The Sri Lankan Insurgency: a Rebalancing of the Orthodox Position
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In the Course of My Researches Into the Emergence
II Wednesday 11th January, 2012 BY MICHAEL ROBERTS n the course of my researches into the emergence of Ceylonese nationalism in the British period, I Idelved in considerable detail into an event that was referred to then as "the 1915 riots" - the term "riots" in South Asia being a mechanical reproduc- tion of the terminology of the British legal lexicon to describe affrays of all sorts. In 1915 this short- hand phrase referred to the assaults on the Mohammedan Moors (as they were called then) in work- the south-western quadrant by elements of the ing Sinhalese population (Roberts 1981). Amidst the secretly complex processes that promoted this outbreak let in LTTE me isolate a particular factor: a critical force inspir- territory ing the attacks was the incitement by those whom I from 2007 or have referred to as "stirrers" (Kannangara 1984; 2008 and that Roberts 1981; 1994a). Nick Paton The outbreak of the July 1983 pogrom against Walsh entered Tamils living in the south-western and central Sri Lanka to regions of Sri Lanka encouraged scholars to rede- complete the fine such events as "pogroms." On this occasion too, final phase of this anecdotal testimony from friends and the article by cooperation; but Valli Kanapathypillai (1990) indicate that incitement was deemed suspect by a diverse body of chauvinist stirrers was one fac- and unceremoniously tor behind a campaign that legitimised the terror turned out by the Sri wrought by depicting these activities as acts that Lankan government in would "teach Tamils a lesson." May 2009 - a humiliating Dwelling on some anecdotal tales I was motivated outcome which added in the 1990s to pen a literary essay of protest against revenge to the other motiva- the horrendous acts of July 1983: The Agony and tions promoting Channel 4s Ecstasy of a Pogrom: Southern Lanka, July 1983, commitment to the Tiger cause This article was written during a lonely sojourn in and its targeting of the Sri Charlottesville, Virginia where my isolation promot- Lankan government for a public ed reflexivity. -
Chandrika Kumaratunga (Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga)
Chandrika Kumaratunga (Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga) Sri Lanka, Presidenta de la República; ex primera ministra Duración del mandato: 12 de Noviembre de 1994 - de de Nacimiento: Colombo, Western Province, 29 de Junio de 1945 Partido político: SLNP ResumenLa presidenta de Sri Lanka entre 1994 y 2005 fue el último eslabón de una dinastía de políticos que, como es característico en Asia Indostánica, está familiarizada con el poder tanto como la tragedia. Huérfana del asesinado primer ministro Solomon Bandaranaike, hija de la tres veces primera ministra Sirimavo Bandaranaike ?con la que compartió el Ejecutivo en su primer mandato, protagonizando las dos mujeres un caso único en el mundo- y viuda de un político también asesinado, Chandrika Kumaratunga heredó de aquellos el liderazgo del izquierdista Partido de la Libertad (SLNP) e intentó, infructuosamente, concluir la sangrienta guerra civil con los separatistas tigres tamiles (LTTE), iniciada en 1983, por las vías de una reforma territorial federalizante y la negociación directa. http://www.cidob.org 1 of 10 Biografía 1. Educación política al socaire de su madre gobernante 2. Primera presidencia (1994-1999): plan de reforma territorial para terminar con la guerra civil 3. Segunda presidencia (1999-2005): proceso de negociación con los tigres tamiles y forcejeos con el Gobierno del EJP 1. Educación política al socaire de su madre gobernante Único caso de estadista, mujer u hombre, hija a su vez de estadistas en una república moderna, la suya es la familia más ilustre de la élite dirigente -
Politics & Society
