December 5, 2015 · 9:07 am

David Cameron’s Double Standards in Stark Nudity

Lasanda Kurukulasuriya, in The Daily Mirror, 5 December 2015, where the title reads “The Paranagama Report: Who’s discrediting it, and why?”

“It is absolutely right to take decisive action against terrorists when they threaten the lives of innocent citizens.”  …. The speaker of these words was not former president Mahinda Rajapaksa or anyone in his government, but British Prime Minister David Cameron, expressing solidarity with French President Francois Hollande in the wake of the recent terror attacks in Paris. But it appears that what’s sauce for the goose is not sauce for the gander, as Western powers push for implementation of a US-led resolution crafted to make the Sri Lankan armed forces suffer ‘consequences’ for their role in defeating terrorism, in a part of the world far away from theirs.

aaa=David Cameron--i100.independent.co.uk Pic from independent.co.uk

aaa-Davic D 33-www.mirror.co.uk Cameron on the attack–Pic http://www.mirror.co.uk CAMERON Cameron & Sumanthiran in Jaffna, November 2013 —Pic from Guardian

The eruption of  IS terror in Paris came at a time when in Sri Lanka, the Paranagama Second Mandate Report  had become a subject of discussion, bringing into sharp focus the monumental hypocrisy of the Western political project in Sri Lanka. What is more surprising however is that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) seems to be collaborating in it (having co-sponsored the resolution, for example).  There was some irony too in the fact that even while GoSL was (quite rightly) sending condolences to Paris, it was reportedly hauling up its own former service chiefs who led the fight against terrorism, before one of its numerous ‘Commissions of Inquiry.’   Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under accountability, disparagement, governance, historical interpretation, Islamic fundamentalism, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, military strategy, nationalism, Paranagama Report, politIcal discourse, Rajapaksa regime, security, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, war reportage, world events & processes, zealotry

December 2, 2015 · 6:31 am

Marga & CHA: Second Foray in Geneva, 25-26 September 2014

Asoka Gunawardene … being in further advocacy following the visit earlier in the month as reported in Thuppahi and before the visit to Washington described in https://thuppahis.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=18505&action=edit&postpost=v2

The visit was undertaken to follow-up on the presentation of a profiling of the implementation of the LLRC National Plan of Action (NPA) in Geneva so as to present action taken by GOSL to address issues of accountability arising from Commission’s recommendations. We had access to, in the public domain, the Oral Up-date of the UN High Commissioner for HR (HC) prior to our departure. We noted that the HCs update covered a broad spectrum of issues being subsumed under the OISL investigation into the alleged violations of IHL, IHRL and War Crimes, the period covered by the LLRC, 21st February 2002 to 15th November 2011 including “any contextual and other relevant information that may fall outside this timeframe which may provide better understanding of events or which may be pertinent regarding continuing human rights violation”. There were broadly three areas of concern. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, american imperialism, historical interpretation, human rights, legal issues, NGOs, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, reconciliation, rehabilitation, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, truth as casualty of war, UN reports, vengeance, war crimes, war reportage, world events & processes

December 2, 2015 · 5:27 am

The “American Law of the Jungle” castigated by American Iconoclasts

ONE = “Syria -War of Deception” by Kenneth O’Keefe, ex US Marine, in tirade at https://www.facebook.com/MPACUK1Ummah/videos/1478473405754889/?pnref=story … for Muslim Public Affairs Committee UK

TWO: ” A  Short History of U. S. Bombing of Civilian Facilities,” by Jon Schwarz, 8 October 2015,  … at http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article43079.htm

THREE: “Air Attacks kill at least 19 at Afghanistan hospital…,” by, Jason JHanna, Ben Brumfield and Steve Almasy, CNN … http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/03/asia/afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/index.html

MSF 2 Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, american imperialism, disparagement, doctoring evidence, foreign policy, historical interpretation, life stories, politIcal discourse, power politics, propaganda, slanted reportage, war crimes, war reportage, world events & processes, zealotry

December 2, 2015 · 3:53 am

Marga/CHA meet Foes, Friends and Neutrals in Geneva, September 2014: Asoka’s Memorandum

The three-person delegation from Marga and the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies which went to Geneva in late September 2014 to present their critical review of the UN reports on Sri Lanka met a number of people unofficially, while also conducting official presentations. Asoka Gunawardene compiled a detailed account of these meetings which has now been made available (he was ill and not in reach earlier). While these accounts overlap with previous memoranda that have been inserted in Thuppahi, I now place them here for the historical record. The sections covering the visits to Washington and a subsequent visit to Geneva in October are inserted elsewhere in this series.

