June 24, 2015 · 2:51 pm

Sri Lanka balances Military Relations with China and USA

Shamindra Ferdinando, in The Island, 24 June 2015, where the title is “SL in simultaneous joint exercises with US SEALs and Chinese Army”

The Sri Lankan military is taking part in joint exercises with both US and Chinese armed forces, simultaneously. Authoritative military sources told The Island that the US had resumed joint naval exercises with the navy after a lapse of several years. The US suspended exercises during the previous administration. The US included Sri Lanka in a project called Extended Relations Programme (ERP) during then President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga’s administration.

SLA and CHINA Operations

The exercise involving the elite Special Boat Squadron (SBS) and Fast Attack Craft (FAC) flotilla got underway on June 19 in the seas off Trincomalee. The FAC flotilla comprises primarily of Israeli-built craft as well as some acquired from the US. Navy headquarters confirmed the resumption of US-SL cooperation. The exercise will continue till July 2. The US Navy’s Sea, Air and Land Forces – commonly known as SEALs – are taking part in the exercise. The elite SEALS are experts in direct action warfare, special reconnaissance and counter terrorism. It was a SEAL team that took out elusive Al Qaeda Leader Osama Bin Laden hiding in a safe house at Abbottabad, Pakistan a few years ago. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, landscape wondrous, military expenditure, military strategy, modernity & modernization, power politics, security, sri lankan society, war reportage, world events & processes

June 24, 2015 · 1:44 pm

Reflections on the Assassination of CE Anandarajan in 1985: His Son calls for Dialogue across the Ethnic Divisions

Rev. Dev Anandarajan, courtesy of http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/41785

It is 30 years since the death of my beloved father who was killed by the LTTE on June 26, 1985.** Many things have happened since then and I hope we can contemplate the violent path taken by the LTTE and the unconditional support they received from most Tamils as they sought to address their grievances against the Sri Lankan state.

REVD ANANDARAJAN

I wonder if we have a collective maturity as citizens of Sri Lanka (Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, Burghers and other minorities) and as members of the Sri Lankan Diaspora to learn the lessons from the violent path from both sides and what that has led us to. Continue reading →

1 Comment

Filed under atrocities, historical interpretation, life stories, LTTE, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, prabhakaran, reconciliation, sri lankan society, Tamil Tiger fighters, unusual people, vengeance

June 23, 2015 · 8:25 am

Only Moderate Muslims can undermine Apocalyptic Jihadist Ideology — says Anooshe Mushtaq

Sarah Martin, quoting Anooshe Mushtaq, in The Australian, 20 June 2015, where the title is “Anti-terror fight needs moderate ‘people like us’ “

Anooshe Mushtaq describes herself as a moderate Muslim and a “mainstream” Australian who sees government attempts to counter violent extremism missing a key element: people like her. The first-generation Australian of Pakistani descent believes the government is failing to connect with young Muslims because it lacks cultural and theological understanding. Ms Mushtaq, who has written for the Australian Security ­Research Centre on countering violent extremism, says governments “miss the point” when they try to express solidarity with mainstream Muslims or claim the Islamic State terrorist group is not religious.

ANOOSHE --NEWSCORP,aUSTRALIA Anooshe–Pic from Newscorp Australia

“Islamic State is very Islamic,” she said. “The vast majority of Muslims, nationally and internationally, don’t support terrorist organisations and their extreme views. However, there are people in all religions who take it further than others.” Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under Australian culture, australian media, cultural transmission, historical interpretation, Islamic fundamentalism, jihad, life stories, martyrdom, politIcal discourse, power politics, world events & processes, zealotry

June 20, 2015 · 2:50 pm

The Aesthetics of Presentation: How Chaminda Vaas stole the Limelight

Michael Roberts

In retirement as a pensioner I spent a good part of 2006 in Colombo finalizing the publication of Essaying Cricket. Sri Lanka and Beyond. The capital for this work had been generously promised by a family friend Malik Samarawickrama. The book was to be coffee-table quality. On Dominic Sansoni’s advice we were using Gunaratne Offset Ltd as the printers. This firm was located in Dematagoda and this work of type-setting called for a daily drive from my sister’s place at Wellawatte.

South Africa was on tour in Lanka in mid-2006, facing Sri Lanka in Test matches as well as being scheduled to play ODIs. However, the conflict between the LTTE and the government of Sri Lanka was edging towards war once again. The Tigers had been targeting intelligence officers for some time,[1] while several high-profile Defence personnel were on their hit list. An attempt to assassinate General Fonseka on 25th April 2006 by a female suicide bomber posing pregnant wounded him severely. Parami Kulatunga, the Deputy Chief of Staff, SL Army, was assassinated by a suicide bomber near the Army HQ at Panagoda on 27 June 2007. Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under Australian culture, centre-periphery relations, cricket for amity, cultural transmission, historical interpretation, landscape wondrous, life stories, LTTE, patriotism, politIcal discourse, religiosity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, sri lankan society, suicide bombing, taking the piss, the imaginary and the real, world affairs

