|
SEEING IT COMIN’
|
Dr.DAYAN JAYATILLEKA, March 10.
More...
|
|
INDEPENDENCE EVE THOUGHTS & THE IMMINENT ELECTION
|
Dr.DAYAN JAYATILLEKA, Feb 4.
Sri Lanka celebrates Independence Day this year with the State in a better state than it has been for three decades. The country is a single united territory; unquestionably a single political entity. The borders of the state are coextensive with our natural borders, the sea. The writ of the state runs from North to South, East to West. The state’s monopoly of organized violence has been restored. The travesty of an armed proto-state within the state has been excised. A Thirty Years war has been won and a hideous, powerful challenger, accurately described by The Economist (Jan 28, 2010) as “a textbook fascist”, put down. National independence and sovereignty have asserted themselves against attempts at interference and intervention. Electoral democracy survived both terrorism and the war against it.Discuss this story
More...
|
|
A GAME CHANGER WITHIN TAMIL POLITICS
|
Dr.DAYAN JAYATILLEKA, Jan 18.
Douglas Devananda once likened Tamil nationalism to cholesterol, saying just as there is good and bad cholesterol, there is good and bad Tamil nationalism, and just as you need good cholesterol, you need the good Tamil nationalism. Certainly the history of Tamil nationalism shows plenty of examples of “bad cholesterol”. Elite Tamil nationalism opposed the abolition of communal suffrage and the introduction of the far more progressive territorial representation, demanding instead a Tamil seat in the Western Province. This was well before the founding of the Sinhala Maha Sabha in 1927, and the formation of the Pan Sinhala Board of Ministers a decade later, let alone any oppressive legislation or actions against Tamils. It resulted in a fissure in the multiethnic Ceylon National Congress.Discuss this story
More...
|
|
SRI LANKA 2009-2010: A LOOK IN ANOTHER’S MIRROR
|
DAYAN JAYATILLEKA, Jan 2.
It usually takes an objective, empathetic outsider to hold up a mirror before us, reflecting our achievements and our failures. We have two in our midst: Padraig Colman who publishes in the prestigious Le Monde Diplomatique and Kath Noble, who sticks loyally to the local press when she is easily good enough to write for papers back home in the UK. Yet it is the more credentialed professional Gwynne Dyer, a commentator on world affairs whose syndicated column appears in forty five countries, author of several books (most recently on climate change) and an independent liberal-progressive if slightly cynical voice, who has best captured the considerable Sri Lankan achievement, failures and dangers ahead, as we close out this momentous year 2009 and head into a decisive 2010. Discuss this story
More...
|
|
REPAIRING SL-US RELATIONS:
THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE REPORT
|
Dr. DAYAN JAYATILLEKA, Dec 10.
As a citizen of Sri Lanka and a political scientist by vocation, hardly a day passes when I do not envy the American people for the high intelligence of their political leadership and policy elites, the capacity for self-correction ensured by the functioning of their democratic political institutions, and the transparent, accountable, democratic and participatory character of their civic culture. (I didn’t feel this way during the Bush years of course).
Discuss this story
More...
|
|
SARATH SEASON OR RAJAPAKSA RETURN?
|
Dr. Dayan Jayatilaka, Dec 7.
It is alternately nauseating and hilarious that some who have never looked violent death in the face say or heavily hint that General Sarath Fonseka who has shed blood copiously for the Sri Lankan cause, carries enemy lead in his body, and was the driving force of the main force – the army – of the historic victory against the Tamil Tigers, is a traitor. What gives them the moral right and authority to do so? Who has the right to determine who is and isn’t a traitor, and by what criteria? Furthermore, what is the relevance of this terminology anyway? The war is over and won, thanks far more to Sarath Fonseka than to any of those people, so what is the relevance of traitors and patriots except in the historic sense of who was and wasn’t pro-Tiger when the war was on?Discuss this story
More...
|
|
|
SBS DATELINE, FEB 28, 2010 ~ VIDEO AND TRANSCRIPT: SRI LANKA WAR STORIES
|
|
SBS, Feb 28, 2010.
It’s almost a year since the Sri Lankan government defeated the Tamil Tigers after 27 years of civil war, but survivors on both sides are still seeking answers over accusations of war crimes.
Discuss this story
Video journalist Ginny Stein tracks down Tamil civilians who were trapped, along with the Tigers, in the tiny enclave where the rebels made their last stand.
More...
|
|
SRI LANKA: AFTER THE "WAR ON TERROR"
|
|
J Sri Raman, Feb 28.
