LRRP infiltration demolishes impregnable Tiger terrain myth

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The war between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) armed forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) cadres has been conventional as well as unconventional. [TC]

Responsibility to Protect (R2P): State sovereignty and international responsibility after Kosovo

by Rajan Philips

Last week I dealt with the internal failure of the Serbian State that led to Kosovo’s declaration of independence and placed this failure in the context of the overall disintegration of Yugoslavia. Here, I turn to the external side of the Kosovo conflict that has caused some exercising in Sri Lankan political circles. The government has expressed unreserved opposition to Kosovo’s declaration of independence, while its plenipotentiary in Geneva has warned the government to be vigilant against the undermining of Sri Lankan state sovereignty by Tamil separatism within and Western hegemonism from without. On the other hand, Tamil political websites have been giving self-serving publicity to Kosovo’s declaration of independence. [FI]

Kosovo and Sri Lanka: Internal Dissension Leads to External Intervention

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Former Thomian chaplain Rev.L.J.B. Fernando had a penchant for pithy comments during his short sermons. “Independence means in dependence of God ” was one.

I am reminded of this line as Kosovo made its unilateral declaration of Independence on Feb 17th. Has Kosovo truly gained independence ? or is it in actual terms,” in dependence” of the powerful West?

In short is Kosovo an Independent, sovereign state or a protectorate that is virtually a western puppet? [TC]
Tamil Translation of this article: கொசோவோவும் இலங்கையும் : உள்ளக முரண்பாடுகள் புறச்சக்திகளின் தலையீடுகளுக்கு வழிகோலும்

ICRC Draws Attention Towards Disappeared Male Relatives On Global Women’s Day

The International Red Cross focus on International Women’s day (Mar 8th) this year will be on the phenomenon of “disappearances of male family members” Of women.This humanitarian tragedy is widely prevalent in most conflict ridden areas. This is an issue of crucial importance where the Sri Lankan Government is specifically accused of involvement in disappearances. [TC]

President Rajapakse Has Got India On His Side

by Kusal Perera

“What allows this government of President Rajapaksa to survive?” This question wasn’t asked one year ago, in the same tone and seriousness, it is asked today. Today, much has changed, locally and internationally in relevance to the Rajapaksa regime. Today, much has changed politically within the government and in the Opposition, within and without parliament. To whose advantage and to whose disadvantage are all these happening ? Very simply, to the advantage of the Rajapaksa regime and to the disadvantage of the people. To all people, in every part of the country. “How” and “why” would be questions that follow. [FI]

Need for Increased Alertness Against LTTE

by B. Raman

An official statement issued by the headquarters of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on March 11, 2008 on the high-profile visit of Lt.Gen.Sarath Fonseka, the chief of the Sri Lankan army and the architect of the successful counter-terrorism operations by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, to India in the first week of March,2008, is an indicator of the desperation of the LTTE and its bitterness against the government of India. [TC]

Sri Lanka arrests six in connection with news Web site-Committee to Protect Journalists

Six people affiliated with the Sri Lankan news Web site OutreachSL have been detained by the Terrorist Investigation Division of the Sri Lankan police force in Colombo since last week, according to Agence France-Presse and local news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists urges the government of Sri Lanka to charge these Journalists and media workers or release them from police custody. [FI]

Tamil Journalists Arrested and Beaten by Police Acting on Wrong Information

Reporters Without Borders is concerned about the fate of five Tamil journalists arrested by anti-terrorist police in Colombo in the past six days and urges the Sri Lankan authorities to explain why they are being held. [FI]

Sri Lanka Media Rights Group Expresses Concern Over String of Journalist Arrests

Expressing concern and ‘hoping due process will be followed regarding the arrested writers and journalists’, Sri Lanka Media Rights Group-The Free Media Movement (FMM) is pointing out that the journalists’ ‘rights are violated more often than not’, in a statement released today. FMM issued a statement after a string of arrests by the Sri Lanka Terrorist Investigations Department (TID) in the past few days. [TC]

Statements in the UN on Torture in Sri Lanka

Disappearances are currently a global problem. Today disappearances are current in countries suffering from internal conflicts such as Colombia, Nepal, the Philippines, the Russian Federation and Sri Lanka. [TC]

Sri Lanka: US Dept. of State Country Report on Human Rights Practices

Sri Lanka is a constitutional, multiparty republic with a population of approximately 21 million. President Mahinda Rajapaksa, elected in 2005 and the parliament, elected in 2004, both for six-year terms, share constitutional power. International observers generally characterized these elections as free and fair. However, in September parliament launched an investigation into allegations of a 2005 agreement between the current president and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to enforce an election boycott in the north and east, depriving Tamils of their right to vote. [FI]

HRW Video: Sri Lanka’s Ghosts

State Responsibility for ‘Disappearances’ and Abductions [TC]

Humanitarian Workers in Sri Lanka: Two Years of Killings and Disappearances

This is the preliminary report by the Law and Society Trust originally titled “Under Fire: Persons in Humanitarian Service “.The report dated march 07 2008 is about Killings and Disappearances of Persons in Humanitarian Service in Sri Lanka , covering a two year period from January 2006 to December 2007″ [FI]

