August 27, 2018 · 11:52 pm

Repression of Uighurs in China: Why Islamic States are Silent

Alexandra Ma, in UK Business Insider, 17 August 2018, where  the title runs “Why the Muslim world isn’t saying anything about China’s repression and ‘cultural cleansing’ of its downtrodden Muslim minority”

China’s crackdown on its Uighur citizens, a mostly-Muslim ethnic minority group, has faced heavy international scrutiny in recent months. In August the United Nations said it was “deeply concerned” by reports that China had forced as many as 1 million Uighurs into internment camps in Xinjiang, western China. In April, the US State Department said it had heard of Uighurs who had “disappeared” or were unexpectedly detained.

Meanwhile, Muslim countries have been deafeningly silent.

 Map showing the projects subsumed under the Belt and Road Initiative as of December 2015. Reuters

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August 27, 2018 · 2:49 pm

Sri Lanka’s Ancient Cities in Ultra High Definition Video

Preview YouTube video Ancient Sites in Sri Lanka in 4K Ultra HD

Amazing Places on Our Planet….Published on Aug 24, 2018

The major ancient historic sites in Sri Lanka, all UNESCO World Heritage sites: Sacred City of Anuradhapura and Mihintale, Ancient City of Polonnaruwa, Golden Temple of Dambulla, Ancient City of Sigiriya, Sacred City of Kandy. Anuradhapura was capital of Sri Lanka from the 4th century BCE until the end of the 10th century CE. Anuradhapura and the nearby Mihintale are the birthplace of Buddhism in Sri Lanka. Polonnaruwa was the second capital of Sri Lanka, from 1070 to 1310. The Golden Temple of Dambulla is a cave-temple complex, pilgrimage site for 22 centuries, with beautiful mural paintings and statues. Sigiriya (Lion Rock) is an ancient fortress on top of a 200 meter high rock, capital of Sri Lanka for a short time in the 5th century, and Buddhist monastery until the 14th century. Kandy was the last old capital of Sri Lanka. Temple of the Tooth Relic is a famous pilgrimage site in Kandy, keeping the sacred tooth of the Buddha.

Recorded January 2016 in 4K Ultra HD with Sony AX100. Music: Mike Wall – Passage – 1 – Dawn of Light Licensed via ilicensemusic.com ————————————– Continue reading →

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August 27, 2018 · 3:33 am

Fervent Faces as Signs of Extremism and Deceit? From Lakemba to Lanka

Michael Roberts

The video report on Lakemba in Sydney by Emma Reynolds is causing a minor stir. My reproduction of the web report in Thuppahi and its circulation drew comments from one George Rupesinghe who challenged her sweeping presentation of “Muslim monoculturalism” and the alleged no-go sites in Lakemba.

Says Rupesinghe: “This Canadian woman came to Oz merely to draw attention to herself. She set out to be deliberately provocative and the police officer very rightly warned her against using her “free speech” rights to incite unrest. Besides the mosque there is a Christian (Uniting) Church on the main street. Another Christian Church just off the main street along the Lakemba Street and a Catholic Church also on Lakemba Street.” Continue reading →

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August 27, 2018 · 2:04 am

Michelle de Kretser: From Methodist College to Global Platforms

ONE: Wikipedia Notice on Michelle de Kretser

Michelle de Kretser = born 11 November 1957 =  an Australian novelist who was born in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon), and moved to Australia in 1972 when she was 14.[1]   De Kretser was educated at Methodist College, Colombo and in Methodist College, Colombo,[2] and in Melbourne and Paris.

She worked as an editor for travel guides company Lonely Planet, and while on a sabbatical in 1999, wrote and published her first novel, The Rose Grower. Her second novel, published in 2003, The Hamilton Case was winner of the Tasmania Pacific Prize, the Encore Award (UK) and the Commonwealth Writers Prize (Southeast Asia and Pacific). Her third novel, The Lost Dog, was published in 2007. It was one of 13 books on the long list for the 2008 Man Booker Prize for fiction. From 1989 to 1992 she was a founding editor of the Australian Women’s Book Review. Her fourth novel, Questions of Travel, won several awards, including the 2013 Miles Franklin Award, the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal (ALS Gold Medal), and the 2013 Prime Minister’s Literary Awards for fiction. It was also shortlisted for the 2014 Dublin Impac Literary Award. Her 2017 novel, The Life to Come, was shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize.[3]

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August 27, 2018 · 1:43 am

Michelle de Kretser secures Miles Franklin Award Once Again: Two Reports

I = Jason Steger: “Michelle de Kretser wins her second Miles Franklin award,” Sydney Morning Herald, 27 August 2018

The first time Michelle de Kretser​ won the Miles Franklin Literary Award she missed out on much of the excitement and fuss – she was overseas at a writers festival and was woken in the middle of the night to hear the good news. On Sunday, however, she was fully rested and firmly ensconced at the Melbourne Writers Festival, ready to pick up the prize for her most recent novel, The Life to Come.