Just four months ago, the rulers of Sri Lanka were the toast of the "anti-terror" fraternity in the region and the rest of the world. They were supposed to have attempted and achieved what others made of less-stern stuff had abandoned as unattainable: a military solution to the problem of terrorism.
Discuss this story
With the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) now an extinct species, it was said, the island-nation had become a safe sanctuary for democracy. The end of the armed ethnic conflict was expected to usher in a new era of national reconciliation and unity.
More...
|
|
SRI LANKA WINS A WAR AND DIMINISHES DEMOCRACY
|
|
Barbara Crossette, Feb 19.
In its 62 years of independence, Sri Lanka has never had a better chance than it has now to stamp out the last fires of ethnic hatred, violence and mindless chauvinisms that have left over 80,000 people dead in civil wars across one of the most physically beautiful countries in Asia.Tragically for all Sri Lankans, it looks as if its increasingly autocratic president, reelected in January on a surge of Sinhala triumphalism following the defeat of a Tamil rebel army, is determined to let this hopeful moment pass. Not only a lasting peace between the Tamils and Sinhalese is at stake but also the multiparty democracy that set the country apart from many of its neighbors.Discuss this story
More...
|
|
SRI LANKA
PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
|
|
COMMONWEALTH SECRETARIAT, Feb 16.
At the invitation of the Sri Lankan Commissioner of Elections, the Commonwealth Secretary-
General, Mr Kamalesh Sharma, constituted an Expert Team for the Sri Lanka Presidential
Election of 26 January 2010. The Team was led by Mr KD Knight, former Foreign Minister of
Jamaica, and comprised five persons in total. The Expert Team was supported by a four-
member staff team from the Commonwealth Secretariat (See Annex 1 for full Team list)Discuss this story
More...
|
|
GEN. FONSEKA WAS FORCIBLY DRAGGED AWAY FROM HIS OFFICE
|
|
D.B.S. Jeyaraj, Feb 9.
In a disturbing turn of events, retired four star General Sarath Fonseka was taken into custody by a contingent of military police on the night of Monday, February 8th 2010.General Fonseka a widely regarded as the most successful army commander in post-Independence Sri Lanka was roughly manhandled, assaulted and forcibly dragged away by military personnel who had saluted him with respect only a few months ago.The ex-army chief who was the main challenger of President Mahinda Rajapakse in the recently concluded Presidential poll is currently “housed” at a chalet within the Naval headquarters precincts in Colombo.Gen. Fonseka who also held the position of Chief of Defence staff (CDS) prior to contesting the Presidential elections is detained pending interrogation into alleged military offences committed by him while in service as Army chief and chief of defence staff.Discuss this story
More...
|
|
THE SRI LANKAN DILEMMA
|
|
Dr.THRISHANTHA NANAYAKKARA , Feb 4.
Jan. 26, 2010 was an auspicious day for the people of northern Sri Lanka. They were eagerly waiting to vote in the first presidential election since the Sri Lankan Civil War between the Tamil Tigers and the Sri Lankan Government came to an end in May 2009. But what followed was a crisis that requires international attention.The ruling party candidate, Mahinda Rajapakse, asked the people to show gratitude for bringing the 30-year war to an end, and to strengthen his mandate to continue his policies. A coalition of opposition parties offered former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka as their common candidate and asked for a mandate to start a reconciliation process with the Tamils in the north. They also demanded the abolishment of the executive presidency, which is powerful enough to overrule decisions made by the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka, in order to empower the Parliament to be more responsible to the people by enacting new laws to fight state corruption, foster democracy, and promote freedom of expression. These demands stemmed from the fact that Sri Lanka has already had three armed uprisings after independence because of a rigid system of government.Discuss this story
More...
|
|
THE MAGIC BEHIND THE MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE VICTORY
|
|
DBS Jeyaraj, Jan 30.
Presidential Stakes 2010 came to an official end when Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake announced the winner in Sri Lanka’s sixth Presidential election.Incumbent Executive President Mahinda Rajapakse registered a stunning victory by polling 6,015,934 votes(57.88%).Former Army commander retired General Sarath Fonseka, his chief challenger got 4,173,185 or 40.15% of the votes.Discuss this storyThe other twenty candidates including three who had withdrawn unofficially fared badly. None of them polled a six digit figure and all of them lost their deposits.While President Rajapakse’s winning margin of 1. 842,749 (17.73 %) is indeed impressive the remarkable result has been tarnished somewhat due to charges of intimidatory violence, flagrant abuse and misuse of Government machinery particularly the state-owned media and alleged vote rigging.