Politics & Society http://pas.sagepub.com Armed Groups and Sexual Violence: When Is Wartime Rape Rare? Elisabeth Jean Wood Politics Society 2009; 37; 131 DOI: 10.1177/0032329208329755 The online version of this article can be found at: http://pas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/37/1/131 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for Politics & Society can be found at: Email Alerts: http://pas.sagepub.com/cgi/alerts Subscriptions: http://pas.sagepub.com/subscriptions Reprints: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsReprints.nav Permissions: http://www.sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Citations http://pas.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/37/1/131 Downloaded from http://pas.sagepub.com at AMERICAN UNIV LIBRARY on November 23, 2009 Armed Groups and Sexual Violence: When Is Wartime Rape Rare?* ELISABETH JEAN WOOD This article explores a particular pattern of wartime violence, the relative absence of sexual violence on the part of many armed groups. This neglected fact has important policy implications: If some groups do not engage in sexual vio- lence, then rape is not inevitable in war as is sometimes claimed, and there are stronger grounds for holding responsible those groups that do engage in sexual violence. After developing a theoretical framework for understanding the observed variation in wartime sexual violence, the article analyzes the puzzling absence of sexual violence on the part of the secessionist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam of Sri Lanka. Keywords: sexual violence; rape; political violence; human rights; war *This article is part of a special section of Politics & Society on the topic “patterns of wartime sexual violence.” The papers were presented at the workshop Sexual Violence during War held at Yale University in November 2007. -
CHAP 9 Sri Lanka
79o 00' 79o 30' 80o 00' 80o 30' 81o 00' 81o 30' 82o 00' Kankesanturai Point Pedro A I Karaitivu I. Jana D Peninsula N Kayts Jana SRI LANKA I Palk Strait National capital Ja na Elephant Pass Punkudutivu I. Lag Provincial capital oon Devipattinam Delft I. Town, village Palk Bay Kilinochchi Provincial boundary - Puthukkudiyiruppu Nanthi Kadal Main road Rameswaram Iranaitivu Is. Mullaittivu Secondary road Pamban I. Ferry Vellankulam Dhanushkodi Talaimannar Manjulam Nayaru Lagoon Railroad A da m' Airport s Bridge NORTHERN Nedunkeni 9o 00' Kokkilai Lagoon Mannar I. Mannar Puliyankulam Pulmoddai Madhu Road Bay of Bengal Gulf of Mannar Silavatturai Vavuniya Nilaveli Pankulam Kebitigollewa Trincomalee Horuwupotana r Bay Medawachchiya diya A d o o o 8 30' ru 8 30' v K i A Karaitivu I. ru Hamillewa n a Mutur Y Pomparippu Anuradhapura Kantalai n o NORTH CENTRAL Kalpitiya o g Maragahewa a Kathiraveli L Kal m a Oy a a l a t t Puttalam Kekirawa Habarane u 8o 00' P Galgamuwa 8o 00' NORTH Polonnaruwa Dambula Valachchenai Anamaduwa a y O Mundal Maho a Chenkaladi Lake r u WESTERN d Batticaloa Naula a M uru ed D Ganewatta a EASTERN g n Madura Oya a G Reservoir Chilaw i l Maha Oya o Kurunegala e o 7 30' w 7 30' Matale a Paddiruppu h Kuliyapitiya a CENTRAL M Kehelula Kalmunai Pannala Kandy Mahiyangana Uhana Randenigale ya Amparai a O a Mah Reservoir y Negombo Kegalla O Gal Tirrukkovil Negombo Victoria Falls Reservoir Bibile Senanayake Lagoon Gampaha Samudra Ja-Ela o a Nuwara Badulla o 7 00' ng 7 00' Kelan a Avissawella Eliya Colombo i G Sri Jayewardenepura -
Reforming Sri Lankan Presidentialism: Provenance, Problems and Prospects Volume 2
Reforming Sri Lankan Presidentialism: Provenance, Problems and Prospects Edited by Asanga Welikala Volume 2 18 Failure of Quasi-Gaullist Presidentialism in Sri Lanka Suri Ratnapala Constitutional Choices Sri Lanka’s Constitution combines a presidential system selectively borrowed from the Gaullist Constitution of France with a system of proportional representation in Parliament. The scheme of proportional representation replaced the ‘first past the post’ elections of the independence constitution and of the first republican constitution of 1972. It is strongly favoured by minority parties and several minor parties that owe their very existence to proportional representation. The elective executive presidency, at least initially, enjoyed substantial minority support as the president is directly elected by a national electorate, making it hard for a candidate to win without minority support. (Sri Lanka’s ethnic minorities constitute about 25 per cent of the population.) However, there is a growing national consensus that the quasi-Gaullist experiment has failed. All major political parties have called for its replacement while in opposition although in government, they are invariably seduced to silence by the fruits of office. Assuming that there is political will and ability to change the system, what alternative model should the nation embrace? Constitutions of nations in the modern era tend fall into four categories. 