The Thuppahi SITE can pat itself on its bum for featuring the athletic prowess of Tania Murphy nee Van Heer and her son Aidan Murphy over the decades — achievements on the athletic tracks as well as academic fields and moving beyond to a small welfare enterprise in Sri Lanka.
Australia’s gold medal winning team, (left-right) Tania Van Heer, Catherine Freeman, Sharon Cripps and N. Peris-Kneebone, wave to the crowd as they go on a lap of honour (Photo by Tony Marshall/EMPICS via Getty Images)
Filed under accountability, art & allure bewitching, australian media, cultural transmission, education, ethnicity, female empowerment, heritage, historical interpretation, life stories, migrant experiences, nationalism, patriotism, performance, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, travelogue, unusual people, world events & processes
Matt Gable ….. WATCH https://www.youtube.com/live/
Sachs 
….. MearsheimerFiled under accountability, american imperialism, arab regimes, authoritarian regimes, centre-periphery relations, citizen journalism, disparagement, foreign policy, historical interpretation, human rights, Jews in Asia, life stories, Middle Eastern Politics, Palestine, politIcal discourse, power politics, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, war reportage, world events & processes
Sachi Sri Kantha, in Ilankai Tamil Sangam, September 15, 2025 in an article entitled….A Critique on Rajani Thiranagama’s Assassin- Suspect ‘Bosco’ presented at https://sangam.org/a-critique-on-rajani-thiranagamas-assassin-suspect-bosco/ & addressing central aspects of the book. Palmyra Fallen (2015) by Rajan Hoole
Introduction
Sept 21st marks the 36th death anniversary of human rights activist Dr. Rajani Thiranagama (1954-1989). At the time of her death, she was affiliated to the University of Jaffna. Last July 26th, Prof. Michael Roberts re-posted chapter 3 of Dr. Rajan Hoole’s 2015 book ‘Palmyra Fallen, from Rajani to War’s End’. Having been a long-time critic on the activities of Rajan Hoole and his University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) coterie, I forwarded my comments to the ‘Tuppahi’s blog’, and Prof Roberts had kindly posted it, with his own interpretation……[https://thuppahis.com/2025/07/20/political-complexities-in-jaffna-the-killing-of-rajani-thiranagama/].
Filed under accountability, atrocities, authoritarian regimes, caste issues, communal relations, disparagement, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, human rights, insurrections, law of armed conflict, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, politIcal discourse, power politics, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, Tamil Tiger fighters, teaching profession, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, vengeance, women in ethnic conflcits, world events & processes
Matt Gable, in an email communication ….where The Editor has taken the liberty of inserting his own highlights
We are told all three protests involved students, Gen Z, were social media driven, and used the same manga pirate flag depicting the Jolly Roger wearing Luffy’s straw hat.Filed under accountability, Americna imperialism, atrocities, australian media, British imperialism, centre-periphery relations, disparagement, doctoring evidence, ethnicity, Fascism, foreign policy, historical interpretation, law of armed conflict, legal issues, life stories, news fabrication, Palestine, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, propaganda, taking the piss, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, world events & processes
Sandagomi Coperahewa, in The Sunday Times, 8 June 2025, where the title reads thus: “Felicitating Lanka’s Foremost Linguist”
I am writing this brief essay in connection with the felicitation ceremony for Emeritus Professor Deshamanya J.B. Disanayaka, the most senior academic and a distinguished figure among contemporary Sinhala scholars in Sri Lanka. The ceremony will be held on 13th June 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at the New Arts Theatre, University of Colombo, with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka presiding as the Chief Guest. I take this opportunity to reflect on Professor Disanayaka’s contributions to the advancement of Sinhala studies and on my association with him as a teacher, mentor, and scholar.
“The JVP totally declines violence/aggression.” Twice the JVP took up arms; however, in the future, we assure the people of Sri Lanka that this will never, ever recur. We guarantee the people that the only way we will come into power is by winning their trust. We assure the people of Sri Lanka that we will never, ever take up arms again. During the last 25 years, the JVP has been subjected to violence on numerous occasions; however, we never wish to resort to violence again. AKD has assured the public, so they need not have any fear—the JVP has ‘rejected violence forever’! This is the assurance given by the JVP’s leader, Dissanayaka Mudiyanselage Anura Kumara Dissanayake, one of the most charismatic and extraordinary politicians ever to enter the local political arena. Dissanayake was unanimously named the leader of the JVP at the 7th National Convention of the Party, held on 2 February 2014.
Filed under accountability, authoritarian regimes, communal relations, democratic measures, economic processes, education, electoral structures, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, insurrections, Left politics, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, patriotism, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, unusual people, working class conditions
Finally, the world is uniting against the Cabal and the control
I’ve covered a lot of rallies in my time, but I’ve never seen anything like what unfolded in London on September 13. An enormous number of people flooded the streets for Tommy Robinson’s Unite the Kingdom rally. The atmosphere was electric. It wasn’t just another protest; it felt like a cultural revolution in motion.
Filed under accountability, Britain's politics, centre-periphery relations, citizen journalism, democratic measures, disparagement, governance, landscape wondrous, life stories, patriotism, performance, political demonstrations, politIcal discourse, power politics, press freedom, propaganda, self-reflexivity, taking the piss, trauma, unusual people, world events & processes
Michael Roberts
This epic and fascinating TV series serial has brought its curtains down and called it a night [to alter the idiom]. My first intimation of this event was in reading Ed Potten’s account in The Australian 13-14 September 2025 ….but I cannot access this news item because the !@#!$!!! paper demands money for web-access ….even though I receive the print-paper daily.
&&&&&&&&&
Downton Abbey is … {was] ….. a British historical drama television series set in the early 20th century, created and co-written by Julian Fellowes. It first aired in the United Kingdom on ITV on 26 September 2010 and in the United States on PBS, which supported its production as part of its Masterpiece Classic anthology, on 9 January 2011. The show ran for fifty-two episodes across six series, including five Christmas specials.
‘Downton Abbey’ Duo Talk Success And Controversy, But Some Questions Are Off Limits
Tom Branson and Lady Mary return for the final Downton Abbey movie(Image: Rory Mulvey/Focus Features)
Filed under art & allure bewitching, Britain's politics, British social order, cultural transmission, economic processes, education, ethnicity, female empowerment, gender norms, heritage, historical interpretation, life stories, patriotism, performance, politIcal discourse, self-reflexivity, travelogue, unusual people
Being CHAPTER ELEVEN of The George Steuart Story 1835-1985 ++
When a young Sri Lankan walked into the office of George Steuart on February 1, 1953, no one is likely to have imagined that he would become not only the first Sri Lankan Chairman of what was then essentially a British firm, but also the youngest man to hold that important office.
The young man, whose name was John Francis Anthony Paul Peries, and was generally known as Tony Peries, had been edu cated at St. Joseph’s College, Colombo, and had applied for a post as a trainee Tea Taster. His father, ·W. Peries, a Director of Mackwoods, was held in the highest esteem in agency circles.
Filed under British colonialism, centre-periphery relations, commoditification, economic processes, ethnicity, governance, historical interpretation, island economy, land policies, life stories, performance, plantations, politIcal discourse, sri lankan society, unusual people, working class conditions, world events & processes
thuppahi
