Angela Kane Visit: Mercury Rises in UN Glass House Over Sri Lanka

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj

“Is Angela Kane bringing a cane to Sri Lanka”? was how a website speculated on the eve of the visit by the ,UN Assistant Secretary -General for Political affairs to Sri Lanka last week. [TC]

Kosovo independence: A lament for Yugoslavia and no cheer for ethnic states

by Rajan Philips

Kosovo’s declaration of independence on 17 February provoked a range of worldwide reactions, some recognizing Kosovo, others rebuking it, and a few remaining silent. Although the opposing responses were seen as illustrating the clash of the principles of sovereignty and self-determination, they were not based on any principle but mainly on expediency and/or self-interest. [FI]

Sri Lankan military bogged down in northern offensives against the LTTE

By Sarath Kumara

The euphoria in the Sri Lankan government and military over the prospects of a quick victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is beginning to fade. While the security forces regularly report the killing of LTTE members, little progress appears to have been made in seizing the LTTE’s major northern strongholds in the Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu districts. [TC]

Sri Lanka: The Case Against An International Monitoring Mission

A panel discussion titled ‘Sri Lanka: The case against an International Monitoring Mission’, was held today (Friday, March 07th) on the sidelines of the Seventh Session of the Human Rights Council in Room IX of the Palais des Nations from 13:20 to 14:45. It was attended by over 45 representatives from states, civil society organizations and the media. The discussion was moderated by Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations at Geneva H.E. Ambassador Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka. [FI]

Eminent Persons Group Quits Monitoring Presidential Commission Inquiry

The Sri Lankan Government of President Mahinda Rajapakse was dealt a severe blow as the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons unilaterally suspended its monitoring of Presidential Commission of Inquiry appointed to probe selected instances of human rights violations in Sri Lanka. The IIGEP stated that the Presidential Commission’s Public Inquiry Process so far falls short of International norms and standards. [TC]

‘Disappearances’ by Security Forces a National Crisis

The Sri Lankan government is responsible for widespread abductions and “disappearances” that are a national crisis, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today. Human Rights Watch urged the government to reveal the whereabouts of the “disappeared,” immediately end the practice, and hold the perpetrators accountable. [TC]

I am doing for Tamils what Mahinda did for Sinhala people in 1989

By Mano Ganesan

The victims of human rights violations during the 1989 period are activists, supporters and family members of JVP. It was a well known fact. Mahinda Rajapakse fought on behalf of their plight. That did not make him a member of JVP. He fought for the human rights of the people. JVP attacked sacred Dalada Maligawa. They threw bombs inside the Parliament. They killed Buddhist monks, politicians, police, security forces and their family members. But nobody accused Mahinda of dealing with JVP and supporting JVP’s terrorism against security forces. Today the victims are Tamils and most of them are accused of LTTE affiliation. [TC]

Put Spotlight on Burma, Eastern Congo, and Sri Lanka, says HRW

The UN Human Rights Council should draw attention to the neglected human rights crisis in Somalia, Human Rights Watch said today as the council began its first session of this year. The council, meeting in Geneva, should also intensify its engagement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sri Lanka and Burma, Human Rights Watch said. [TC]

Conflicting Perceptions in War Reporting by Sinhala and Tamil Media

by MSM Ayub

“The Sri Lanka fighter jets have destroyed a place in Jayapuram in Killinochchi where some senior LTTE leaders had assembled”. “Reports from Killinochchi say that seven civilians have been seriously injured in an attack by the SLAF bombers”. These are two lead sentences of two news items appearing in two newspapers on January 18. But do not misunderstand, these were not two incidents. These news items referred to one and the same incident. [TC]

Provincial Councils Must Get Agrarian Services Powers Back

By Dr. Jayampathy Wickramaratne [President’s Counsel]

There is renewed interest in the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution. The Government states that it is keen to ‘fully implement’ the Thirteenth Amendment. Even those like the writer who agree with Prof. G.L.Peiris’s oft-quoted statement made in the nineties in the course of the Navaratnarajah Memorial Oration that the Thirteenth Amendment is ‘fundamentally flawed’ and who believe that any solution offered to the Tamil people must go beyond even the Constitution Bill of 2000 will be happy if the Thirteenth Amendment is in fact fully implemented. [FI]

No excuse not to implement it

by Rohan Edrisinha

(Expert in Constitutional Law and Colombo University Law Lecturer Rohan Edrisinha takes on the excuses trotted out on behalf of the government by SCOPP (Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process) and others over the President’s failure to appoint the Constitutional Council despite the fact that the minority parties have agreed on their nominee - former auditor General SC Mayadunne.) [FI]

President must take more time and do the right thing-Basil Rajapaksa

Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa in an interview with LAKBIMAnEWS staffer Namini Wijedasa says, “India did not force his brother’s government to agree to a full implementation of the 13th Amendment.” Excerpts: [FI]

The Philosophy and Legitimacy of Sri Lanka’s Republican Constitution

by Dr. Nihal Jayawickrama

I am deeply honoured to have been invited to participate in this workshop which is part of the programme organized by the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs to celebrate the centenary of the birth of Dr Colvin R de Silva, and to pay tribute to a generous and warm-hearted human being; a unique and dominant personality of our time. [FI]

All Lands Home

How large is your cutout? TN leaders believe their own hype on birthdays

If there's ever a situation where a democratically elected leader is made to feel like a medieval ruler, then it must be in Tamil Nadu.

It's now a signature of state politics that the birthdays of party czars are marked by unreal extravaganzas. The sycophancy levels at Mayawati's annual birthday-cum-fund collection bash may have come as a shock to TV audiences but in TN, it's just par for the course.

The cadre here -cutting across political parties—have for years been on an overdrive on birthday occasions. The celebrations are lavish and bizarre by any definition. [OutllookIndia]

NY Times in Pictures: India, Old and New

Auto rickshaws, cycle rickshaws, cars and buses clogging a road in New Delhi. As India develops, how it will contend with its expanding carbon footprint is under growing scrutiny from abroad.

In Pictures: Faces of War in Sudan

Abu Surouj, Sudan, after government forces and allied militias burned the town last month. Such attacks in Sudan are a return to the tactics that terrorized Darfur in the early, bloodiest stages of the conflict. [NYTimes]

Arts - Culture - Heritage

Tribute: Sujatha will live with us through his work

Sujatha's demise is an irreparable loss to the Tamil literary world. A prolific writer who covered everything under the sun ranging from social character to metaphysics, Sujatha was aware of all what transpired in the society, observed them, analysed them and always ensured these reflected in his writings. His sharp intellect made him "live" in his writings and he "lived" till his death. [Rediff]

Why I like... Kokila

by Madan, cartoonist and film critic

Being a film critic, I can recall about 350 films from recent memory, films I’ve seen in the past few years. But there are always films that make you nostalgic. Films such as Avargal or Agni Natchatram. [Hindu]