1.! Various forms of authoritarian government. These include absolute monarchies (emirates and sultanates of the Islamic world), personal dictatorships, oligarchies, theocracies (Iran) and single party rule (remaining real or nominal communist states). 2.! Parliamentary government based on the Westminster system with a largely ceremonial constitutional monarch or president. Most Western European countries, India, Japan, Israel and many former British colonies have this model with local variations. -
Tigers' George Master Exposed by Japanese Emb. Interpreter
The Island Home News Friday 14th January, 2011 3 DEVELOPMENT FORTUNE JATHIKA Draw No: 1259 MAHAJANA SATURDAY VASANA SAMPATHA JAYAVIRU SUPIRI VASANA Date 11-01-2011 JAYODA SAMPATHA FORTUNE SAMPATHA GOVI SETHA JANA JAYA Main Draw Draw No: 90 Date:12-01-2011 SAMPATHA Zodiac -Aquarius Date:06-12-2010 Date: 11-01 - 2011 Date 25-12-2010 Date: 08-01-2011 Date: 13-01-2011 Date:06-12-2010 Date: 14-11-2010 Winning Nos: Date 12-01-2011 Draw No. 545 20 - 21 - 31 - 35 Winning Nos: Draw No. 2343 Bonus No 62 Draw No. 583 Draw No. 852 Draw No. 784 Super No. 11 Lucky No. 04 Winning Nos : Second Chance Super No. 22 Bonus No. 40 14 - 52 - 59 - 64 Zodiac symbol - Sagittarius R-03-07-23-37 Winning No: Winning No: Winning Nos: T-06-18-32-58 Winning Nos: G- 46- 50- 52- 54 Q-13-26-32-33 06-14-31-56 Z -13-20-38- 69 10 - 30- 41 - 55 Z-3-6-9-4-3-5 V-5-5-2-2-9 Rains cause over Tigers’ George Master exposed Rs. 500 mn in damages to roads by Japanese emb. interpreter The damage caused to the country’s road network, due to the recent rains P’KARAN’S SON JOINED FINAL At that particular meeting the Japanese had their Apropos a meeting with Indian High Commission and floods, has been estimated at Rs 500 BATTLE FROM LONDON own interpreter to ensure that they would know what Political Chief Taranjit Sandhu on April 24, 2003,the million, Deputy Minister of Higways LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran’s son, the LTTE really meant. -
The Way Ahead in Sri Lanka
ch ar F se o e u R n r d e a v t r i e o s n b O ORF Discourse Vol.1 ● No.2 ● November 2006 Published by Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi The Way Ahead in Sri Lanka Summary of an interaction organised by ORF (Chennai) on September 2, 2006 f the stalemated war produced a truce, the stalemated victories in conventional warfare. SLAF is no longer a peace ever since the Sri Lankan Government and ‘ceremonial army’ and its soldiers are ‘children of war’, Ithe Liberation Tigers Tamil Elam signed a cease-fi re and trained in that environment. The LTTE, on the other agreement (CFA) in February 2002 has contributed to the hand, may already be facing cadre-shortage, mainly due revival of violence in the island-nation. The deteriorating to the ‘Karuna rebellion’ in the East and, possibly, because ground situation has been accompanied by repeated calls of large-scale migration of ‘Jaffna Tamils’ ever since the from the Sri Lankan parties for greater Indian involvement ‘ethnic war’ began in the early Eighties. in the peace-making efforts. On the political side, President Mahinda Rajapakse To evaluate the developments, the Chennai Chapter has shown signs of working for a ‘Southern consensus’, of the Observer Research Foundation (ORF-C), which which is a pre-requisite for any peace plan to succeed. is specialising in ‘Sri Lanka Studies, among other issues, The Opposition United National Party (UNP), although it organised a seminar on September 2, 2006 in which rejected his offer for a national government, has offered to participants and discussants focussed on the military cooperate with the `Southern consensus’ initiative. -
Endgame in Sri Lanka Ajit Kumar Singh*
