July 28, 2010 at 6:38 am · Categories: Colombo, Media and Communications, Post-War | by Sunanda Deshapriya
The recent announcement of Government of Sri Lanka’s (GOSL) intention to establish a Media Development Authority (MDA) in Sri Lanka could be taken as an indication of its approach towards media in the context of post-war economic development. An official statement posted on 25th July 2010 on a government news portal shows that the proposed authority will be modeled on along the lines of the MDA of Singapore.
The sections dealing with the policy of MDA SL is almost copied word by word from the wikipage on the Singapore MDA, which in turn is based on the official Singapore MDA site.
Here are some examples:
“MDA will play a vital role as an umbrella organization for all kinds of media in …
July 26, 2010 at 3:14 pm · Categories: Colombo, Identity, Sport | by Publius
Photo credit: Associated Press, published in Sydney Morning Herald
Savouring the richly deserved cascades of press coverage last week of Muttiah Muralidaran’s retirement from Test cricket on the magnificent record of 800 wickets, it is difficult to resist a surge of heart-warming patriotism. It was not only the doosra-like sequence of events in the last day of the Galle Test against India – wholly implausible had it been a fictional plot – that precipitated this onrush of Sri Lankan pride in your columnist. For once, international media coverage was depicting Sri Lanka, due to the achievement of a man who epitomises the best in it, as it always …
July 25, 2010 at 12:35 pm · Categories: Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, Reconciliation | by Lionel Bopage
Good Afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen and dear friends
I want to start my talk by bringing to the fore the experiences of another, which was seen as an intractable conflict – the apartheid struggle in South Africa.
In 1984, Mandela single handedly launched negotiations with the Afrikaner government. His reasons were simple and unambiguous.
There are many people who feel that it is useless and futile for us to continue talking peace and non-violence — against a government whose only reply is savage attacks on an unarmed and defenseless people. And I think the time has come for us to consider, in the light of our experiences at this day at home, whether the methods which we have applied so far are adequate.
He …
July 22, 2010 at 12:01 am · Categories: Colombo, Constitutional Reform, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War | by Groundviews
Released exclusively on Groundviews, this is a composite document compiled by Yogarajan and Kariapper and made public by them (read the full background to this document in their introduction).
Please note that as Nizam Kariapper pointed out to Groundviews, there is a mistake in the first page of this version of the report – the reference to June 2010 should read as June 2009.
- Download the complete report here.
- Download the executive summary of the report here.
July 21, 2010 at 7:45 pm · Categories: Colombo, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, Reconciliation, Sport | by Kumsyoh
Some excellent goals scored, some unbearable moments of anguish celebrated as teams win and lose in an imperfect system, some stunning comebacks, terrible bouts of pain vanishing instantly once the arbitrator with a whistle awards a free kick, the tears of the Japanese, the despair of the Ghanians’, incompetent referees sent out to save face, all making a wonderful festival of sport. All in all we have been witness to a wonderful world cup. FIFA president Sepp Blatter called it an emotional one. Emotional because we saw more than soccer in South Africa. We saw a nation healing. We witnessed what could be an answer for the modern tribalism, which is engulfing our world.
It was seen in a flag being …
July 21, 2010 at 12:19 pm · Categories: Colombo, Constitutional Reform, Politics and Governance | by Groundviews
Groundviews received the executive summary of the APRC’s final report today. Download the report here.
