Rajapaksa vs Fonseka: Tweedledum vs Tweedledee?
The results of the national elections are now by no means certain. There is a contest and as a consequence, there is the possibility that the presidency could change hands, which in…
Year: 2009
The transformation of Buddhism in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, the Dhamma preached by the Buddha has gone through many transformations. First we had the Hinduization, bringing in Hindu deities into our temples, sometimes converting them to ‘Buddhism’. Next…
Taking note of the Lisbon Treaty
Czechoslovakian President Vaclav Klaus signed the 2007 EU Lisbon Treaty on the 3rd of November thereby making the Treaty effective as of the 1st of December 2009. The Czech Republic was the…
A Wobbly Bridge (Or Is It A Footpath?) From The Tamil Diaspora
For a long time I didn’t think of myself as being a part of the Tamil Diaspora. I had this vague feeling that I was going to go back home some day. …
The Travelling Circus: A different take on IDPs in Sri Lanka
Interview with Tracy Holsinger from Centre for Policy Alternatives on Vimeo. recently spoke to Tracy Holsinger of Mind Adventures and Mike Masilamani (Masii) about the upcoming production of ‘The Travelling Circus’, devised…
Concentration camps for animals
Some of the recent deaths of animals in captivity in our zoological gardens, had been blamed on the visitors. The real blame should be accepted by the authorities who manage these prisons.…
Media, Civil Society and Social Mobilisation
by Arjuna Ranawana[i] and Anupama. M. Ranawana[ii] Think to that place that this country has now come to, – the chaos of impunity, the failure to protect human rights and the hysteria of…
Sri Lanka’s new found friends: Looking for love in all the wrong places
Reading about GOSL’s latest foreign foray is like venturing into an oncologist’s office; you suspect that there is something wrong with your system but you hope that it’s nothing serious. But, deep…
Confessions of a Digital Immigrant
My daughter Dhara, 13, finds it incredible that I had never seen a working television until I had reached her current age — that’s when broadcast television was finally introduced in Sri…
In Praise of the Devil’s Advocate
“I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to death your right to say it” said Voltaire after reading Rousseau’s We respect the courage and honesty of Voltaire and other…
If you don’t mind my asking, what is your race?
At my local hospital (in the UK) this morning, a nurse asked: “If you don’t mind my asking, what is your race?” Not the sort of everyday question, so I was taken…
180 days after end of war, the much anticipated return of IDPs: An eyewitness account
Last week a group of us got very rare access to some of the resettled areas in Mannar and Killinochchi. I also visited the different zones in Manik Farm (used to be…
Rajapakse: Now the most popular surname in Sri Lanka?
-Â Banyan News Reporters (BNR) learns from the Registrar of Names that a record number of people in Sri Lanka are requesting a change in their surnames. Over the last few months, the…
President’s Birthday, General’s Resignation and the Angulimala Piritha
— Dhammapada 121) — Buddha In November, 2009 I read two notable news stories in the internet. Â The first was a news story that appeared on 8 November, on a pro-JVP website:…
The opposition needs common sense, not a common candidate
Much has been said, written and speculated about the anticipated presidential candidacy of General Sarath Fonseka. In my case, something good has come out of this SF for President business. I found…