Endgame in Sri Lanka Ajit Kumar Singh* If we do not end war – war will end us. Everybody says that, millions of people believe it, and nobody does anything. – H.G. Wells 1 The Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse finally ended the Eelam War2 in May 2009 – though, perhaps, not in the manner many would desire. So determined was the President that he had told Roland Buerk of the BBC in an interview published on February 21, 2007, “I don't want to pass this problem on to the next generation.”3 Though the final phase of open war4 began on January 16, 2008, following the January 2 unilateral withdrawal of the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) from the Norway-brokered * Ajit Kumar Singh, Research Fellow, Institute for Conflict Management 1 Things to Come (The film story), Part III, adapted from his 1933 novel The Shape of Things to Come, spoken by the character John Cabal. 2 The civil war in Sri Lanka can be divided into four phases: Eelam War I between 1983 and 1987, Eelam War II between 1990-1994, Eelam War III between 1995-2001, and Eelam War IV between 2006-2009. See Muttukrishna Sarvananthaa in “Economy of the Conflict Region in Sri Lanka: From Embargo to Repression”, Policy Studies 44, East-West Centre, http://www.eastwestcenter.org/fileadmin/stored/pdfs/ps044.pdf. 3 “No end in sight to Sri Lanka conflict”, February 21, 2007, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6382787.stm. 4 Amantha Perera, “Sri Lanka: Open War”, South Asia Intelligence Review, Volume 6, No.28, http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/sair/Archives/6_28.htm#assessment1. -
Rearticulations of Enmity and Belonging in Postwar Sri Lanka
BUDDHIST NATIONALISM AND CHRISTIAN EVANGELISM: REARTICULATIONS OF ENMITY AND BELONGING IN POSTWAR SRI LANKA by Neena Mahadev A dissertation submitted to Johns Hopkins University in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Baltimore, Maryland October, 2013 © 2013 Neena Mahadev All Rights Reserved Abstract: Based on two years of fieldwork in Sri Lanka, this dissertation systematically examines the mutual skepticism that Buddhist nationalists and Christian evangelists express towards one another in the context of disputes over religious conversion. Focusing on the period from the mid-1990s until present, this ethnography elucidates the shifting politics of nationalist perception in Sri Lanka, and illustrates how Sinhala Buddhist populists have increasingly come to view conversion to Christianity as generating anti-national and anti-Buddhist subjects within the Sri Lankan citizenry. The author shows how the shift in the politics of identitarian perception has been contingent upon several critical events over the last decade: First, the death of a Buddhist monk, which Sinhala Buddhist populists have widely attributed to a broader Christian conspiracy to destroy Buddhism. Second, following the 2004 tsunami, massive influxes of humanitarian aid—most of which was secular, but some of which was connected to opportunistic efforts to evangelize—unsettled the lines between the interested religious charity and the disinterested secular giving. Third, the closure of 25 years of a brutal war between the Sri Lankan government forces and the ethnic minority insurgent group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), has opened up a slew of humanitarian criticism from the international community, which Sinhala Buddhist populist activists surmise to be a product of Western, Christian, neo-colonial influences. -
Unspeakable Truth
This book is dedicated to the Tamils who perished waiting for justice Preface Contents This book traces the poignant history of Tamils in Sri Lanka after independence. It catalogues the Sri Lankan Tamils’ descent from a once thriving vibrant Nation to one Introduction that is today fi ghting for its very survival. This is a story about how a majority population consumed with religious chauvinism can corrupt a democratic process with untold 1. Documented genocide suffered by Tamils in Sri Lanka consequences. 1.1 State-aided Sinhala settlements in the Tamil homeland - Ethnic Cleansing 8 1.2 The Disenfranchisement of Tamils of Indian Origin 10 The book is organised into three sections covering the physical harm suffered by the 1.3 State-sponsored Riots against Tamils 12 Tamil community, the destruction of their cultural heritage and the attempts at negotiating 1.4 The 1983 Pogrom – a Watershed Event 16 a settlement which has come to nothing. The book also strikes a hopeful note at the 1.5 Progress from Pogroms to Aerial Bombings 20 end on how lasting peace can be achieved from the rubble of destruction. 