Salient features covered in the Executive Summary include:
- Nature of the State
- Form of Government
- Status of Buddhism
- Official languages and national languages
- Use of the English language
- Supremacy of the constitution
- Safeguards against secession
- Electoral system
- Power sharing
- Senate
- Community Council
- Distribution of powers between central and provincial
- National and provincial higher appointments council
- Amendment procedure
July 20, 2010 at 4:12 pm · Categories: Colombo, Constitutional Reform, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War | by Groundviews
This interview features Dr. A. C. Visvalingam, President, Citizen’s Movement for Good Governance. I ask him about his advocacy and activism in Sri Lanka, both during war and post-war. Mr. Visvalingam bemoans the fact that a number of articles, despite close ties to Editors and journalists, did not appear in the newspapers, and also speaks of the corporate sector’s risk averse nature especially around content produced that is critical of government and governance. He also speak about the need to introduce civic education in schools to bring about a greater awareness over the role and responsibilities of citizens. He goes on to …
July 20, 2010 at 3:11 pm · Categories: Colombo, Diplomacy, International Relations, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, War Crimes | by Kalana Senaratne
Dr. Lakshman Marasinghe (Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Windsor) in an article titled ‘Some Random Thoughts on the UN International Advisory Panel’ (Daily Mirror, 14 July, 2010), makes a serious suggestion to the Government; i.e. to obtain an Advisory Opinion (AO) from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague, to determine “whether it was within the power of the Secretary-General to appoint an Advisory Panel mandated as he has when appointing it.” He admits that he is “unable to suggest a political solution” to what he considers to be a matter which raises an “interesting point of international law.”
Dr. Marasinghe’s suggestion, in turn, raises greater problems, and is a risk that Sri Lanka cannot afford to take …
July 18, 2010 at 6:30 am · Categories: Ampara, Batticaloa, Foreign Relations, Jaffna, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, Trincomalee, Vavuniya, War Crimes | by Dayan Jayatilleka
When faced with challenging human rights and humanitarian law issues who should we seek out for advice but a celebrated former Vice President of the International Court of Justice? Faced with the task of peace building after a Thirty Years war, to whom should we turn to spearhead a state-aided national effort, or at the very least, for ideas and guidance, but the sole Sri Lankan to win the UNESCO Prize for Peace Education? If the Sri Lankan state and society have done neither, what does that say about us, where we are at and where we are headed?
One of the more refined gratifications in my life is the friendship of a few renowned intellectuals like Richard Falk, Emeritus Professor …
July 15, 2010 at 3:11 pm · Categories: Identity, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War | by Dhammika Dharmawardhane
The swift annihilation of the Tamil Tigers was a surprise to me. A war that was 30 years long, finished so quickly with an undignified death for the leader of the LTTE. Yet, so many unanswered questions.
The man on the street, people like myself, we’ll never know the whole truth. Some of us don’t care, terrorism, the LTTE were wiped out. That’s all that matters. We celebrated the great victory. In my corner of the stix in England, I celebrated the new sovereignty of my motherland, my country, my Paradise Island. My tears of joy like acid on their faces for the Tamil Diaspora.
It’s easy for me, for I don’t live there anymore. I am but the tourist who returns …
July 11, 2010 at 1:00 pm · Categories: Colombo, Sport | by Nalaka Gunawardene
If you’re an alien planning to invade the Earth, choose July 11. Chances are that our planet will offer little or no resistance.
Today, most members of the Earth’s dominant species – the nearly 7 billion humans – will be preoccupied with 22 able-bodied men chasing a little hollow sphere. It’s only a game, really, but what a game: the whole world holds its breath as the ‘titans of kick’ clash in the FIFA World Cup Final.
Played across 10 venues in South Africa, this was much more than a sporting tournament. It’s the ultimate celebration of the world’s most popular sport, held once every four years. More popular than the Olympics, it demonstrates the sheer power of sports and …
July 11, 2010 at 10:27 am · Categories: Colombo, Language | by Malinda Seneviratne
Michael Meyler is an innocent Britisher going about being innocent with respect to language and language politics, he would have us believe. He is good hearted and generous. This is why, we are made to understand, he writes an article titled ‘Sri Lankan English: the state of the debate’, where he says (generously) ‘the level of debate on the issue in the public forum remains simplistic’. As such, he ‘welcomed’ (his words, not mine) my response (‘Sri Lankan English: another snooty English speakers’ project?’) in his subsequent response, ‘A snooty English speaker’s reply’, where he says (yes, Meyler’s descriptive, not mine) that I have presented my case ‘forcefully’ and that ‘it can only be a good thing for the state …
July 11, 2010 at 6:30 am · Categories: Colombo, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, War Crimes | by Dr. P. Saravanamuttu
The declared threat, the demonstration, siege, fast unto death outside the office of the UN in Colombo by the Wimal Weerawansa led National Freedom Front, raises interesting and alarming questions about policymaking in our country.