June 19, 2015 · 1:04 pm

Seneviratne’s Forays in Ancient History as an Issue Bearing on His Recall

bandu-desilvaBandu de Silva

Apropos the letter published by my former colleague, K.Godage, the short title used by him might convey the impression that he was on the way to discussing a general issue: “the arbitrary recall of diplomats” — including his own recall by the former government which appointed him High Commissioner to Malaysia. However, it is clear that his objective is to take up the issue of recall of Sudarshan Seneviratne and make an appeal to the present Minister of External affairs to rescind the recall order. One would think that he thought he would take up his own recall by the former government — the accusation being that he did not project Sri Lankan government’s interests in Malaysia sufficiently enough. Being the gentleman he is, he did not refer to his own recall. Recalling Heads of Mission who are non-professionals but appointed by a former government because of political connections or because such persons funded the former government’s election campaign, , is a universal phenomenon and especially pronounced in USA. This is very much so when the country concerned is bilaterally important to the sending country.

victory square Delhi -- 1- Victory Square in Delhi

There is no need to elaborate how important India is for Sri Lanka diplomatically. The diplomat sent there has to bear highest credentials if not by way of professionalism, but also in his/her acceptability to the new government. Whoever holds that post must have a demonstrated ability to deal with the multifarious issues which confront Sri Lanka in India. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under education, heritage, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, Indian traditions, life stories, patriotism, politIcal discourse, power politics, Rajapaksa regime, self-reflexivity, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, slanted reportage, sri lankan society, the imaginary and the real, world events & processes

June 19, 2015 · 10:06 am

Warrior Cults, Shamans and War Machines — Doug Farrer at Work

Q and A with Doug Farrer ……. This post is the transcript of an electronic interview between D. S. Farrer and Berghahn blog editor Lorna Field…….. D. S. Farrer is the co-author of the article Chants of Re-enchantment: Chamorro Spiritual Resistance to Colonial Domination and special issue editor of Social Analysis Volume 58, Issue 1: War Magic and Warrior Religion: Sorcery, Cognition, and Embodiment. 

img2545_16072011014026 Silat training–Pic from www.greatnewplaces.com

What drew you to the study of War Magic & Warrior Religion? Initially I was drawn to the study of war magic through my doctoral research into a Sufi warrior cult, where the Malay martial art (silat) was employed as a means to attract and secure local and international followers and converts. A wise informant, Dato Penggawa Tua Zaharah Mokhtar, recommended that I start with Winstedt [1925] (1993), Shaw (1976), and Skeat’s [1900] (1993) books on Malay magic to begin my research on silat. At the time I was lecturing on Weber at the National University of Singapore, so the chiasmus between warrior religion and war magic came naturally: of course, the connection also appears in Deleuze and Guattari’s [1987] (2004) Treatise on Nomadology—The War Machine, among other sources. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under cultural transmission, female empowerment, heritage, historical interpretation, immolation, Indian traditions, Islamic fundamentalism, landscape wondrous, life stories, LTTE, martyrdom, performance, politIcal discourse, power politics, psychological urges, rehabilitation, self-reflexivity, suicide bombing, Taliban, Tamil Tiger fighters, terrorism, the imaginary and the real, trauma, truth as casualty of war, unusual people, vengeance, violence of language, world events & processes, zealotry

June 17, 2015 · 3:02 pm

Smuggling, Shipping and the Narcotics Trade in the History of the LTTE, 1970s-2015

Gerald H. Peiris, courtesy of The Island, 17 June 2015, where the title is “LTTE and Narcotics: Hanging on to the Tiger’s Tail”…  with emphases added.

According to a report published in the 10 June 2015 issue of The Island, the Hon. C. V. Wigneswaran, Chief Minister (CM) of the Northern Province, has asserted that the presence of Sri Lanka’s army in Jaffna (peninsula) has contributed to a rapid spread of narcotics in the area, and that narcotics was never a problem during the war when the LTTE was around.  The Chairman of the ‘National Dangerous Drugs Control Board’, Dr. Chamara Samarasinghe, has effectively refuted the CM’s accusation, adding the caveat that in the turbulent conditions that prevailed in the North it was not possible to monitor drug addiction in that part of the country throughout the Eelam War. There is, indeed, no doubt that narcotics was never a problem in the north under the Tiger hegemony to those who were at the vanguard of the secessionist campaign and even to its beneficiaries in mainstream politics. That heroin might have been a serious health hazard even during the early stages of the war, however, is suggested by the fact that a team of doctors serving in Jaffna (Subramaniam, Arasaratnam, Somasundaram & Mahesparam, 1989) found it significant enough as a subject of clinical research. The present article is intended to indicate to the honourable CM and others of similar persuasion that the entire Eelam campaign was intimately linked to trade in narcotics, and to prevent The Island readership from being misled by the CM’s claims. There is, in fact, grounds to speculate that the Tiger high command might have employed drug addiction as a modality for recruiting and training its elite ‘Black Tigers’ to condition them for their suicide missions; and even more importantly, that the increased penetration into Sri Lanka’s territorial waters by ‘fishing fleet’ from Tamil Nadu witnessed in the recent years could well be the main reason for increased drug addiction in Jaffna, if there is such a trend.

ss --111the “Sun Sea’ in Canadian waters–Pic from teakdoor.com

Continue reading →

4 Comments

Filed under historical interpretation, legal issues, LTTE, politIcal discourse, Sinhala-Tamil Relations, Tamil civilians, Tamil migration, TNA, transport and communications, unusual people, world events & processes

June 15, 2015 · 3:25 am

In Appreciation of Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy,1877-1947

Thiru Arumugam, courtesy of THE CEYLANKAN, May 2015, where the title is “Am I My Brother’s Keeper? The Life and Outline of Four Selected Books by Ananda  Kentish  Coomaraswamy,1877-1947”

“The artist is not a special kind of person; rather each person is a special kind of artist” Ananda  Coomaraswamy.