1.6 The Torture and Murder of Civilians to win Submission 22 1.7 Rape as a Means of Suppression 26 The reader is likely to fi nd some images depicting examples of violence diffi cult and is 1.8 The Assassination of Political Leadership and Human Rights Activists 28 left to imagine the suffering endured by not only the victims but also their families and 1.9 Suppression and Violence against the Media 32 communities over the years. -
6. Whatever the Weather. Media Attitudes to Reporting Climate Change
PANOS LONDON Whatever the weather Media attitudes to reporting climate change Contents 1 Climate change and the media 1 Global policy on climate change 2 Carbon trading standards 3 The survey 4 Key findings 4 Recommendations 6 2 Case studies 7 Honduras 7 Jamaica 10 Sri Lanka 12 Zambia 14 Cover: © Panos London, 2006 Villagers returning with relief aid through heavy rains. Monsoon Panos London is part of a worldwide rains caused flooding in 40 network of independent NGOs working of Bangladesh’s 64 districts, displacing up to 30 million people with the media to stimulate debate and killing several hundred. on global development. GMB AKASH/PANOS PICTURES All photographs available from Panos Pictures www.panos.co.uk For further information contact: Environment Programme Written by Rod Harbinson with Panos London case studies by Dr Richard Mugara 9 White Lion Street (Zambia) and Ambika Chawla London N1 9PD (Sri Lanka, Jamaica and Honduras). United Kingdom Thanks to Panos Caribbean and Panos Southern Africa for Tel: +44(0)20 7278 1111 their contribution. Fax: +44(0)20 7278 0345 Designed by John F McGill [email protected] Printed by Digital-Brookdale www.panos.org.uk/environment Whatever the weather: media attitudes to reporting climate change 1 Climate change and the media 1 YOLA MONAKHOV/PANOS PICTURES The media play an important role in stimulating discussion in developing countries. Yet journalists asked by Panos say that the media have a poor understanding of the climate change debate and express little interest in it. Public discussion of the policies and issues involved is urgently needed. -
Majoritarian Politics in Sri Lanka: the ROOTS of PLURALISM BREAKDOWN
Majoritarian Politics in Sri Lanka: THE ROOTS OF PLURALISM BREAKDOWN Neil DeVotta | Wake Forest University April 2017 I. INTRODUCTION when seeking power; and the sectarian violence that congealed and hardened attitudes over time Sri Lanka represents a classic case of a country all contributed to majoritarianism. Multiple degenerating on the ethnic and political fronts issues including colonialism, a sense of Sinhalese when pluralism is deliberately eschewed. At Buddhist entitlement rooted in mytho-history, independence in 1948, Sinhalese elites fully economic grievances, politics, nationalism and understood that marginalizing the Tamil minority communal violence all interacting with and was bound to cause this territorialized community stemming from each other, pushed the island to eventually hit back, but they succumbed to towards majoritarianism. This, in turn, then led to ethnocentrism and majoritarianism anyway.1 ethnic riots, a civil war accompanied by terrorism What were the factors that motivated them to do that ultimately killed over 100,000 people, so? There is no single explanation for why Sri democratic regression, accusations of war crimes Lanka failed to embrace pluralism: a Buddhist and authoritarianism. revival in reaction to colonialism that allowed Sinhalese Buddhist nationalists to combine their The new government led by President community’s socio-economic grievances with Maithripala Sirisena, which came to power in ethnic and religious identities; the absence of January 2015, has managed to extricate itself minority guarantees in the Constitution, based from this authoritarianism and is now trying to on the Soulbury Commission the British set up revive democratic institutions promoting good prior to granting the island independence; political governance and a degree of pluralism.