April 29, 2013 · 2:38 pm

An Australian Editor’s Advice: “Keep Sri Lanka in the Fold”

Editorial in The Australian, 29 April 2013

FORMER prime minister Malcolm Fraser and Greens senator Lee Rhiannon are singing from the same song sheet as Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, but they are misguided in calling for a boycott of the next Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka in November. Making that nation an international pariah is no answer to the human rights issues that have arisen since the Colombo government’s 2009 victory over the ethnic insurgency led by the barbarous Tamil Tigers, described by the American FBI as “the world’s deadliest terrorist group, worse (even) than Hamas”. Continue reading →

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April 29, 2013 · 1:04 am

Elephantine Frolics at Yala

   elephant at YALA 1 What FUN !

elephant at YALA 22 SEE no Fun! Smell no Fun !   elephant at YALA 33 What a Folly!

Terrific PICs by Willy Thuan — Courtesy of a Fanatic Chain-Mailer Continue reading →

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Filed under Left politics, life stories, power politics, self-reflexivity, slanted reportage, sri lankan society, taking the piss, terrorism, tolerance, war crimes, world affairs

April 27, 2013 · 6:51 am

The dark charisma of Adolf Hitler

SEE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AG4YMNg_viw

HILER & GOERING - LIB OF CONGRESS Pic from the Library of C0ngress

Adolf Hitler seemed an unlikely leader – fuelled by anger, incapable of forming normal human relationships and unwilling to debate political issues. Such was the depth of his hatred that he would become a war criminal arguably without precedent in history. Yet this strange character was once loved by millions. How was this possible, and what role did Hitler’s alleged ‘charisma’ play in his success? Continue reading →

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April 27, 2013 · 6:47 am

“Cool War” is just a click away!

Toby Harnden, in The Australian, 26 April 2013, courtesy of The Sunday Times

cool war picIT is nearly a quarter of a century since the Berlin Wall fell, bringing the Cold War to a close. The triumph of liberal democracy briefly seemed to herald “the end of history” before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, triggered what the Pentagon called the global war on terrorism and a clash between the West and militant Islam.  Just over a decade later, this conflict is drawing to a close. Much of al-Qa’ida has been dismantled; US President Barack Obama has declared “the tide of war is receding” and it is time to conduct nation-building at home. America’s imperial ambitions are over, for the foreseeable future at least. The world is no longer uni-polar. Continue reading →

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April 26, 2013 · 4:32 am

An appraisal of the concept of a traditional Tamil homeland in Sri Lanka

Gerald H. Peiris, reprint from Ethnic Studies Report, Vol.IX, No.1, January1991

 GERRY 11Among the various exemplifications of Tamil nationalism in Sri Lanka, those that relate to claims over territory have acquired increasing prominence during the recent past. These claims are based upon the perception that certain parts of the country belong exclusively to the Sri Lankan Tamils – a constituent ethnic group of the multi-ethnic Sri Lankan nation – in the sense that such areas constitute their ‘traditional homeland’. The present study is an attempt to place this perception under critical scrutiny.

In the current Sri Lankan ethnic conflict diverse claims and counterclaims are being made on the ‘traditional’ rights of the different ethnic groups over land and territory, ‘traditional’ invariably carrying the connotation of persistence over a long period of the past. Hence, the contending viewpoints are often based on interpretations of ancient and medieval history. The approach adopted in this study is somewhat different, at least in emphasis. Our focus is on the modern period and on spatial rather than temporal aspects.  Continue reading →

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April 25, 2013 · 3:02 am

Bodu Bala Sena and the global context of Islamophobia

Chandre Dharmawardana

BBS OATHThe Bodu-Bala Sena (BBS) is a political movement crystallizing mainly around Sinhala-Buddhist advocates of strong anti-Islamism. The knee-jerk reaction of opportunist political observers is to regard this as an example of a majoritarian populace behaving brutally, after having `caused Sinhala-Tamil terror’ by allegedly provoking the Tamils with ‘Sinhala-only’ discrimination. The BBS has also provided fodder for anti-government critics as well as the usual `I told you so’ liberals who believe that mass movements can be corrected by a little bit of sermonizing by `good monks’ holding vigils around the Lipton circus. Continue reading →