The most significant and illuminating segments of the reportage below, are where (A) Gunatilleke, Gunawardene and Thiagarajah met selected embassy personnel; (B) Sandra Beidas, the head of the OCHR investigation and (C) the side-event with INGO and ambassadorial delegates, where they faced hostile questioning from such individuals as Messrs Kirubaharan and David Whaley. Michael Roberts. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, american imperialism, legal issues, life stories, LTTE, NGOs, politIcal discourse, power politics, propaganda, Rajapaksa regime, reconciliation, Responsibility to Protect or R2P, security, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, the imaginary and the real, truth as casualty of war, UN reports, vengeance, war reportage, world events & processes

November 27, 2015 · 3:39 pm

Julia Margaret Cameron: Victorian Photographer in Ceylon

Benita Stambler, an original essay for Thuppahi, but also pointing to  a Special Exhibition in London on Julia Margaret Cameron … with photo of Cameron being the Thuppahi touch from www.atgetphotography.com

Julia marg CAMERON

Julia Margaret Cameron was one of the stars of nineteenth century British photography. Her luminescent work remains popular for museum exhibitions even today. What is not commonly known about her, however, is that she was among the earliest portrait photographers in Ceylon. Her photographs taken while she lived in Ceylon stand apart from the vast output of photographs she took in Britain.

JULIA 1- tamil womanUntitled, 1875-1879, The Art Institute of Chicago, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Untitled_(Ceylon)_2,_by_Julia_Margaret_Cameron.jpg Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under British colonialism, cultural transmission, ethnicity, female empowerment, heritage, landscape wondrous, life stories, meditations, power politics, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, travelogue, unusual people, world affairs

November 27, 2015 · 5:50 am

Nostalgic Pictorial Excursions in and around My Galle Fort

Michael Roberts

I was born and bred in Galle Fort, living there in Pedlar Street and then in Middle Street in houses rented from Muslim moor landlords by my retired father, T. W. Roberts, of the CCS. I visit the place whenever I can and several pictures taken during the last ten years are inserted within this collection… with Images by Michael Roberts, where not otherwise specified

deft work -chain gang Dutch-style verandahs –here in a house being repaired with a chain gang transferring clusters of tiles –yes, tiles — Up-Catch-Shift-Place. Wow, efficient-Pic by Roberts Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under cultural transmission, landscape wondrous, life stories, photography, the imaginary and the real, tourism, travelogue

November 27, 2015 · 4:19 am

Daredevil Diving off the Majestic Fort of Galle

Seemingly Anonymous, Courtesy of the Daily News, 27 November 2015…. where the title is “Dare Devils of Galle Fort”

Galle Fort jumping off the ancient citadel walls started in the early 90s and it is the world’s equivalent to the bungee jump only a lot more dangerous, because the guys don’t even use an elasticised rope to pull you back from the near death experience, or a totally clear landing point. This hair rising jump off the walls is based on the Fort Ramparts at the top of the wall known as Flag Rock between Point Utrecht Bastion and Triton Bastion.

GALLE FORT DD-1 Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under life stories, performance, sri lankan society, tourism, travelogue

November 27, 2015 · 4:08 am

Prasanna Vithanage’s Latest Film deteriorates into Ideology

Uditha Devapriya,  in The Island, 22 November 2015, with the title ” ‘Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka’: Descent Into Ideology”

Prasanna Vithanage’s latest film Oba Nathuwa Oba Ekka was originally slated for release back in 2012. The government imposed a ban, while the government that followed it removed the ban. Same story as before: been there, seen that. Vithanage however has discounted the likelihood of miracles from the new government, and in an interview with Wasantha Rupasinghe has called for the elimination of the Public Performances Board (PPB). He uses his film as leverage for his argument. In this I agree with him.

