A civilian had prevented an LTTE attempt to kidnap children from the No Fire Zone. The civilian had grabbed the fire-arm of one of the three LTTE cadres who came to kidnap children and fired at the kidnappers.

Human Rights Watch, standard bearers of what Michael Roberts has characterised as HRE - Human Rights Extremism - seems to have decided that it has a special relationship with me. I am the only person quoted by name in the presentation made by their Senior Researcher Dr. Anna Neistat to the US Senate Foreign Relations Sub-Committee that dealt with Sri Lanka.

I listened to the interview of Tavis Smiley of the Public Service Broadcasting (PBS) with Mathangi (aka Maya) Arulpragasam, a hip-hop artist (stage name M.I.A.- Missing in Action), who has been nominated for Grammy and Oscar Awards for 2009.

It ain't Over Till the Fat Laddie Swings

By: Dayan Jayatilleka

It ain’t over till it’s over, or as the Americans put it, in a reference to the opera, it ain’t over till the fat lady sings. The Mahaveera Day 2008 speech by Velupillai Prabhakaran, one of the world’s most notorious and certainly tubbiest terrorist leaders, demonstrates that there can be no solution to Sri Lanka’s conflict so long as he remains alive and active, and has not been brought to justice. In our case it ain’t over till the fat laddie swings.

 In the first place the man is an outrageously unrepentant liar and assumes that everyone suffers from amnesia. In his speech he says that "It may be noted that during the long history of our struggle, we have not conducted any act of aggression against any member state of the international community". Let us forget for a moment that Sri Lanka is a member state of the international community, a fact that is proved by his complaint in the same speech, of the military and diplomatic assistance that Sri Lanka has obtained from members of the international community on precisely that basis. The man obviously believes that the assassination by suicide bomber of India’s former Prime Minister and (at the time) leader of the Opposition, Shri Rajiv Gandhi, former chairperson of SAARC, son of legendary former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and grandson of the iconic first Prime Minister of independent India, Shri Nehru, is not "an act of aggression against any member of the international community"!

Some people really seem to delight in recounting our problems. Instead of appreciating progress, they bash us over the head with still to be obtained goals. And at considerable length. The situation is never improving in their eyes. We are either already bad or getting a lot worse, and no practical suggestions are offered to help us recover. Rhetorical flourishes are the only things we are given by these characters. They love nothing better than wallowing in a bit of good old misery. 

Human Rights Watch demonstrates this syndrome perfectly in its latest press release on the situation in the Eastern Province. To summarise, life is bad and blame lies with the Government.

B. Muralidhar Reddy

Douglas Devananda, Social Welfare Minister in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and leader of the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP), has clear views on the current military and political situation in Sri Lanka and the humanitarian crisis triggered by the ongoing war between the Sri Lankan Army and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Here are excerpts from an interview he gave The Hindu.

by DAYAN JAYATILLEKA

"I stand before you as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances. The Civil War was one of the bloodiest in history, and yet it was only through the crucible of the sword, the sacrifice of multitudes, that we could begin to perfect this union…" -- Senator Barack Obama, Oct 2, 2002, Chicago

In regard to the Tamil Nadu assembly’s call for a ceasefire and an end to military operations, President Rajapakse has spoken for the overwhelming bulk of his citizens when he just said no.

By John C Thompson- President of the Mackenzie Institute in Toronto Canada

 Since their emergence as a local terrorist group from out of a criminal sub-community in Jaffna on Sri Lanka, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have undergone several transformations. The next one might be their most persistent – and pernicious – one yet.

The organization and discipline of the LTTE has always made them worth studying. They are very innovative, resourceful and hard-working:  These characteristics would make their members a success in any more peaceful or profitable field of endeavour. Alas, for the Tamils of Sri Lanka and the other peoples of the island nation, their talents have been turned to revolt. Now, after decades of warfare, the 25-year old Tiger guerrilla force is facing defeat, and what comes next may reveal even more of the character of the movement behind them.

 By Andrew Buncombe

Why are we asking this now?

The Sri Lankan military said over the weekend that it was now in control of the entire western coast of the country, having captured the key strategic area of Pooneryn. This stronghold has been under the control of the Tamil Tiger rebels (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam – LTTE) since 1993 and the capture of the city means that for the first time in more than a decade government forces have in their grasp a land route all the way to a ferry that can easily bring supplies to the northern city of Jaffna.

