Human rights abuses in Sri Lanka flourish under veil of secrecy

Statement by Amnesty International

Ensuring respect for human rights around the world very often relies on impartial and rigorous media coverage – without exposure and public scrutiny abuses can flourish under a veil of secrecy and denial. [FI]

Universal values provide basis for dialogue

Full Text of Media Release by National Peace Council of Sri Lanka:

The human and economic costs of war are taking an ever increasing toll on Sri Lankan society. The battles at Muhamalai in the north in which several hundreds of combatants either died or were injured serves as a reminder of the costs of war and further costs that lie ahead. [FI]

Press Imprisoned

By Jacqueline Park

In Sri Lanka, Tamil journalist Munusamy Parameshwari is now 24. She fled her country recently and is in hiding after receiving death threats for several years. Her family was also threatened.

From November 2006 to March 2007, Parameshwari was detained without charge under anti-terrorist laws. Shortly after her release she was abducted and assaulted by several men in uniform who warned her to discontinue her reporting. [FI]

How does one become Sinhalese or Tamil in Sentiment?

by Michael Roberts

My interpretation of the present impasse in the politics of Sri Lanka, determined as it is by the competitive jostling-cum-conflicts between the three main ethnic groups (where “Muslim” is ‘ethnic’ by virtue of its relationship of opposition to “Sinhalese”and “Tamil” in the same sentence), leans towards an emphasis on how one should address present circumstances. [FI]

Time Has Come For Fresh Indian Initiative in Sri Lanka?

by Col R Hariharan (retd.) [FI]

Sri Lankans pray for miracles as civilians pay high price

by Mel Gunasekera [AFP]

On the lingering conflict and worsening conditions

By Dr. S. Narapalasingam

The November 2005 Presidential election could be termed as a turning point in the effort to seek a political solution to the protracted

ethnic problem that escalated since 1983 into a gory war destroying about 70,000 lives and displacing tens of thousands of families from their habitats. Paradoxically, both the Sinhala nationalist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) and the separatist rebel group the LTTE (Tamil Tigers) were responsible for the outcome of the last Presidential election. [FI]

Tigers Demonstrate Military Prowess at Muhamaalai Front

by D.B.S.Jeyaraj

For many,many moons the government of President Mahinda Rajapakse has been projecting an image that everything is going well for the security forces on the military front.

The people of this country have been the targets of a sustained propaganda barrage claiming that everything was hunky-dory for the regime in the on going war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The scale of this propaganda has been so great that many people in the South were taken in and believed that "victory" over the tigers was imminent. [TC]

Bob Rae Calls for Canadian Leadership on Sri Lanka

Pointing out the “continuing fighting an terrible loss of life in Sri Lanka,” Mr Rae, former Ontario Premier and an advisor to an earlier round of peace talks, said in a media release issued in Canada’s Liberal party website that “The world can’t just sit back and let this death and destruction happen. [FI]

Is it the end of Wimal, the politician?

by MSM Ayub

However much one faction is small, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is divided, and leaders of the party could not hide the division, when they spoke on the present crisis, claiming as usual that this was a problem involving one individual. [FI]

All Lands Home

Suresh Joachim, Canada’s full-time record-breaker seeks fame

by Saira Peesker

Professional record-breaker Suresh Joachim always knew that if he wanted people to listen to him, he’d have to make a name for himself.

Then he discovered the Guinness Book of World Records.

Now a stay-at-home dad and full-time record-breaker, Suresh has broken 53 world records — including longest karaoke marathon (25 hours, 49 minutes), longest time spent standing on one foot (76 hours, 40 minutes) and longest continuous ironing (55 hours, five minutes). [TC]

Arts - Culture- Heritage

Sneha: Fifty Not Out

Buoyancy is an important term in her resume. Every time she slips into oblivion, she resurfaces with a vengeance. With half-a-dozen Tamil films taking off this year, actor Sneha is over the moon. [Hindu]

Bombay Jayashree: My first break

My grandfathers were bhagavathars. My parents were Carnatic music teachers. At eight, I started learning Carnatic music. I gave my first concert in 1982 in our own colony on Ganesh Chathurthi day. [Hindu]

['Pozhuthu Pularnthathu' by Bombay Jayashree~a You Tube Presentation]