning. Many Federal Party supporters faulted the candidates for avoiding public visibility. They asked: how can we vote for those who are reluctant to publicly or privately ask for our votes? But in the end they did vote for the Federal Party candidates, as did many who had never been Federal Party supporters. The faults they found in the Federal Party were nothing in comparison to those…

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Justice Our Way

Intervening in the controversy over the teaching of English ‘our way’, retired Senior DIG Edward Gunawardena wrote a satirical letter to The Island of March 27, 2010, which concluded: “So Sir, let us appreciate the fact that speaking or writing English “our way” can have entertainment value too. The Queen’s English can be, murdered. But “English our way” … cannot be murdered. There lies the only advantage of learning English that is recommended… “We know they are who. They don’t know we are who!” What follows is a comment in English-Our-Way, on Justice-Our-Way. For you know who A woman got jailed for she is who By those who think we should stay we are who So if you are not you are who But convert to she is who Better not let they are who Know you are who

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Putting cuts, part-putting and pol symbol

I have always had a fascination for Sri Lankan English. In fact, Sri Lankans use English the way the British used Ceylonese in subjugating them to their will. Now that the good old British have left our shores handing us independence on a silver platter we took English and quite liberally infused it with our own Tamil and Sinhala interpretations. If Americans substituted lengthy and often awkward British notices such as, “Trespassers will be prosecuted” with “Do not enter”, we went one step further and spun our own interpretations. Oh how the compilers of OED would wince when they listen to us  using the word `put’ among others. Putting is not for those yuppies on golf courses. There was my news editor at the Daily News who would shout out to his clerk/henchman Perumal to `put a transport to parliament’ meaning to book a vehicle for the reporters. Taking an AWOL from school is `putting a cut’. Pretending to be…

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Did the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) hand over the North to LTTE?

To one Mr. N. Ethirveerasingam, on a comment he made on an article I wrote (The Commissioner of Elections: A close friend’s critique) and appeared in Groundviews, I responded: “Quite recently I read a paper at an international conference held in Colombo which I wish to summarize having read your comment to understand the political hypocrisy in the south. Hope Groundviews will agree to publish it.” This article is the fulfilling of my promise to him. Since 2002, during the run up to any poll- i.e. Presidential, Parliamentary, Provincial or Local Authority – a criticism against the Peace Process of the United National Front (UNF) Government had been that a specified area in the north had been “handed over on a platter to the Tigers”. The intention here is not to discuss this complaint but to convey the reality. It is somewhat difficult because of LTTE behavior during the peace process, proved by the violation statistics provided by the Monitors,…

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Interview with Ravi Karunanayake

Ravi Karunanayake is a well known figure in politics, and in 1994 was the youngest member to be appointed from the National List to Parliament. Among other offices, he is the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee for the United National Party (UNP). In this interview, Ravi Karunanayake looks at the future of the UNP and answers questions over its leadership, dwindling vote base and inability to win elections. He also answers more general questions over Sri Lanka’s economy and foreign policy.

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Meeting a VIP London, Summer, 2008

He asked me how it was that I could be Sinhalese was it 50%? if my mother was Sinhalese and in that case whether I was 50% burgher or whether I had one quarter Belgian blood in my veins It was a bit tiresome to explain to say I think 1/8th means 12 and a half percent Belgian and then another 1/4th is Dutch and two 25 percents on either side probably makes me 50% Sinhalese (but I cannot be sure, I could be 25% Tamil with my Kandyan blood) And I couldn’t do the math in my head because I was jet lagged and sleep deprived and I was tempted to say last time I got sick they did a FBC sir, I think there were the normal percentages of plasma and white cells but I was a bit low on the red cells you see I don’t eat red meat sir and I was always a bit anaemic….

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Whither enemies of the state: The political debate in Sri Lanka today

“Unarm, Eros; the long day’s task is done“ – Shakespeare, Antony and Cleopatra, 4.14 The current Sri Lankan political discourse, thin gruel though it is, contains three morsels of content:  democracy, the electoral system and national sovereignty. Some question whether the ‘mere fact of elections’ qualifies Sri Lanka, or any country for that matter, as a democracy.  The second discussion is on the electoral system. The third debate revolves around human rights and international factors, with some emphasising national sovereignty and the others, democratic rights and freedoms. Let’s take it head-on. How did the Tamil nationalist cause, its military manifestation crushed and its propaganda arm in self exile, make such a comeback in the form of the TNA resurgence? How can it be in question as to whether the ruling coalition will or will not obtain a two thirds majority, with its game-changing consequences? How was the outcome of the Eastern province election in doubt? The answer to all these…

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Akon and Buddhism in Sri Lanka

The Government on Tuesday (March 23rd) announced its decision to deny an entry visa to singer Akon who was scheduled to perform next month in Colombo with co-singers, J-Sean and Kelly. The basis for the denial of Akon’s visa was a music video of the singer, containing a clip of scantily clad models dancing against the back drop of a Buddhist statue. The Government’s decision has been ratified by the Cabinet. The announcement came soon after the MTV/MBC head office was attacked by a group of armed thugs attached to a notorious politician for organizing the event. Prior to the attack, a group of Buddhist Monks expressed their dismay over bringing down someone like “Akon” who had insulted Lord Buddha and Buddhism in his music videos, an allegation the singer vehemently denies. It is against this dramatic backdrop that I wish to express my views on the whole Akon drama. As a follower of the Buddhist Philosophy, I don’t think…

