Author Archives: thuppahi

About thuppahi

Sri Lankan and Australian nationality; student of Sri Lankan society and politics; sociology of cricket;
March 8, 2021 · 11:26 pm

Remembrance: Marking 21/4 Jihadist Zealotry in Sri Lanka

Pictures by Raymond Aponsu and Sulochana Gamage

Churches observed Black Sunday yesterday in protest over the terror attacks on 2019 Easter Sunday, calling on the government to deliver justice by prosecuting those responsible for the attacks. Protestors led by the two Colombo Auxiliary Bishops Rt.Rev. Anthony Jayakody and Rt.Rev.Maxwell Silva held placards pleading for justice in Negombo in front of the Katuwapitiya Church which was bombed on April 20, 2019 while others led by Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith gathered in front of the Kochchikade St. Anthony’s Church yesterday.

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Filed under accountability, atrocities, cultural transmission, discrimination, ethnicity, heritage, historical interpretation, Islamic fundamentalism, jihad, life stories, Middle Eastern Politics, photography, politIcal discourse, power politics, religiosity, self-reflexivity, social justice, sri lankan society, suicide bombing, trauma, violence of language, world events & processes, zealotry

March 7, 2021 · 8:50 am

Sacking Chaminda Vaas. Terrible Course!

Sanjeewa Jayaweera, in The Sunday Island, 7 March 2021, where the title reads thus: “Chaminda Vass was an All-time Hero for Sri Lanka” …. with highlighting added by The Editor, Thuppahi

Fast bowling is an arduous task and is doubly so in the Asian subcontinent, where docile pitches and energy-sapping heat takes their toll on those brave enough to take up the challenge. One must have a big heart, a great deal of determination and lots of skill to succeed as a fast bowler. Chaminda Vaas (CV) had plenty of these and a few more.

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March 5, 2021 · 10:42 am

Rise in Anti-Chinese Sentiments in Australia

Naaman Zhou, in The Guardian, 4 March 2021, with this title “How Anti-Chinese Seniment in Australia seeped into the Mainstream”

  Photograph: Torsten Blackwood/AFP/Getty Images

Community members say current levels of anti-Chinese sentiment have been fanned by the pandemic, Donald Trump’s rhetoric, souring trade relationship and a political atmosphere that encourages a ‘creeping distrust’ of Australians of Chinese heritage. 

Threatening letters sent to Asian councillors and a surge in race hate attacks during the pandemic has renewed calls for a centralised hate tracker.

Councillor Kun Huang received [a hate] letter on a Monday. Among the insults about his name, the threats of death, the blame for the Covid-19 pandemic, the accusation that he had been stealing all the milk powder, buying up all the houses and bringing disease to Australia “for centuries”, the staff at the Cumberland Council noticed a name and an address. This was a race hate letter signed by its supposed perpetrator.

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Filed under accountability, Australian culture, australian media, chauvinism, communal relations, cultural transmission, disparagement, economic processes, historical interpretation, legal issues, life stories, politIcal discourse, taking the piss, vengeance, violence of language, world events & processes

March 5, 2021 · 8:33 am

Cricket Crazy Cricket! Dananjaya’s Roller-Coaster

Madushka Balasuriya in ESPNcricinfo, 4 March 2021, where the title is “Kieron Pollard’s six sixes in an over trumps Akila Dananjaya hat-trick in dramatic chase”

West Indies 134 for 6 (Pollard 38, Hasaranga 3-12) beat Sri Lanka 131 for 9 (Nissanka 39, McCoy 2-25) by four wickets

In one of the more ridiculous T20 run-chases you will witness, Kieron Pollard became just the third player to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket off the same bowler, Akila Dananjaya, who had rocked West Indies’ chase just an over earlier with a hat-trick.

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Filed under cricket for amity, life stories, performance, the imaginary and the real, trauma, vengeance, world events & processes

March 5, 2021 · 3:49 am

Lord Naseby targets Adele Balasingham …. and Lord Tariq Ahmad

Lord Michael Naseby, in Island, 5 March 2021, where the title is “Lord Naseby asks why Adele not prosecuted in UK for child recruitment”

Lord Naseby President of the UK all party British-Sri Lanka Parliamentary group, has questioned the failure on the part of the UK to prosecute senior LTTE leader Adela Balasingham, wife of the outfit’s late theoretician Anton Balasingham. Lord Naseby said that Adele, who had been involved with the LTTE for several decades, was responsible for recruitment and deployment of child soldiers.

