Sri Lankan Dissidents: Their Work Commemorated via Their Archives

Fr Tissa Balasuriya

 

VISIT THIS SITE: https://dpul.princeton.edu/sae_sri_lanka_dissidents?fbclid=IwAR0r_CuHdd9OwgkvjStbaGXlscmQ7hwkI1uJRt1uETMLIebFoVq1bPr40vY

This collection documents the activity of a generation of Sri Lankan radical activists who, in their different ways, attempted to escape the claims of rival ethno-nationalisms and build alternative political and development projects, drawing on Marxism, Christian socialism, and feminism, among other inspirations.

Fr Yohan Devananda 

Fr Michael Rodrigo & Fr Paul Caspersz

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The Hindu’s Reading of the Gota-Wei Talks

Meera Srinivasan, in The Hindu, 29 April 2021, where the title reads thus: “Sri Lanka follows an independent foreign policy, will never bend to outside pressures, Chinese media quoted Mr. Rajapaksa”

Sri Lanka has prioritised developing relations with China and “firmly supports” China’s positions on issues concerning its core interests, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told Chinese State Councilor and Minister of National Defence Wei Fenghe, according to Chinese state media.

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An Exploration: Discerning How a Sinhalayā in Kandyan Times BECAME Sinhala

Michael Roberts, reproducing here an old draft that is entitled “Becoming Sinhala” ***

Preamble

The scene is somewhere early in 1984 and the location is the building housing the Social Scientists’ Association on the road to Nawala off Narahenpitiya in Colombo. The late Charlie Abeysekera and the late Newton Gunasinghe are reflecting gloomily on the pogrom of July 1983 that had victimised Tamils living in the capital and elsewhere in the south. Charlie is one of the founder members of MERGE and both are among the few personnel in Colombo who had taken an active stand in public forums against the atrocities that had occurred.* Now, in the gathering dusk, Charlie looks at Newton and asks: “what makes you think that you are a Sinhalese?” Newton immediately grasps the serious import and analytical purpose behind this question. He considers the issue gravely before venturing upon an answer.

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Sri Lanka between the Dragon and the Eagle

 

Fair Dikum answers CENTRAL ISSUES facing Sri Lanka++

Will SL become a battle – turf for Rising Power China and Ruling Power America? 
There is no reason why this should occur.  The US is causing problems by meddling as it tries to sabotage China’s relations with all countries for its own economic advantage. If the SL government are wise, they can keep out of it, remain neutral, and prosper in the way Singapore manages it. Singapore is a good case study for how to manage US-China rivalry.  They are strong enough to repel  US pressure.

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Yanis Varoufakis reads China for The Benefit of an American Simpleton

See … Hear…. YOU TUBE entitled “Don’t Worry So Much About China – Professor Yanis Varoufakis – May 2018 = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBgbYQ5QAM0″

…. 29,015 views ….. Jun 22, 2018

A Note from “Fair Dikum,” 29 April 2021

“Here, the former economic minister of Greece talks about his experiences negotiating with China  and why China is not militaristic, and has never used the Western imperialist approach in dealing with countries in Europe and Africa. This is the narrative absent in the West. He also criticises the Chinese Government,  for good reasons, but not in the way the West does.
Yanis Varoufakis has a more balanced understanding of the world the the entire US and UK put together.”
 “I have  deleted the word “Professor” that is part of the Google description of Yanis Varoufakis.” THAT is part of my general programme. Content not title is WHAT counts.”
ALSO VISIT
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGt82RFfg3U  ….. “Yanis Varoufakis blows the lid on Europe’s hidden agenda,”
1,501,445 views
May 5, 2017
BASIC BIO-DATA
Yanis Varoufakis is a Greek-Australian ….. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yanis_Varoufakis

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Kung Fu Lessons for Gota?

But, then, see ……………. https://thuppahis.com/2021/04/29/a-chinese-handshake-for-little-sri-lanka/#more-51213

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A Chinese Handshake for Little Sri Lanka

Shamindra Ferdinando in The Island, Thursday 29 April 2021 where the title is “China, Lanka in upbeat mood”

China and Sri Lanka yesterday (28) reiterated their commitment to building stronger relations between the two nations, during separate talks the visiting Chinese State Councillor and Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe had with President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

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Covid Spreading in Lanka! Apey Moda Väda!

Dr B. J. C. Perera, in Island, 29 April 2021, with this title “Covid-19: Perhaps final warning for Sri Lankans”

Be warned, our dear countrymen and women. The die is cast…, well and truly. In addition to all our woes in this resplendent isle, as far as COVID-19 goes, things are getting totally out of control. We will have to pay for our sins. Whom do we blame now? Here are some facts and some well-considered thoughts.

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UK sets up a “China Research Group”

Tom Tugendhat and Neil O’Brien: About the China Research Group”

The China Research Group [has been] set up by a group of Conservative MPs in the UK to promote debate and fresh thinking about how Britain should respond to the rise of China. The group’s work looks beyond the immediate Coronavirus crisis or issues relating to Huawei, with the aim of considering the longer term challenges and opportunities associated with the rise of China and its industrial and diplomatic policies.

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Island Lanka as “Last Gasp” Saviour?

Amanda Hodge in The Australian, 28 April 2021, where the titleruns thus: “India Covid crisis: Aussie family’s last-gasp sanctuary”

With a second wave of COVID-19 ravaging India and all escape routes to Australia closed for his Hyderabad-based family of four, Melbourne-born school principal Andrew Nicholson says he feels lucky his wife’s birth country of Sri Lanka at least will take them in.

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