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April 23, 2013 · 3:23 am

Song of Ceylon: Antiquarian Gem — a documentary film from 1934 with Lionel Wendt as Narrator

Firazath Hussain: “This 40 minute black and white  film  was made in 1934 on request to advertise tea. The film that was made was regarded as a prize winning documentary. Lionel Wendt did the narration, most of which was simply reading excerpts of Knox over the visuals. The camera work in many places is quite stunning. Perhaps, some day, someone will see fit to work a digital restoration of something that is quite a unique piece of history.”

SEE http://www.colonialfilm.org.uk/node/486Lionel-Wendt Continue reading →

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April 22, 2013 · 1:29 am

ABC can foul. See Niromi! Hear Niromi! Without a Knox …. No Demidenko

Michael Roberts, courtesy of Groundviews where a different title was used, namely, “ABC, Gordon Weiss and authoress Niromi de Soyza”

REAL niromi de Soyza Like many people I used to think that such agencies as the BBC and ABC provided balanced reviews and were relatively unbiased. No more. Further confirmation: a recent panel presentation by ABC in March 2013 that was anchored by Jane Hutcheon,** exposed in blatant nudity the lop-sided perspectives within Aunty ABC. The presentation was timed to coincide with the UNHCR sessions in Geneva where the USA was sponsoring a resolution censuring Sri Lanka. No problem with that. But this was a serious ABC review dependent on two questionable “experts,” namely, Gordon Weiss and authoress Niromi de Soyza aka Subhodini Mariatta Anandarajah – known as Subha among her pals. When Australia has a bevy of possible commentators, from Ameer Ali to Rohan Bastin, Serge de Silva-Ranasinghe, Shanaka Jayasekera, Laksiri Jayasuirya, Noel Nadesan and Suri Ratnapala to choose from, their selections on this occasion indicated partisanship. Continue reading →

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April 22, 2013 · 1:05 am

Crown casino and James Packer targeting Sri Lanka?

Colin Kruger, in The Age, 22 April 2013 with a different title: “Packer ponders bet on move into Sri Lanka”

JAMES PACKER--Jason South James Packer –Pic by Jason South

Sydney Harbour development  Barangaroo is not the only casino project on James Packer’s radar. The billionaire has notched up three trips to Sri Lanka in the space of six weeks signalling his interest in the island nation, which is positioning itself as a gambling hub for its larger neighbour, India. A Crown spokesman declined to comment about potential investments in Sri Lanka but there is no denying Mr Packer’s growing interest in the country. He has visited Sri Lanka three times since late February, discussing investment options with ministers. Continue reading →

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April 20, 2013 · 1:24 pm

In Appreciation of Shelagh Goonewardane

Yasmine Gooneratne

SHELAGH GBorn on 12 December 1935 in Colombo, Shelagh Goonewardene  was the younger daughter of Lt. Col. Dr T.R. Jansen, OBE, ED (one-time Commander of the volunteer corps), and  Mrs Georgiana Jansen.  Like her elder sister Suzette, Shelagh  was educated at Bishop’s College, Colombo, and benefited  from the  fine teaching of Mrs Doreen Keuneman, Miss Norma Vanderwall, Miss Lesley Tirimanne (now Alles), and her special mentors Pauline and Dick Hensman. Her love for  the stage made itself evident from her earliest years at Bishop’s, where she appeared in innumerable playlets devised for class and school entertainment , besides  acting the parts of Melisande in Apple Pie Order, Rosalind in As You Like It,  and taking a starring role in Patricia Pantin Munro’s production of Alice in Wonderland. While still at school she appeared on the Colombo stage in Chekhov’s play The Wedding (for the Little Theatre Group), and from there it was a short step to the  ‘Dram Soc’ at the University of Ceylon in Peradeniya, where Professor Lyn Ludowyk was quick to observe her talent. Shaw’s Major Barbara and  Androcles and the Lion  were among the plays in which she took part under Ludowyk’s direction. Continue reading →

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