Wimal Weerawansa announced that he would call upon his supporters to surround the UN office until the UN Secretary General disbanded the advisory panel he has set up on alleged war crimes in Sri Lanka. It was reported that the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) had informed the UN that these were the views of an individual and not that of the GOSL. Days later, Weerawansa, a cabinet minister and key supporter of the president and regime, leads a demonstration of hundreds to the UN office, …
July 10, 2010 at 7:00 am · Categories: Colombo, Foreign Relations, International Relations, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, War Crimes | by Chaminda WEERAWARDHANA
Photo courtesy Vikalpa’s Flickr photostream on the NFF protest
The point of departure for this note is the fast unto death by a government (cabinet) Minister, hereinafter referred to as VW, in front of the UN’s Colombo office. The protest campaign launched by the said individual, and his decision to fast, are meant at demonstrating his party’s (and, being a vocal member of the governing coalition, the present government’s) opposition to the investigative panel appointed by the UN SG on alleged war crimes during the last phase of civil war in early/mid 2009.
The UN SG has been functioning under prerogatives accorded to him in his mandate. The most recent …
July 10, 2010 at 6:51 am · Categories: Colombo, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, War Crimes | by Groundviews
The National Freedom Front (NFF), in a procession from Bullers Road, approached the Russian Embassy today and met with officials inside the premises. The second day of Wimal Weerawansa’s fast unto death (and the third day of NFF’s agitation in front of the UN in Colombo) saw him call a press conference in the afternoon.
In his physically weakened condition, what he said was not voluble enough to be captured by Vikalpa’s video camera. However, a woman’s strident and emotionally charged call to save his life at the end of the video captures the essential volatility of the situation in front of the UN, and …
July 9, 2010 at 2:11 pm · Categories: A-Z Sri Lankan English, Colombo, Language | by Michael Meyler
The terms cousin brother and cousin sister are not used in standard British English. Nowadays they are used in Sri Lanka to refer to any male cousin or female cousin respectively, but the origin of the term lies in the traditional distinction between cross cousins and parallel cousins.
There are many different terms in both Sinhala and Tamil for aunts and uncles and cousins, and because English does not have equivalent terms, the Sinhala/Tamil words tend to be used in Sri Lankan English as well. This is my understanding of the system, though of course there are regional variations, and different families might have their own terms for particular family members.
1. Your mother’s elder sister is your loku amma (Sinhala)/ periyamma …
July 9, 2010 at 9:40 am · Categories: Colombo, Fiction / Creative Writing, Satire | by Banyan News Reporters
9 July 2010, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The leader of the National Fiefdom Front (NFF) Mrs Wimala Weerahansa continued her farce unto death in front of the Unverified Notions (UN) office near Bulls Road in Colombo yesterday – only God knows why. Large crowds were seen gathering at the scene and shouting insults at a Chinese man in a show of moral support of the Cabinet Minister. Mr. Saman Gonagama – a protester at the scene speaking exclusively to Banyan News Reporters said that he fully supported the minister in this brave, courageous, patriotic, wise, really productive and useful endeavour.
“We really hope she farce unto death” he added.
Some political observers in Colombo speculate that Mrs Weerahansa …
July 9, 2010 at 6:30 am · Categories: Advocacy, Colombo, Gender, Healthcare, Human Rights, Identity | by Equal Ground
11th June 2010 – 11th July 2010 marks PRIDE month in Sri Lanka. Historically stemming from the watershed Stonewall riots in 1969, which broke out when police raided a gay bar in New York City, it has now evolved into a global celebration of diversity. In recent years the South Asian region has become a prominent feature in PRIDE celebrations. For example in the cities of Delhi, Bangalore, Calcutta, Mumbai, LGBTIQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Questioning) persons together with their heterosexual allies march the streets peacefully demanding they be recognised equally before the law. A year has now passed since India decriminalised homosexuality during PRIDE month by reading down section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalised …
July 8, 2010 at 12:07 pm · Categories: Colombo, International Relations, Politics and Governance, War Crimes | by Groundviews
Original photo here. More on the ground updates and photos from the Twitter feed of Groundviews:
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