A= OBA NATHUWA On the other hand I wonder what the government saw fit to ban in the film. In the interview Prasanna points out that censors were uncomfortable with his main character, Sarath, owning a pistol in his house despite being an ex-Army combatant. He laments that authorities felt it should be cut off. “Stupid!” is the word one can use when describing the censors in this respect. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under accountability, communal relations, cultural transmission, democratic measures, discrimination, education, heritage, historical interpretation, life stories, politIcal discourse, press freedom, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, Tamil civilians, the imaginary and the real, tolerance

November 25, 2015 · 12:35 pm

Victor Melder’s Remarkable Sri Lanka Library in Melbourne

Courtesy of the web journal CONFLUENCE at http://www.confluence.mobi/blog/unique-sri-lanka-library/

An unique library on Sri Lanka, perhaps the only one of its kind overseas, exists in Melbourne, Australia. This library was begun by Victor Melder in 1968, when he migrated to Australia. Victor, who had only one book with him then, has today accumulated over 4,600 books, 2000 magazines and journals, 25 years Sunday newspapers and a collection of video and audio tapes all on Sri Lanka.

Victor 003Victor, who grew up in a village in Peradeniya, states he has savoured village life to its fullest and attributes this to be the cause of his unpretentious love for his motherland. This love, admiration and respect for this beautiful island is something he wishes to share with everyone alike in Australia. This is what gave birth to the ‘Victor Melder Sri Lanka Library’, which today is used by many Australia wide, as a primary source of reference on Sri Lanka. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Australian culture, citizen journalism, cultural transmission, ethnicity, heritage, landscape wondrous, life stories, literary achievements, patriotism, sri lankan society, travelogue, unusual people, world affairs

November 25, 2015 · 10:47 am

A Critical Bibliography: Challenging the Machinations of the International Powers vis a vis Sri Lanka

Gerald H. Peiris: “The Doctrine of Responsibility to Protect: Impulses, Implications and Impact,” 30 June 2010, http://www.slguardian.org/2010/06/the-doctrine-of-responsibility-to-protect-impulses-implications-and-impact/ AND https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/from%3A(geraldpeiris%40yahoo.com)+OR+to%3A(geraldpeiris%40yahoo.com)/1510fc7141751033?projector=1

tRUTHPic from http://blogs.aljazeera.com/sites/default/files/styles/ns-horizontal-xlarge/public/inside_2.jpg?itok=VoOrDpCi

Michael Roberts: “Lilliputs in a World of Giants: Marga and CHA bat for Lanka in the Propaganda War, 2009-14,” 18 November 2015, https://thuppahis.com/2015/11/18/lilliputs-in-a-world-of-giants-marga-and-cha-bat-for-lanka-in-the-propaganda-war-2009-14/#more-18467

Michael Roberts: “Sturdy Advocacy: Marga’s Questioningof the UNPoE’s Assassination Job,” 25 November 2015, https://thuppahis.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=18544&action=edit&postpost=v2

Jeevan Thiagarajah: “Confronting the OCHR Investigation in Geneva, September 2014,” 19 November 2015, https://thuppahis.com/2015/11/19/confronting-the-ochr-investigation-in-geneva-september-2014-memorandum-from-jeevan-thiagarajah/#more-18481

Sunday Times: “Marga/CHA confront the OISL Investigation in Geneva, September 2014: Godfrey Gunatilleke in Q and A with Lasanda Kurukulasuriya,” 19 November 2015, https://thuppahis.com/2015/11/19/margacha-confront-the-oisl-investigation-in-geneva-september-2014-godfrey-gunatilleke-in-q-and-a-with-lasanda-kurukulasuriya/#more-18492 Continue reading →

8 Comments

Filed under accountability, american imperialism, British imperialism, centre-periphery relations, governance, historical interpretation, human rights, law of armed conflict, LTTE, military strategy, news fabrication, NGOs, politIcal discourse, power politics, propaganda, Rajapaksa regime, Responsibility to Protect or R2P, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, truth as casualty of war, UN reports, vengeance, war crimes, war reportage, world events & processes