Sir Muttu Coomaraswamy (1834-1879) was the first Ceylon Tamil Knight.  He was a lawyer and Member of the Legislative Council of Ceylon.  He was the first non-Christian Asian to be called to the English Bar.  He married an English lady, Elizabeth Beeby, who was a Lady-in-Waiting to Queen Victoria.  They had one child, Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy, who was born in Colombo on 22 August 1877.  Sir Muttu’s sister’s sons were Sir P Ramanathan and Sir P Arunachalam.  Sir Muttu passed away when Ananda was only two years old.  He was brought up by his mother who never married again.

AKC-in-studyAnanda grew up in England where he studied at the newly established Independent School, Wycliffe College in Stonehouse, Gloucestershire.  His name appears in the School’s list of 25 ‘Notable Old Wycliffians’.  In 1897 he entered the University of London, graduating in 1900 with first class honours in Geology and Botany.  He returned to  Ceylon and in 1903 was appointed as the first Director of Mineralogical Surveys.  In 1904 he identified the mineral Thorianite found in gem pit gravel washings, and his work on this subject led to the award of a Doctor of Science degree from the University of London in 1906.  He was the first Ceylonese to be awarded this degree, the highest degree of the University of London.  He called the mineral Uraninite in an article in Spolia Zeylanica, but it was later identified as a new mineral and then followed an extended correspondence with double Nobel Prize winner Madam Curie about its radioactivity.  She suggested that it be named ‘Coomaranite’ but he declined the honour. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under communal relations, cultural transmission, heritage, Hinduism, historical interpretation, Indian traditions, life stories, literary achievements, performance, self-reflexivity, sri lankan society, Tamil migration, teaching profession, unusual people, world events & processes

June 15, 2015 · 2:49 am

In appreciation of a Oriental Scholar, P. B. Sannasgala

K. N. O. Dharmadasa, in The Island, 15 June 2015 … honouring the birth centenary of a great scholar

SANNASGALAProfessor PB Sannasgala (1915-1997) represented a generation of our scholars steeped in what was termed Oriental learning – Pali, Sanskrit, Sinhala and Buddhist Studies. Going through a Pirivena education he later obtained B.A; M.A. and Ph.D as an external candidate displaying his perseverance in the pursuit of knowledge. His contribution to Sinhala Studies was memorable. But above all, he has earned a niche in the history of Sinhala scholarship as the team leader who under many difficulties was able to bring the Sinhala Dictionary protest to completion after a struggle extending to 65 years.
Punchi Bandra Sannasgala was born on 16th of June 1915 in Haputale, then a sleepy village in the Uva Province and had the good fortune to get a good primary education and later came under the influence of erudite Buddhist monks who guided him to study Pali and Sanskrit in the Pravacanodaya Pirivena in Molligoda in the Kalutara District. At that time it was a great seat of Oriental learning. It was here that he obtained the Pracina Pandit degree and it was in this institution that he cut his teeth as a Sinhala scholar. Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under cultural transmission, education, heritage, life stories, sri lankan society

June 13, 2015 · 3:33 pm

Eye-to-Eye with USA and the EU: Straight Lefts from the Turkish Ambassador in Lanka

Darshanie Ratnawalli, courtesy of The Nation, 13 June 2015, with some emphases and hyperlinks added

In 2012 former US National Security Adviser Stephan J. Hadley said “Turkey has become one of the five or six most important countries in the world.” He went on to say; “It’s ironic… if you look at economic performance, you wonder whether Turkey ought to join the EU or the EU ought to join Turkey.”

Iskender-Okyay Iskender Okyay is the current as well as the first ever Ambassador of the Turkish Republic to Sri Lanka. A career diplomat who joined the Ministry in 1988 after studying International Relations in University, he talked to me in very candid mode. He has a fresh perspective, a new insight into old issues which needs to be communicated.

Q- Diplomats are not usually very frank. They can be evasive. How frank can you be with me? Can I ask you leading questions? Sure you can. I can be very frank.

Q- As a majority Muslim country with a non-religious democratic political system how do you see yourself? As a European country? A Middle Eastern country? An Islamic Nation? All of them. Bosphorus_Bridge The Bosphorous Bridge in Istanbul linking Europe and Asia

Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Filed under american imperialism, citizen journalism, economic processes, foreign policy, historical interpretation, Indian Ocean politics, life stories, military strategy, power politics, sri lankan society, unusual people, world events & processes