Category Archives: insurrections

Tekwani’s Analysis of “Transnational Security and Postinsurgency Issues” in Sri Lanka

Shyam Tekwani ... taken from …Alas the date of pubn is not indicated clearly… it is probably circa 2010 

  • Sri Lanka’s quarter-century civil war may be over, but many of the underlying causes of the war continue to linger.
  • The international network of the defeated Tamil Tigers continues to control immense financial and logistical resources and is supported by the nearly one million Tamil diaspora. Meanwhile, the victorious Rajapaksa government has been slow in implementing its promise of political settlement and integrating the minorities into the political and socioeconomic life of the country. These realities may contribute to the radicalization of a new generation of Tamils, both on the island and in the diaspora in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. Continue reading

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About Bart Klem in Political Science

  About Bart Klem = My research is focused on questions of political order amidst and after civil war. I am interested in state institutions, de facto sovereignty of rebel movements and public authority. Sri Lanka has been my main country specialization, but I also work on Northern Cyprus and I have done some work on Indonesia (mainly Kalimantan). More details may also be found on my personal website.

Before joining Gothenburg University in 2020, I was lecturer at the University of Melbourne and the University of Zurich.

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Meirsheimer’s Forecast in 2009 — Seeking to ”Save Israel From Itself”

John Meirsheimer, in The American Conservative, 18 May 2009….. article entitled “Saving Israel From Itself” …. with highlighting emphasis imposed by Tthe editor, Thuppahi

The two-state solution is the only way to guarantee the Jewish state’s long-term security—and our own.

Israel and Palestine in Middle East on contour map. Palestinian territories of Gaza and West Bank. Jerusalem and Jordan River on outline map. Theme of Israel, war, conflict.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The United States and Israel fundamentally disagree about the need to establish a Palestinian state living side by side with Israel. President Obama is committed to a two-state solution, while Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu is opposed and has been for many years. To avoid a direct confrontation with Washington, Netanyahu will probably change his rhetoric and talk favorably about two states. But that will not affect Israel’s actions. The never-ending peace process will go on, Israel will continue building settlements, and the Palestinians will remain locked up in a handful of impoverished enclaves in the West Bank and Gaza. Anticipating this outcome, Obama has told Congress to expect a clash with Israel.

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Deciphering the Past to Secure Reform in the Present

Michael Roberts

Let me suggest that in any country one cannot address the fundamental problems of the present without understanding its immediate past. This prescription was/is inherent in an article that I penned for the Indian journal FRONTLINE in June 2009 one month after the LTTE had been vanquished in war (1). Its title was “Some Pillars for the Future.” 

On re-reading this essay today in September 2024, I affirm that it is marked by good sense and presents several worthwhile propositions. It is reproduced here for others to assess and comment critically on its arguments — standing now in the midst of the many developments and changes between 2009 and 2024.  Continue reading

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Democratic Processes Worldwide and Sri Lanka Today

 Ever since he addressed the failed coup of 1962 in a book-length stud,y Donald L. Horowitz has kept an eye on Sri Lankan affairs and has now unveiled a new book tackling central issues in the democratic process on a worldwide scale –with one chapter devoted to the problems TODAY in Sri Lanka ….. Editor, Thuppahi 

Donald L. Horowitz, James B. Duke Professor of Law and Political Science Emeritus, Duke University

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Noel Nadesan’s Critical Reflections on the Sri Lankan Tamils’Armed Struggle

Rajeswary Balasubramaniam, reviewing Odyssey of War by Noel Nadesan **

The ‘Odyssey of War’, a novel by Dr. Noel Nadesan published by Sarasavi Publishers, reflects the struggle for the liberation of Tamils in Sri Lanka (1977-2009) and the failure of interwoven world politics. The novel illustrates how upper-class Tamils overcame caste, religion, and regions and united for the liberation of Tamils, but went beyond the spirit of liberation, migrated, and eventually made the liberation struggle of Tamils a profitable business.

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Gamini Goonetilleke’s Wide-ranging Medical Work in Lanka

“In the Line of Duty: The Life and Times of a Surgeon in War and Peace a memoir published in 2008. …………………. now sold out.

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Articles by Michael Roberts presented in Edited Books

ITEM presented in reverse chronological order by Sophia Corfield …  a postgrad at Adelaide University when this list was compiled, circa 2012

  1. Sri Lanka: The power of cricket and the power in cricket. In S. Wagg (Ed.), Cricket and National Identity in the Post-Colonial Age: Following On (pp. 132-158). London: Routledge.

  1. Submerging the People? Post-Orientalism and the Construction of Communalism. In G. Berkemer (Ed.), Explorations in South Asian History. Festschrift for Dietmar Rothermund on the Occasion of his 65th Birthday (pp. 311-323). New Delhi: Manohar.

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The Siege of Jaffna Fort by the LTTE in 1990

Gamini Goonetilleke, … with a few photographs awaiting insertion later

I had volunteered my services to the Sri Lanka Army and it was my turn of duty at the Palali Base Hospital when the Jaffna Fort came under Tiger attack. Thus I was a witness to a major battle for supremacy in the North. For the State the Jaffna Fort was of symbolic importance to demonstrate its sovereignty over the Jaffna population and as such the Sri Lanka Army was occupying the Jaffna Fort. For the Tigers, dislodging the troops from the Fort was of importance to pave the way for ‘liberation’. Therefore it became an important battle for both sides.

Image  1 – A view of the Jaffna Fort          

Jaffna Fort – main entrance

 

 

 

 

The siege of Jaffna Fort

The Tigers had surrounded not only the Fort but also the Palali Air Base to prevent the mobility of the troops and also to cut off supplies. They positioned anti-aircraft guns in the Fort area. This threatened the helicopter borne supplies to the stranded troops and the battle for the Fort turned out to be fierce and intense.

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That Gathering at Trinco towards Setting Up the ICES ….in Pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neelan is standing on the extreme right, with CR de Silva on his right and Sam Samarasinghe nex to him

This NOTE is part of Professor KM de Silva’s Account of the Process leading to the Formation of the ICES: ” The Taita Hills conference [in Kenya] was followed by a second cross-national workshop held on 7 March 1982; this time at the then Hotel Club Oceanic in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka.

“The photographs attest the considerable cross-national support for this enterprise, albeit wholly weighted towards  the West in the context of world political alignment then. …” Michael Roberts (while anticipating a Memo or essay from Professor Donald Horowitz which will provide other threads in the processes leading to the setting up the ICES).

Robert Goldmann

 

 Myron Weiner  

the web photos of Donald Horowitz resisted copying

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