More...
|
|
FONSEKA FACTOR AND THE CREEPING POLITICIZATION OF MILITARY IN SRI LANKA
|
DBS Jeyaraj, Jan 23.
Last year when speculation was rife about former Army commander Sarath Fonseka announcing his candidacy for the Presidential elections this columnist was among those who warned of adverse consequences befalling the Country as a result of this unprecedented move.Chief among these was the very strong possibility of an escalation in the continuous process of the military being politicised and society being militarised in the Country.Discuss this story
More...
|
|
ET TU BRUTE?
|
Nalin Swaris, Jan 21.
Even you Brutus? Most famous last words in history, due to its inclusion in William Shakespeare’s tragedy ‘Julius Caesar’. Before turning to Shakespeare, a few historical facts about Gaius Julius Caesar (100 BCE- 44 BCE). Julius’ surname became the title of emperors after him. Julius undoubtedly was Rome’s greatest General – a military genius and ambitious politician. In 44 BCE, because of his brilliant victories in war and his great political influence, Caesar became Consul for a fifth time, with Mark Antony as his devoted supporter, Caesar got himself declared ‘dictator for life’.
Discuss this story
He summoned the Senate for a meeting extraordinaire on the March 15 44 BCE - the now famous "Ides of March". As the Senate convened, Caesar was stabbed to death by a group of senators who called themselves the Liberatores (Liberators); they justified their action on the grounds that they were preserving the Republic from Caesar’s dictatorial rule and alleged monarchical ambitions. Among the assassins were Marcus Brutus and Gaius Cassius.
More...
|
|
TAMILS BEING WOOED ON THE BASIS OF ELEMENTARY LIBERTIES BEING FULLY RESTORED
|
|
Namini Wijedasa, Jan 11.
Free movement of all persons without being impeded by security and police; areas of civilian activity to be free of weapons; security forces to be stationed only at strategic locations; restoration of fishing rights; no ‘kappang’ to be levied by anyone; and train services to the Jaffna Peninsula.Fifty years after independence, Sri Lanka’s Tamil population is being wooed at a crucial election by a presidential candidate who is offering them some elementary liberties that should have been a given by now.Discuss this story
More...
|
|
OFFICIAL SECRETS AND BLIND JUSTICE
|
|
UTHR, Jan 2.
The end of the war, despite the huge cost in human misery among combatants and civilians, ushered in hopes of the fruits of peace. These are however marred by virulent divisions jostling behind a culture of impunity. The latter long antedate’s the present regime, to which both leading players contributed in equal measure. Yet, the country has a chance to move forward if the leaders are prepared to think beyond the short term power grab. It is imperative that those who care for the future generations pay close attention to arresting the present trend.Discuss this storyOur history is one where emergent armed groups, frequently infected by the authoritarian and fascist tendencies of their nationalist peers, have repeatedly been decimated by indiscriminate state terror. The political culture remains ugly, despite the rulers’ rhetorical commitment to democracy and the rule of law as a legitimising ritual.
More...
|
|
A CASUALTY OF NATIONALISM
|
|
Marshal Fernando and Santasilan Kadirgamar, Jan 2.
Among the colonies of the British Empire, Ceylon, as it was then known, was far ahead of its neighbours with regard to its primary and secondary school systems. Small both in size and population, there had been no freedom struggle involving the masses. Discuss this storyThus, by 1931, the British government felt confident enough to grant universal adult franchise and a substantial degree of responsibility for governance, under what were known as the Donoughmore Commission Reforms. Indeed, seven of the ten ministers in the executive were Ceylonese, with portfolios including education and health care. By 1945, the administration had adopted additional reforms providing free education from kindergarten to the university level. In his concluding remarks marking that occasion, C W W Kannangara, then the minister of education, said: “It is my belief that this is a pearl of great price. Sell all that you possess and purchase it for the well-being of the nation.” Today, there is a general consensus among professionals and academics that they would not be where they are if not for the lasting reforms set in motion by the leaders of that era.
More...
|
|
EDUCATION AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCE: MR HAS NONE EITHER.
|
|
Helasingha Bandara - Lanka Guardian, Dec 13.
This write up is a brief response to the article entitled “Sarath season or Rajapaksha return?” by our compatriot, professor, political scientist, diplomat and writer Dayan Jayathilleka.
More...
|
|