Kalana Senaratne reflects on the life and work of a remarkable Sri Lanka and a truly global citizen. 

I had picked up a small book on 'The World Court' from a dusty shelf of a bookshop close to my home, in Nugegoda. I had flipped through it, realized the importance of its content, and decided to purchase it. I had heard much about the author and even read some of his previous publications. But I didn't know where he was or what he was doing, then. The small print in the book referenced to a 'Weeramantry International Centre for Peace Education and Research (WICPER)' established in Colombo - the existence about which I had not known until then. The author must have returned home from The Hague, I thought.

By Dayan Jayatilleke

Watching the live coverage of the US elections on as many channels as possible—but mainly on Al Jazeera International—I discovered I had mixed emotions, corresponding perhaps to the various aspects of my identity. I was delighted as an individual, a political analyst and academic, a friend of the United States (though a critic of its foreign policy) and a citizen of the world. Some of these were for political and ideological reasons, reasons of values, others for egoistic ones. Former US Asst Secretary of State for South Asia, Christina Rocca, now US ambassador to the Conference on Disarmament here in Geneva refers to me jokingly as a “registered Democrat”.

This much is true: I have always known that had I been a US citizen, I would have been one, just as I would have been a Labour voter or Social Democrat, had I been European or Australian. In 2004, I wrote in support of John Kerry, whatever the implications of a Kerry win for Sri Lanka. (When in Australia, I supported Kevin Rudd even before he took over the Labour Party). So in terms of ideas, I was inspired by Obama just as my father had been by JFK. I mourned at morning prayer with the rest of my school when JFK died, and shed a tear in a Belgrade hotel when Bobby was shot in 1968.

Current situation

This status report was prepared by the Peace Secretariat in the context of continuing claims of a humanitarian crisis in the North of Sri Lanka caused by the Government. In fact, it is the LTTE that is trying to precipitate a crisis, which the Government has thus far avoided through close attention to the needs of the people.

by: DAYAN JAYATILLEKA 

"…change this country, and change the world!" – Barack Obama

"He is a transformational figure coming onto the world stage"- Colin Powell

History sometimes hits a high note, sweet and soaring, clean and clear, as if from Satchmo’s horn. The most intelligent, interesting and inspirational of contemporary political personalities is about to be the President of the most powerful nation on the planet. Things will never be the same again. Obama will "electrify the world" predicted Colin Powell.

Obama’s achievement, in and of itself, already changes the world; is a step forward in socio-political achievement. No country however idiosyncratic or culturally narcissistic can live outside the stream of world history. This is more so in the Information Age— the era of "interconnectivity", as Obama terms it. The Obama Effect will be globalized, albeit unevenly. We shall all feel its push and pull factor.

Given below are extracts from a collection of articles and speeches made by Dr. Jayatilleka (from March 2008 up to now) in which he has made direct references to Barack Obama.  

• Extract taken from a speech given at the UN: Take Barack Obama’s historic speech as example in approaching racism, racial discrimination, appeals Sri Lankan ambassador Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka at UN Human Rights Council (26th March 2008)

  “A new way which puts us on a far higher analytical and ethical vantage point. A new way has opened up to regard and discuss these problems. I refer to the historic speech made by Barack Obama, confronting honestly but not aggressively, these phenomena in his own society, but with a far wider relevance than purely to his society alone. My appeal is that our own discussions, our search, our strivings in the inter-governmental working group, in other Durban related spaces, and in any discussion of this interrelated scourges, we must take into account and seek to emulate that example of Senator Obama which I personally consider to have opened up a new paradigm, may be even a new episteme, in discussing this subject.” 

Web link: Take Barack Obama’s historic speech as example in approaching racism, racial discrimination, appeals Sri Lankan ambassador Dr.Dayan Jayatilleka at UN Human Rights Council

by: Dr. Tissa Abeysekara

“Behind the fear were the hunger and the thirst, and behind the hunger and the thirst was fear again.”

Much has been said of how DA followed SWRD Bandaranaike across the well of the House of Parliament when the latter crossed-over into the Opposition ranks. For me there was a deep significance in that move. In that historic photograph, which I first saw as an unknowing little boy, D.A. Rajapaksa seems to follow Bandaranaike, effortlessly.