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The media ‘Konvicted’

The Akon rumpus, with all its nutty and freaky sides, did have one thing good about it. It raised the question, “what is media freedom ?” Except for “”Sirasa”” and its group channels, none of the mainstream media, ever bothered to investigate into this Akon show unplugging and expose the lumpen politics, that had a media institute mobbed and stoned once again, under this regime. The mainstream print media over the past two or three days, reported on producing 16 men in Colombo magistrate courts by police and bailing them out, in relation to this mob attack. They carried excerpts of statements from all who condemned the Akon show and briefly noted the MBC/MTV Colombo office attack was condemned by some. This print media wants the reader to accept, their responsibility is over with that. The electronic visual media was even worse. Their coverage in all channels excluding the State run, that in any way won’t be independent and “Sirasa”…

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Jumma: The last bastion of the boys

The other day I was chatting to my dad and told him that sometime in the future I would like to give a Jumma sermon. He shook his head sadly and told me that unfortunately in this country, women cannot give sermons. I asked him why? And he couldn’t really tell me a good reason. So I am throwing the question out to the rational and reasonable public – Why can’t a woman give a Jumma sermon? I know from my brother and cousin that most of the Jumma sermons are totally irrelevant. Firstly they are given in a language they don’t quite understand – a tip to Imams: try Sinhala or English as a rule please, in Colombo mosques, secondly the Jumma is dead boring. Thirdly what exactly is the criterion to give a sermon? I know one big one: you have to be a man. But after that, what? From my limited knowledge I know that there is…

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Renunciation

We turned out of bed saddened and furious when we heard Taliban detonated the Bamiyan Buddhas: What savagery, to destroy testaments aged over centuries, to a now effaced history; but today let us rejoice, Akon the singer has been denied a visa and a chance to feed the unruly and sexual minds of a sold-out Sri Lankan crowd, Christians no doubt, urbane Muslims certainly, even some fallen gautamas, they can’t be trusted pogo dancing, and we don’t want skin exposed near Lord Buddha. Yet, I wish to offer a disclaimer along with a refusal to appear before a court-martial or an investigative judge to testify about the nature of We to which I belong.

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  • 25 Mar, 2010
  • 131 Comments
  • Colombo,
    Identity,
    Religion and faith

Aroused by Akon’s Sexy Bitch: the Rise of Sinhala-Buddhist Fundamentalism?

Could it be that the sight of the Buddha statue was a complete turn-off to those who were utterly aroused by the dancing girls, the ‘sexy chicks’, seen in the music video ‘Sexy Bitch’, by David Gruetta, which featured Akon? If not, can such a scene, which in this particular video lasted for not more than two seconds, truly give rise to the kind of intolerance in a Buddhist; which was shown when stones were hurled at the MBC office? A further question that arises is the following: how many more seconds would it have taken, of that or similar kind of scene, for these people to strap a bomb round their bellies and blow themselves up in front of the MBC Office? Surely, if one or two seconds caused such anger and hatred, things would have been much more serious if the entire music video featured a Buddha statue or a temple in it. More fundamentally, then, are these…

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Politics of Sinhala Nationalism: Underpinning of the UPFA Victory and Undermining of the Sri Lankan Nationhood

“Politically speaking, tribal nationalism always insists that its own people is surrounded by a world of enemies, one against all, that a fundamental difference exists between this people and all others. It claims its people to be unique, individual, incompatible with all others, and denies theoretically the very possibility of a common mankind long before it is used to destroy the humanity of man”. Hannah Arendt (The Origins of Totalitarianism, p.293, 1996). The UPFA’s continues its political hold on Sinhala nationalism after President Rajapaksa’s convincing victory in the Presidential election and it is likely to be repeated in the General Elections on 8th April. In electoral terms, this has been the most significant electoral victory Sinhala Buddhist nationalism has gained since the victory of 1956 over the Sri Lankan polity signaling grim   prospects for the building of a Sri Lankan identity accommodating the aspirations of the ethnic minorities. We have already paid a high price for the tragic political outcome…

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Bell Pottinger and Sri Lanka: Millions spent for what?

Bell Pottinger hired Qorvis Communications as a subcontractor for its work with the government of Sri Lanka, starting December 1, according to a filing with the US Department of Justice. Qorvis is providing media relations and monitoring, crisis communications planning, and stakeholder representation in the US. The budget is approximately $483,000. Though freely available on the web since January this year, this information to the best of our knowledge has not been prominently featured or robustly questioned in mainstream media to date. Bell Pottinger is one of the UK’s largest public relations firms, spin doctors par excellence for those who can afford them, including amongst many others, the Government of Iran, members of the government of Saudi Arabia and in the past, General Augusto Pinochet. The British oil company Trafigura was also a key client, yet despite this was named and shamed in the media for uncontrolled dumping of hundreds of tonnes of highly toxic oil waste around Abidjan, the…

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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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