A-9 Highway Closure Has Changed Life in Jaffna

The evening of 11 August 2006 is etched in the minds of those who live in the northern Jaffna peninsula. At around 5.30pm, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) attacked the front lines that separated government-controlled Jaffna and areas under Tiger control farther south. The onslaught prompted the closure of the A-9 highway, the only land link between the peninsula and the rest of the island. [TC]

Violating the Constitution Continues From J.R to M.R.

by Dr. A.C. Visvalingam

President Jayewardene fathered the 1978 Constitution. He saw to it that, as President, he would be endowed with all powers other than to carry out sex changes, i.e. “to turn a man into a woman or vice versa”, as he himself put it. Towards this objective, he had Article 35 (l) of the Constitution worded as follows by a bunch of sycophantic constitutional lawyers without a protest from even one of his gutless party members: [FI]

NPC: Assassination is the Antithesis of Democratic Rule of Law

Statement by National Peace Council of Sri Lanka

The assassination of TNA Member of Parliament for the Jaffna District, K Sivanesan on his way home to his family and four children after in voting in Parliament is an abominable crime. He was killed in a claymore mine explosion within LTTE-controlled territory in the Wanni where his home was. The National Peace Council condemns this assassination of an elected Parliamentarian. So far three TNA parliamentarians have been assassinated since the resumption of fighting in 2005. This continuing pattern is the antithesis of the democratic rule of law that Sri Lanka needs to attain. [FI]

A Colombo “Male” Perspective On Women’s International Day

by Prasad Gunewardene

Come March 8, Women’s International Day, we are bound to witness Women’s Organisations coming out to scream for gender equality and to make other demands. The day glitters for some leaders of those organizations.

Diana would dress herself in the best saree with a mod cap her head. Jennifer would stand before the mirror, wear a cap to avoid sun burn and ask her daughter whether ‘Mummy’ looked pretty to lead the march. [TC]

Mahinda, Nixon, Humpty Dumpty’s Great Fall and All the President’s men.

By Dharisha Bastian

When Woodward and Bernstein wrote about their investigative reporting into Nixon’s Watergate crisis, they picked a fantastic title. “All The President’s Men” was derived from the nursery rhyme, ‘Humpty Dumpty’ in which “all the kings horses and all the king’s men couldn’t put humpty together again” and was meant to allude to the oligarchic policies of the Nixon administration. Sri Lanka under the Rajapaksa regime is not very different and the resurrection of the title seems apt, with apologies to two of the greatest investigative journalists in modern history. [TC]

International response to Sri Lanka war after the end of CFA

by Col R Hariharan (retd.)

The European Union’s decision to renew the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) plus scheme provided for Sri Lanka’s exports for another three years from January 2009, despite its adverse reaction to the ending of the ceasefire agreement (CFA) by Sri Lanka government. (The GSP plus concession enables Sri Lanka to export its goods and products to the EU at reduced or exempted tax and duty levies.) This decision comes in the face of strong stand taken by Germany on this issue.

East Plans First Vote in Over 10 Years
by Somini Sengupta

Undeterred, the woman wagged a finger. “You admit you broke away from the L.T.T.E.,” she said. “Why are you blaming them now?” Then, finally, she said the unspeakable: “Why don’t you ask the government to give us a separate state?” [NY Times]

Take Aid From China and Take a Pass on Human Rights

by Somini Sengupta

Today, a shifting world order is bearing new fruits for Sri Lanka. Most notably, China’s quiet assertion in India’s backyard has put Sri Lanka’s government in a position not only to play China off against India, but also to ignore complaints from outside Asia about human rights violations in the war. [NY Times]

Ethnic Divide Worsens as Sri Lanka Conflict Escalates [NY Times]

A Buoyant Sinhlese Majority and a fearful Tamil Minority.

Arts-Culture-Heritage

Battles of the Blues in the Sizzling Sixties

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

Sitting down at the computer to write an article for the special “Battle of the Blues”supplement put out by the “Nation” revived pleasant memories of Royal - Thomian cricket matches and their related activities.

The cheering, jeering, shouting, running on to the grounds for the flimsiest of reasons, picking new fights, settling old scores,flicking flags and souvenirs, hooting the Royal tent prefects walking in front of the Thomian tent, tackling the College cops after the match,singing, dancing etc remain vividly etched in memory.

‘Sivarathri’-the spiritual night of Lord Shiva

by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai

Mahasivarathri (”great night of Lord Shiva”) is celebrated on March 6th this year; it always falls on the fourteenth day of the lunar fortnight. Mahasivarathri is considered the most important day for the devotees of Lord Shiva, and there are special celebrations at Sivan temples throughout the island. [HA]

Movie Review: A bullet through your brain

There’s not a chance in hell you’ll forget you watched Thotta. Selvaa’s idea of making Thotta unforgettable is by making every character say Thotta at least once in every line in the movie, if not every shot. [Hindu]

All Lands Home

Holi: Preparations for Hindu festival:

Colour powder sellers are busy meeting demands from all over India ahead of Hindu festival of Holi

Holi is the festival of joy, mirth and buoyancy.

Obituary-from the NY Times Archive

Menachem Begin, Guerrilla Leader Who Became Peacemaker

Menachem Begin, the Israeli Prime Minister who made peace with Egypt, lived much of his life in the opposition. A Jewish underground leader before Israel gained independence in 1948, he openly fought the established Zionist leadership of the struggle against British rule.

Then for nearly three decades, he headed Israel's major opposition party. [NY Times]