Author Archives: thuppahi

About thuppahi

Sri Lankan and Australian nationality; student of Sri Lankan society and politics; sociology of cricket;

Marie Colvin’s Encounter with the Sri Lankan Army, 16th April 2001

Marie Colvin

The eye-patch worn by the redoubtable journalist Marie Colvin from late 2001 onwards probably enhanced her presence and impact in the world at large. But it was a heavy price and undoubtedly involved a traumatic journey of recovery from the injuries received from grenade shrapnel fired by a Sri Lankan Army patrol on 16th April 2001.

COLVIN IN vAVUNIYA HOSPITAL -AP+ Govt info dept

In this Tuesday, April 17, 2001 file photo Sri Lankan army medical staff examine journalist Marie Colvin at a field hospital in Vavuniya (AP Photo/Government Information Department, File)” — Caption in Jeyaraj 2012

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The JVP Insurgency in the late 1980s and its Death Toll

Dharman Wickremaratne, in the Daily News, where the title is “JVP uprising II killed 396 undergrads, while 227 students disappeared”… http://www.dailynews.lk/?q=features/jvp-uprising-ii-killed-396-undergrads-while-227-students-disappeared

JVP-02 DJV Slogans calling for the death of President Jayewardene (“Let’s kill J.R.”) written on walls

The second JVP insurgency began in 1986. Two were killed on May 1, 1987 when the banned May Day was commemorated. The insurrection was baptized near the Bo Tree, Pettah on July 28, 1987. The first to die there was Moratuwa University Engineering student Clifford Perera. The writer saw him lying on the ground with fatal gunshot injuries. The two of us studied in the same school. A brilliant student in the engineering field he was drawn to the JVP by Sudath, a second year student of the Colombo University’s Medical Faculty. I remember in the same group were Hiranya, Asiri, and Godagampola among several others.

Clifford was dying. His last words were: “Motherland or death.” No one dared to rush to the spot because gunfire was heard from all directions. When I appealed to Pathegama Mathupala, the caretaker of the pro-JVP Samastha Lanka Trade Union Federation, he responded promptly. He carried Clifford with the help of another. The next moment a bullet struck Mathupala’s hand. As soon as our photographer Chandrasiri Weerasinghe took a photo of the scene, we left the place. Continue reading

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Only in Australia! Glendambo

Courtesy of Jith Wijeyesekera

GLENDAMBO

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Obamas incorporated into Diwali

by Ganesh … working wonders with Photoshop

HAPPY DIWALI in USA

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Stark Scenario: Meeriyabedde Landslide

MEERAYABEDDA LANDSLIDE Courtesy of Daily Mirror

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Duncan White wins 440 Hurdles in Record-time at Empire Games 1950

Courtesy of Lance Fernando and Victor Melder ….. SEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iHJI0eoq9A&feature=em-share_video_user

Sri Lanka’s First Ever Track Gold: Duncan White- 440Yds.Hurdles,1950 Empire Games, Auckland, NZ

Published on Jun 11, 2013

White, who had won the silver medal for the 400m.hurdles at the 1948 Olympics, here won the newly independent Sri Lanka’s (at this time still called Ceylon)first ever track gold medal hurdling this time over the old Imperial distance of 440 yards. His time was 52.5,just 0.3 seconds outside the WR. In second place was John Holland(NZ)in 52.7 and in third Geoff Goodacre (Aus), in 53.1.

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A Poetic Appreciation of GK Haththotuwegama … five years after

Chandra Wickremasinghe

GK DE S

Child of unconventionality Of the Peradeniya fifties, When burgeoning creativity, Made avant- garde waves, With the path breaking Maname And Sophocles’ Theban plays, Under such renowned Gurus non-pareil, Of the ilk of Sarathchandra and Ludowyke.

What a wonderfully esoteric world it was! With idyllic evenings Spent languorously, dreamily, Watching the human tragedies As they unfolded on the stage, To the accompaniment of the wailing flute, The muffled drum note and the sad choral voices, In the grassy amphitheatre Which juxtaposed symmetrically, With the sharply curving ‘oscular bend’, On the familiar Galaha road. Continue reading

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How “The Gathering” branded the Mass Elephant Congress at Minneriya … Annual and Mid-Year

Srilal Miththapala, in The Island, 28 October 2014, with title ” ‘The Gathering’ — The Unknown Story”

Elephants at Minneriya

‘The Gathering’ (of elephants) at Minneriya National Park takes place from around June to October each year and has today become a well-known phenomena in the world today. During the drought in the central province of Sri Lanka, some 150-250 wild elephants gather around this ancient man-made reservoir, covering approximately 8,900 hectares, which was constructed by King Mahasen in the 3rd century AD. This large reservoir fills up during the north-east monsoon around November to April each year. When the rain ceases, and the dry season begins, and the drought takes its toll, the water in the reservoir starts to dry up. Although the reservoir shrinks quite dramatically, it never really runs dry, and as the water recedes, it leaves behind fertile, moist soil where lush grass quickly sprouts. The entire reservoir is surrounded by scrub jungle, which opens out in the vast plains of the Minneriya tank. Continue reading

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Brigitte Gabriel’s Devastating Criticism of Simple-Minded Political Correctness

Brigitte-Gabriel-665x385SEE her response to the Question from law student Saba Ahmad at http://ozziesaffa.blogspot.com/2014/06/i-bet-she-regrets-asking-her-question.html ,,,

….. a question which replicated the simplistic, seemingly deep but quite obtuse and totally impractical point-of-view that was ALSO embodied in the question from Ursula — another law student — selected by TONY JONES of Q and A on Australian Broadcasting Channel’s popular Monday night show yesterday 27th October. This question was taken seriously by Geoffrey Robertson, HR Lawyer, and given a a partial nod of  approval.

Brigitte Gabriel also took it seriously … and then tore it to shreds. Continue reading

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KP’s Frantic Efforts to Save the Tiger Leaders in 2009 … and USA’s Pursuits

Michael Roberts: “Setting the Context — Fragments of Data”

The recent ‘recovery’ of Fr. Gaspar Raj’s information on the various ideas and lines of endeavour directed towards saving the LTTE leadership in the dire circumstances confronting them in 2009, together with the interjections of PK Balachandran and Muralidhar Reddy that convey indirect information from other sources, provide one with significant wisps of data on the strategic “pursuits” favoured by USA in relation to Sri Lanka in 2008/09. I use the term “pursuits” advisedly here as an omnibus term for the USA’s mixture of goals, a ‘product’ that I hope to clarify, via conjecture and by analytical deduction, in essays to be written after the Wikileaks disclosures of US embassy despatches[1] have been digested.

The information in this respect within the Gaspar Raj item has particular value because this Tamil Jesuit from southern India is a rabid nationalist who has been an ardent supporter of the LTTE and continues to voice extremist claims, including charges of “genocide” levelled at the government of Sri Lanka.[2] Continue reading

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