Winner of the 2018 Miles Franklin Literary Award Michelle de Kretser. Winner of the 2018 Miles Franklin Literary Award Michelle de Kretser …. Photo: Meredith O’Shea

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August 26, 2018 · 9:37 am

Goodness Gracious Me!….. Mama Mia to perform in Sri Lanka

Tina Edward Gunawardhana, in Daily Mirror, 26 August 2018

Mamma Mia will be staged at the Nelum Pokuna Mahinda Rajapakse Theatre for an eight day run from 22-30 December as part of their international tour and will be their first ever performance in South Asia.

Mamma Mia is Just Craymer’s ingenious vision of staging the story telling magic of Abba’s timeless songs with an enchanting tale of family and friendship unfolding on a Greek island. Mamma Mia’s appeal is such that it has been seen by over 60 million people in 50 productions in 16 different languages worldwide. When it was first released in 2008 Mamma Mia the movie became the highest grossing live action musical film of all times. A sequel Mamma Mia Here we go again had its global release in July 2018. Continue reading →

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August 26, 2018 · 9:09 am

Sagara Nuwan Bandara of Watagala: War Hero now a Fishmonger

Pushpa Weerasekera, courtesy of Daily Mirror, 15 August 2018 , where the title reads“Celebrated war hero now sells fish”

The untold suffering and dedication of the war heroes, who were engaged in a thirty-year-armed-conflict, are indescribable. They were once treated as the saviours of this nation. However, this is the tragic story of a war hero, who waged war on behalf of territorial integrity and peace.

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August 26, 2018 · 8:25 am

Politics in Cricket and Cricket for Politics

Meera Srinivasan:, in The Hindu, 17 August 2017, where the title is  “Evoking the Politics of Cricket in Sri Lanka,”

Sparked by Imran Khan’s ascent to the Prime Minister’s chair in Pakistan, sporting fans in Sri Lanka have been quick to pitch their own cricket stars as prospective leaders. And going by social media endorsements, Kumar Sangakkara is clearly a favourite.

In their eyes, ‘Sanga’, with his known record of speaking truth to power, has potential of becoming President in 2020. Some even came up with a “dream team” led by the prudent batsman — not test or one day, but a Cabinet of Ministers under his leadership. For those who nurtured hope for Mr. Sangakkara’s political entry, especially after his thoughtful tweet on Sri Lanka’s Civil War anniversary this year, calling for solemn reflection to remember all Sri Lankan lives lost to war and to “open our hearts so that we are able to feel another’s pain without judgement…”, it didn’t last long.

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August 26, 2018 · 3:08 am

Al -Jazeera’s Summary History of the LTTE, April 2009

Borrowed from http://www.aljazeera.com/focus/2008/11/2008112019115851343.html =/where the title reads “The history of the Tamil Tigers” .… emphasis has been added by The Editor, Thuppahi

Formed in 1975, the group has vowed to carve out a separate Tamil state in Sri Lanka.:The conflict between Sri Lanka’s government forces and armed Tamil rebels has raged for nearly 60 years. Thousands have died and many more have been made h omeless by the fighting. Here we answer questions about the Tamil rebels, their composition and their stated goals. Continue reading →

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August 26, 2018 · 1:46 am

Serena’s Black Panther Suit outlawed from Roland Garros

AFP News Item in Sunday Observer, 26 August 2018, where the title is “Serena Williams banned from wearing Black Panther catsuit”

Serena Williams will be banned from wearing her ‘Black Panther’ catsuit again at the French Open after Roland Garros chiefs described the outfit as “going too far”. The 36-year-old American star stunned Paris this year in her body-hugging outfit which she said was inspired by the ‘Black Panther’ movie and made her feel like a ‘warrior princess’.As well as describing it as “fun and functional”, Williams insisted it helped her prevent a return of the blood clots which put her life in danger after giving birth last year. Continue reading →

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