June 30, 2020 · 6:19 pm

The Rhodes Statue and Battle Lines in Oxford University: Aristocratic Brits face Black Extremists

Anonymous Oriel College Collective …….The letter (below) is a response from [one part of] Oxford University to black students attending as Rhodes Scholars who demand the university removes the statue of Oxford Benefactor, Cecil Rhodes.

Interestingly, Chris Patten (Lord Patten of Barnes), The Chancellor of Oxford University, was on the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4 on precisely the same topic. The Daily Telegraph headline yesterday was “Oxford will not rewrite history”.  Lord Patten commented: “Education is not indoctrination. Our history is not  a blank page on which we can write our own version of what it should  have been according to our contemporary views and prejudice.”

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June 30, 2020 · 5:28 pm

Imbalanced Task Forces in Sri Lanka?

Jehan Perera, in Island, 30 June 2020, with this title “The Need For Better Representation In Divided Societies”

There has been a trend of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa making senior appointments in which those who are outside the established administrative systems are being brought in to provide leadership and ensure effective and non-corrupt practices.  As a large number of these appointments have been from the security forces this has given rise to a perception that the country is heading towards eventual military rule. There is a concern that the forthcoming general elections will be followed by constitutional changes that will entrench the military in governance as in some other countries such as Myanmar. This is unlikely to be the case in Sri Lanka as democratic traditions upholding civilian control of government are deeply ingrained in the fabric of political society.

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June 29, 2020 · 6:31 pm

Hiran Halangode on the SL Army’s History bearing on the Land Warfare Campaign in 2006-09

The SL Army’s Land Warfare Campaign in 2006-09: Debating the Lines of Strategic Emphasis

HALANGODE FOUR: Retd Brig. Hiran Halangode’s Clarification**

This account deals with the question of the re-organization of the Infantry Battalions and a gradual expansion of the SIOT concept since 2002.

I start with the raising of the Ceylon Army and its evolution up-to 1983 in brief.  The Army was raised to defend Sri Lanka’s sovereignty and territorial integrity whilst the external threat was to be met by the British Forces deployed in Ceylon. Note our INTERNAL DEFENCE was primarily the Ceylon Army’s responsibility.  Our Army’s primary tasks were to tackle the trade union and leftist agitations, strikes and work disruptions which affected our supply of essential services, distribution of food from the port and our daily life. Continue reading →

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June 29, 2020 · 4:46 am

Danger for Mannar: Anxiety Aroused by Australian Sand-Mining Project

in Daily Mirror,  25 June 2020, where the title reads “Red Alert on Manna Mineral Extraction Project” ………….. Australian Company had acquired land in December 2018 and March 2020

As a popular tourist attraction in the country, Mannar boasts of a rich cultural heritage dating back to the Portuguese, Dutch and British periods. Dotted with palmyra trees and a scenic stretch of the Northern coastal belt, it is a popular destination for nature lovers as well.  During the flamingo season, the pink, red or orange feathered visitors frequent Mannar’s wetlands till the end of March.

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June 28, 2020 · 2:19 pm

Gorillas in Rwanda snapped by Lankan Tourists

Scenes at the Gisenyi & Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda …. in 2011

…. only the rear end on show

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June 28, 2020 · 1:44 pm

A Voyage into the National Archives via Experienced Hands Speaking on You Tube

ABSORB THIS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qz6zMy9Hf1U&t=924s​

ජාතික ලේඛනාගාරයේ විකාශය හා වටිනාකම 22 June 2020

වර්ෂ 2017 දෙසැම්බර් මස ජාතික ලේඛනාගාරයේ වාචික ඉතිහාසය සුරැකීමේ වැඩසටහන යටතේ, පර්යේෂකයන් සහ ජාතික ලේඛනාරක්ෂක දෙපාර්තමේන්තුවේ විශ්‍රාමික නිලධාරීන් පිරිසකගේ අත්දැකීම්, පටිගත කරන ලදී. ඒ ඇසුරින් ජාතික ලේඛනාගාරයේ විකාශය සහ එහි වැදගත්කම, ලන්දේසි, බ්‍රිතාන්‍ය සහ නිදහසින් පසු කාල වකවානුවල රාජ්‍ය ලේඛන සහ වෙනත් ලේඛන එකතූන් එනම්, පුවත්පත් එකතූව හා ශ්‍රව්‍ය දෘශ්‍ය ලේඛන, අධිලේඛන පරිශීලනය කළ යුතු ආකාරය, අනාගතයේ දී නව තාක්ෂණය තුළින් ලේඛනාගාරය වෙනස් විය යුතු ආකාරය පිළිබඳ ඔබට ඉතා වැදගත් අදහස් ඇතුළත් සංක්ෂිප්ත වාර්තා වැඩසටහනක් ඉදිරිපත් කරන ලදී….. VIZ  = The Development and Worth of the Department of National Archives

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June 27, 2020 · 6:16 pm

Gotabaya’s Governance in Groundviews Gunsights

Borella Junction 24.25 July 1983  —Pix by Chandragupta Amarasinghe –here juxtaposed with the Pix deployed by GV which, in my reading, may not be from the July pogrom but from other moments of violence

COLOMBO, PEACE AND CONFLICT, POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE

Sri Lanka And The US: A Pogrom And A Black Death At The Hands Of A White Policeman: Salutary Lessons

The Scene The morning of July the 25th 1983 is etched in my brain. I saw a group of people running or walking very fast away from the environs of Colombo. On…

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June 26, 2020 · 11:36 am

Legal Blanket obscures Company Failures: Corporate Power’s Clout

Elmo Jayawardena, in The Island, 24 June 2020, where the title reads “Did Kobe Bryant die in vain?”

The National Transport Safety Board (NTSB) of the USA has come out with a 1700-page investigation report on the helicopter crash in Los Angeles in which Kobe Bryant and his daughter died. The pilot was also killed along with 6 other passengers in this tragic accident. The report has given no final conclusion as to the cause of the crash. In aviation that is the norm in most such events.  Thousands of pages written by the powers that be who are mired in bureaucracy that end their conclusions without a conclusion.  Finally, they may come out with the Ace of Trumps as the cause – Pilot Error.

 

“How some things become legal at times is more a fairy tale than a legality.” …. Quote of the Week

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June 26, 2020 · 4:28 am

Mahela’s Leadership in Aftermath of Lahore Terrorist Attack Recognised

In a previous study of the terrorist attack on the Sri Lankan cricket entourage  at Lahore in 2009 I was guided by several news reports and chats with a few players in marking the resolution and actions of the bus driver  Mohammed Khalil, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Chris Broad during the initial ordeal and the resolute work of Lal Thamel in aiding the injured at the stadium and in hospital. Our thanks now to Rex for revealing Mahela’s firm leadership when moves were afoot to keep the two injured players Paranavithana and Samaraweera back in the air force hospital. Those who play together stick together….Michael Roberts

Rex Clementine, in The Island. 27 June 2020, where the title runs thus: “Paranavithana and Warnapura recall Lahore attack”

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June 26, 2020 · 3:00 am

Tamil Migrant Thuraissigiam denied Asylum Rights by US Supreme Court

Hassina Leelarathna, in Sri Lanka Express, 25 June 2020, where the title is “US Supreme Court rules against SL Tamil in landmark asylum case”

 The US Supreme Court in a landmark decision today voted in favor of the administration in its appeal against a lower court ruling that allowed a Sri Lankan the right to have a judge review the government’s handling of his asylum bid.

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