Arjuna Ranatunga under the Gun

from Sunday Times

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Imperialism: Another Michael Roberts in Debate with one John Smith

“Getting off the fence on modern imperialism” .at MICHAEL ROBERTS’ BLOG = https://thenextrecession.wordpress.com/2016/07/19/getting-off-the-fence-on-modern-imperialism/

Those of you who have been following the discussion on modern imperialism on my blog will know it was kicked off by two books: one by John Smith called Imperialism in the 21st century and one by TonY Corfield cyalled The City – London and the power of finance.  The discussion on my blog was expanded at the recent workshop on Imperialism in London, where the analysis was developed among upwards of 100 participants.

Since then, John Smith has sent in a long comment on my last post on that workshop which merits some decent space and a reply.

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Apey Ayithivaasikam: Guarding Sri Lanka’s Right?

Sri Lanka Guardian ….

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Secularism on the Wane in South Asia

P K Balachandran, in Financial Times, 27 October 2018 -where the title reads “Decline of Secularism in South Asia”

South Asia’s multi-religious countries, namely India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, started off with a noble wish to be ‘secular’ and keep religion out of the business of the State. Hindu-majority India, under the leadership of the avowedly secular Jawaharlal Nehru, explicitly stated that it would be secular.

Nehru

Jinnah–Getty Images DS Senanaayke

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A Response to Rajan Hoole re Reviews of Eelam War IV and Western Deceit

Michael Roberts

I chose to respond to Rajan Hoole’s Comment within the Colombo Telegraph presentation of my article on “The Western World’s Cumulous Clouds of Deception: …,” directly and privately on the 18th October… at about the same time that I addressed ALAN KEENAN of ICG privately re his Twitter comments.

The issues are complex and cannot be efficiently tackled within the confines of a COMMENTS BOX with word limits because assiduous readers need supporting citations, maps and pictorial insights. In fact, it is difficult to investigate this topic without a lengthy report that is perhaps one/third the size of the UNPoE Report. Continue reading

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Two Novel Tourist Lodges hit the Headlines via Awards

Item n Sunday Island, 28 October 2019, with this title “Cape Weligama And Wild Coast Tented Lodge in Conde Nast Traveller 2018 reader awards”

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The premier global luxury travel magazine, Condé Nast Traveler, has unveiled the winners of its Readers’ Choice Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. The 31st annual Awards ranked the best hotels, resorts, cities, islands, airlines, airports, and cruise lines in the world. Nearly half a million readers rated their travel experiences to provide a full snapshot of where and how we travel today.-https://www.cntraveler.com/readers-choice-awards/asia/asia-top-resorts

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Abi-Habib and Bastians on the Political Struggle in Sri Lanka

Maria Abi-Habib and Dharisha Bastians, in New York Times, 26 October 2018, where the title reads “Sri Lanka Faces Constitutional Crisis”

Sri Lanka plunged into a constitutional crisis Friday after the president ousted the prime minister, a move that took the nation by surprise and was denounced as illegal by some government ministers. Sri Lankans were glued to their television sets Friday after President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and replaced him with Mahinda Rajapaksa, a popular former leader who was accused of human rights abuses, brazen nepotism and excessively close ties to China when he had governed the country.

 

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A Presidential Coup …. and A Major Political Crisis

Asanga Welikala, courtesy of Groundviews, whose preferred title is “Paradise Lost? Preliminary Notes on a Constitutional Coup”

There were three dramatic announcements on the evening of Friday 26th October 2018 from the Presidential Secretariat, which occurred in the following order: (a) the announcement of the withdrawal of the UPFA from the government; (b) the swearing-in of Mahinda Rajapaksa before President Maithripala Sirisena as the Prime Minister; and (c) the announcement that the President has informed Ranil Wickremesinghe in writing that he has been removed from the office of Prime Minister under Article 42(4).

Mahinda Rajapakse in Kandy … earlier in 2015 -Getty Images-Buddhika Weerasinghe

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Land Acquisition Processes in Sri Lanka, 1948-2018

Gerald H. Peiris, being  an article serialized recently in The Island, under the following heading  “Alleged ‘Land Grabbing’ by the Security Forces in Sri Lanka” … with highlighting emphasis being impositions by The Editor, Thuppahi

In view of the significance accorded in recent public debate and discussion on the subject of ‘land grabbing’ in several conflict-ridden countries of the Third World it is necessary to devote attention to a series of facts that are of crucial relevance to a balanced understanding of the related situation in Sri Lanka.

Figure 1 – post-conflict releases of land from the Palali HSZ

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Sri Lanka’s Withering History. Without a Hattotuwa or a Fukuyama!

Richard Simon, whose preferred title is “The End of History, Again” ……. —  A parody which is presented in this blog viz,……………………………………. http://notesfromceylon.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-end-of-history-again.html — a site which I encourage you to visit …. Note that I have inserted highlighting emphases to assist readers.

Hattotuwa  A Tiger Cub resembling Hattoyama?

A Tiger Lad going on duty -Pic by Shyam Tekwani circa 1989

Someone for whom I have great respect asked me to write my reaction to this essay by Sanjana Hatthotuwa in the Island. I do so somewhat unwillingly, since the kind of writing it represents is ordinarily of no interest to me. This is because I view, historical processes (including, inter alia, all social and political processes) as being beyond human control. It is true that humans, both individually and in groups, can grasp and sometimes make use of these processes to further their own ends, but in doing so they unavoidably change both the process and its results. And these changes and effects are not fully predictable by anyone. Hence my deep conviction that socio-political activism is at best ambiguous in its effects, and at worst downright dangerous.

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