For him, it was coming home. Perhaps he was never easy within the ranks which represented the privileged class. With that memorable line opens Leonard Woolf’s novel, Village in the Jungle, which according to the great Chilean Poet Pablo Neruda is a masterpiece ‘both true to life and literature’. Woolf’s line as quoted above sums up with almost clinical precision the harsh and brutal nature of life in the arid deep south of Sri Lanka at the turn of the last century.

by:C. S. Poolokasingham  

SCOPP Deputy Secretary General remembers 

The late Dr. Premasiri Khemadasa, fondly known as ‘Master’, passed away at the age of 71 on October 24th at a private hospital in Colombo. He had been ailing for some time.
Recognising his contribution to the art world in Sri Lanka, the Government organised a funeral with state honours at Independence Square. Dr. Khemadasa’s remains were brought in a procession from his home in Rajagiriya, taking almost two hours to cover the short distance with many thousands of his followers accompanying the cortege.

I was asked to give the funeral oration in Tamil, having known and closely associated with Dr. Khemadasa and his family over the last 15 years. 

by: Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha

The Thimpu talks

Discussions with the LTTE began with what are termed the Thimpu talks in 1985. The LTTE and other militant groups attended along with the TULF, the main Tamil political party, elected to Parliament in 1977 but no longer there because they vacated their seats consequent to the 6^th amendment to the Constitution passed in 1983. In any case, following the anti-Tamil riots of 1983, influence amongst Tamils had passed from the TULF to militant groups, which all attended at Thimpu. Both sides claimed the intransigence of the other led to the breakdown of the talks. However, to quote Kethesh Loganathan, who represented one of the militant groups at the time, ‘The Tamil organizations took the position that the burden of presenting a broadly acceptable formula lay with Colombo.

The Tamil delegation, instead, subjected the Sri Lankan government delegation to a series of ‘lectures’ on what constitutes the ethnic question and as to why the burden lay with Colombo to come out with a solution “worthy of our consideration”’.Even more significantly, the LTTE used this period to strengthen itself at the expense of the other Tamil groups. They decimated the EPRLF and eliminated Sri Sabaratnam, the leader of TELO, and by the time the talks broke down had emerged as by far the most powerful of the groups.

Graham Whillans wants an itinerary that includes tea plantations and a driving tour of the country

Richard Green 

We are looking to visit Sri Lanka next year. Neither my wife, nor I, has been to the sub continent before, and we would rather like to have a car and driver and do a good tour of the country, hopefully see the tea plantations too. Can you suggest a suitable week-long good itinerary for us?

Graham Whillans, Wrexham

Sri Lanka tourism has designed a 'Ramayana tourist package' for the benefit of the travellers, especially from India, to visit more than 50 sites associated with the Ramayana epic in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankan High Commissioner to India C.R. Jayasinghe said. The package was officially launched in New Delhi in January this year. 

The enumeration of Ramayana sites in Sri Lanka is expected to spur thousands of Indians to visit Sri Lanka this year, especially since the Ramayana tourist package is an attractive travel package for such tourists.Sri Lanka is developing some of these places to narrate to the world the story of the revered epic and attract tourists from abroad, especially India, as Sri Lanka is the proud custodian of more than 50 sites related to the epic Ramayana.

Sri Lanka in Style offers tailor made travel solutions for film and art lovers to be a part of the International Galle Film and Art Trail Festival. The World Heritage City of Galle will be hosting its first International Film Festival and premier Galle Art Trail from October 24th 2008 to November 2nd 2008. Aimed at raising awareness of the increasing depth and diversity of Sri Lankan cinema, the spotlight will be firmly on the historic town of Galle.

The fortified town of Galle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a place where history and legends seep into your bones and an evocatively ideal setting to stage such a Film and Art Trail Festival. Miguel Cunat, the CEO of Sri Lanka in Style is excited by the forthcoming event, "Events such as this compliment Sri Lanka's rich cultural heritage and diversity.

Being so closely associated with the event, Sri Lanka In Style is on-hand to create an inspiring Sri Lanka travel for all attendees." Miguel Cunat adds, "Sri Lanka in Style can customize your holidays around the festival theme, highlighting the island's unique features such as the beaches, the historic Colonial Heritage, the Tea Country and the wide variety of activities available on the island, to mention a few."