NY Times Profile: Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam, Singapore politician

by Seth Mydans 

“Funnily enough, I enjoy the fight,” he said in an interview. “It’s true. And if I had to give it up I wouldn’t know what to do.” A practicing Anglican Christian of Sri Lankan descent, Joshua Benjamin Jeyaretnam was born in 1926, was raised partly in what is now Malaysia and received his law degree from University College in London in 1951. [FI]

Decommissioning Pillayan through provincial council administration

By M. S. M. Ayub

It is now time for the political parties to use the Eastern provincial council election results to justify their policies and stands. The New Left Front says that the results point to the fact that power devolution must be carried out on ethnic lines and the JHU views that the Eastern people have totally rejected terrorism. [FI]

No right to be there

by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

With a terrible record of torture and disappearance, Sri Lanka doesn’t deserve a seat on the UN human rights council. It should be voted out. [FI]

Love Marriage, by VV Ganeshananthan

Reviewed by Salil Tripathi

VV Ganeshananthan’s subject is Sri Lanka, the paradise island torn apart by fratricidal conflict since 1983 (or beyond, if you want to look for older hatreds). Ganeshananthan, an American of Sri Lankan (but Tamil) origin, mixes up the sequence, tossing before the reader shards of memories which look like pieces of broken bangles. But when we look at those broken bangles through her kaleidoscope, her twisting of the lens reveals patterns that make it possible to understand aspects of the conflict, even if the horrors cannot be excused. [TC]

NPC: Vesak Time Appeal for Respect for Human Rights

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

The killing of Maheswari Velayutham takes away from the political community another strong personality who headed the Forum for Human Dignity and was also closely associated with the EPDP, a former Tamil militant organisation that is now with the government. [TC]

Eastern elections that brought nothing to the people

By Kusal Perera

The much pampered and wholly manipulated elections for the de-merged Eastern Province came to a close during the week end. The government insists it was a free and fair election and said so even during the voting. Statements made on behalf of the government says the victory it gained proves the people in the East have pinned their faith on democracy. [FI]

In memory of Maheswary Velautham 

By Rajiva Wijesinha

The Peace Secretariat profoundly regrets the murder of Ms Maheswary Velautham during a visit to Jaffna to see her sick mother. Given the plethora of deaths this country suffers from, the Secretariat has not been accustomed to issuing statements of sympathy and sorrow for individual cases. We regret the lives of known and unknown, of civilian and military, and even the lives of our fellow citizens who have been conscripted or deluded into fighting intransigently for a terrorist movement. [FI]

Basil is the Sun around which The Eastern P.C. will revolve

by D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The controversial election to the Eastern Provincial Council is over but the controversy over the chief minister (CM)appointment is not over.

Speculation whether the new CM will be Pillaiyan, M.L.A.M. Hizbullah or some other is somewhat absurd because in a sense the issue really does not matter. [TC]

Provincial elections could trigger widespread redevelopment

After provincial elections in Sri Lanka’s Eastern region concluded on 10 May, some economic recovery and increased assistance from the humanitarian community is likely, according to UN and other officials. [FI] 

Sinking of A 520/MV Invincible in Trincomalee

by Commodore RS Vasan IN (Retd)

Reports indicate that a SLN logistic support ship was sunk at about 0223 hrs on Saturday 09 May 2008. The ship was next to Ashroff Jetty at Trincomalee and was being loaded with explosives to be carried to KKS. This ship itself came in to the possession of the SL Navy by a court order way back in 2003 when it was apprehended transporting illegal migrants in Southern Sri Lanka. [TC]

Transforming to knowledge economy is key to prosperity

Full Text of Speech by Ambassador Robert Blake to the University of Moratuwa’s Closing Ceremony of Mentoring Program, Conference Hall of HNB Towers [FI]

Sri Lanka’s model democracy is being ravaged by war

by Bob Rae
[Former adviser to the Sri Lanka peace talks, 2002-2004]

A United Nations agency recently declared Sri Lanka one of the world’s most dangerous places for aid workers and journalists. It is also a terrifying place to be a soldier. Both the government and its opponents, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), count scores of fighters killed and hundreds wounded during recent fighting. Sri Lanka’s already horrific war is entering a quantitatively new phase. [FI]

Report of the Inter Religious solidarity visit to Mannar

At the invitation of the Reconciliation and Peace Desk, Colombo Diocese of the Anglican Church, a team of religious leaders visited Mannar from 15th-18th April 2008. The team included a senior Buddhist Monk, several Anglican priests, a Methodist priest, a Catholic Priest, a Catholic nun and two lay Christians. [TC]

Armed group releases underage recruits

The Karuna faction, the Tamil Tiger breakaway group, which has been transforming itself from an armed military group into a political party, released 39 underage recruits in April 2008.

The group, officially known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pullikal (TMVP), released 28 children on 24 April after 11 were let go on 11 April. [FI]

All Lands Home 

In Pictures: Myanmar Struggles in Cyclone Aftermath

In Pictures: Myanmar Faces Aid Delays

A refugee camp in Kyacek Tan, south of Yangon, on Friday. Nearly one week after a devastating cyclone, supplies into the country were still being delayed and aid experts were being turned back as they arrived at the airport. [NYTimes]

Arts - Culture- Heritage 

Dasavatharam runs into row

With just a few days to go for its release, actor Kamal Hassan’s Dasavatharam has already kicked up a controversy.