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Filed under accountability, atrocities, centre-periphery relations, discrimination, Eelam, historical interpretation, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, military strategy, politIcal discourse, prabhakaran, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, social justice, sri lankan society, Tamil Tiger fighters, war crimes, women in ethnic conflcits

March 4, 2021 · 1:36 am

The Marvellous Hydraulic Civilization of Ancient Lanka via You Tube and …. More

Sri Lanka’s hydraulic civilization spans over two Millenia and is integral part of our agricultural heritage. Watch the story of the origins, the rise, the golden age, the decline and the resurgence of this technology. Voice talent – Arun Dias-Bandaranaike And don’t forget to subscribe 🙂 for more content For more fascinating video’s on Sri Lanka check out channel Destination Sri Lanka https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwRl​​… #destinationsrilanka​​ #srilanka​​ #beautysrilanka​​ #srilankaculture​​ #srilankasights​​ #srilankalocation​​ #irrigationsystems​ #irrigation​ #hydraulic​ #civilization

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Filed under ancient civilisations, Buddhism, economic processes, heritage, historical interpretation, island economy, landscape wondrous, life stories, meditations, photography, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, travelogue, world events & processes

March 2, 2021 · 2:14 pm

In Search of Archaic Practices & Features in Ancient and Medieval Lanka

Two foreign personnel, one a British man and the other a Taiwanese Chinese lady, have developed a deep interest in Sri Lanka and a considerable  äcquaintance”, so to speak. with the land and its peAnswer: perhaps Sigiriya?oples, and have recently sent me these fascinating inquiries on arcane topics. Michael Roberts

ONE:  A NOTE from Lewis Bower [i], late February 2021

 Have you heard the term “Argyra” before? It was mentioned in Stephanus of Byzantium’s contribution to the geographical dictionary Ethnica to describe a “thriving metropolis” that he came across on his travels of Sri Lanka… Typing that made me feel like I’m on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire”.

We’re talking 5th/6th Century AD so I’d be really interested to find out where he was talking about,”

… Answer: perhaps Sigiriya? … Michael Roberts

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Filed under ancient civilisations, architects & architecture, art & allure bewitching, authoritarian regimes, British colonialism, Buddhism, cultural transmission, governance, heritage, Hinduism, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, Kandyan kingdom, landscape wondrous, life stories, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes

March 2, 2021 · 8:57 am

Vanni Hope continues its Charitable Outreach in the Vanni

Vanni Hope newAROW : Sinnangsiru Kalvimankal Preschool welcome programme, Batticaloa, Sri Lanka

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Filed under accountability, charitable outreach, cultural transmission, democratic measures, heritage, landscape wondrous, life stories, patriotism, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, unusual people, world events & processes

March 2, 2021 · 2:56 am

Tom Moody to be Director of Cricket in Lanka

Andrew Fidel Fernando, in ESPNcricinfo.com, late February 2021, with this title Tom Moody appointed as Sri Lanka’s director of cricket””

The role will have Moody overseeing Sri Lanka’s international programme and domestic tournaments

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Tom Moody had been Sri Lanka’s coach between 2005 and 2007  Getty Images

Tom Moody has been appointed Sri Lanka’s director of cricket, a broad new role that will have Moody overseeing Sri Lanka’s international programme and domestic tournaments. The appointment was made on the recommendation of Sri Lanka’s new technical advisory committee headed by Aravinda de Silva.

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Filed under cricket for amity, governance, historical interpretation, life stories, performance, sri lankan society, unusual people

March 1, 2021 · 2:26 pm

UNHRC: Core Group Countries’ Statements on Sri Lanka 25/02/21

COURTESY of A Concerned Sri Lankan in UK

WATCH ……………………… Germany: https://youtu.be/fSvf8sKuV-U

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Filed under accountability, British imperialism, historical interpretation, human rights, landscape wondrous, legal issues, life stories, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, self-reflexivity, the imaginary and the real, truth as casualty of war, world events & processes