PLEDGE (plĕj) A solemn binding promise to do, give, or refrain from doing something…
UN official says Sri Lanka pledges to improve security, access for aid workers
President pledges full commitment to protect Human Rights
Foreign donors pledge to uphold international standards in aid delivery
The UNF Government led by Prime Minster Ranil Wickremesinghe wins Parliamentary elections on a pledge to open talks with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
Govt emphasises preventive measures, pledges effective action against violations
India pledges help on Lanka peace
By dedicating yourself to regularly refill the lamp and keep up a continuous flame of hope for twelve hours, you will show your solidarity to this important agreement and your individual pledge to peace …

continue reading

Here is an extract from “Emergency ‘58 – The Story of the Ceylon Race Riots”, a book Tarzie Vittachi wrote in 1958.

Between eight and ten o’clock that morning the situation all over the country, notably in Colombo district, Kurunegala, Polonnaruwa and the Batticaloa—Eravur area had deteriorated so badly that even the stoutest heart and most cynical mind could not possibly help quailing at the continuance of this barbarism. In Colombo Fort, Pettah and Colombo South the thugs ran amok, beating up people who wore their shirts over their vertis, Tamil fashion. They stopped pedestrians and passing cars looking for ear-ring holes in men’s ears. It was impossible to disguise these marks of early parental affection and many Tamils …

continue reading

The 28 minute documentary “Wars and Waves: Sri Lanka’s internally displaced” that was produced by COHRE, and directed and written by me, is available online.

There was a small private launch a week ago in Colombo. COHRE plans to do a larger public screening followed by a discussion in the coming weeks.

The purpose of the film is to highlight Sri Lanka’s IDP issue. The film will be used by COHRE as an advocacy tool, and by its network partners to provoke discussion about the issue. It’s primarily aimed at an international audience.

Description of film:
In Sri Lanka, a natural disaster and ongoing conflict have displaced hundreds of thousands of people.

Those who lost everything to …

continue reading

Groundviews | VOR Radio podcast

Perhaps the word ‘wisdom’ is too strong when describing what the Sri Lankan diaspora can contribute to solving the problems on this small island, but there is a certain experience and understand the diaspora has, and with their unique connection to Sri Lanka, they can help provide useful ideas to repair the fractures and end the violence.

The following MP3 podcast is an edited interview conducted in Melbourne with Lionel Bopage in May 2007. Bopage suggests how the diaspora can make a positive contribution to Sri Lanka’s peace process. Lionel Bopage was a former General Secretary of the JVP. He was involved with the JVP since 1968 and resigned in 1984.

Click to listen …

continue reading

The beheading of Rizana, a Sri Lankan migrant worker in Saudi Arabia feels unstoppable. I first heard about this issue late last week ago, but only found out yesterday that her execution is scheduled for the 16th July – in a few days time.

Why didn’t I know earlier? She was arrested in May 2005 and was sentenced to death on 16 June 2007. But, rather than analysing my poor information flows and the lack of publicity this case has received, it’s better to concentrate on what can be done to delay the execution of someone who has not received proper legal representation, and from all accounts, appears to have been wrongly convicted.

According to her certified birth certificate, Rizana was born …

continue reading

It seems that students from the Sri Lankan diaspora are getting activated. An email is  doing the roungs urging people to participate in an email campaign. I have pasted this email message below.
————

URGENT! MAIL CAMPAIGN TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Sri Lanka has reached a cross-roads between two very different paths,
destruction or hope. We can be the voices needed to begin change. We can
make a difference.

The campaign asks you now to email the following people.

President of GOSL
Secretariat for Coordinating the Peace Process
Editor of Island newspaper
Editor of The Nation newspaper
Editor of the Sunday Times (Sri Lanka)
Asia tribune
UNP and Gov’t Opposition Leader
International Correspondent Columnist NYT (Nicholas Kristof)
Sri Lanka Pro-Peace (to gauge response)
CC:

gosl@presidentsl.org
info@scopp.gov.lk
prabath@unl.upali.lk
info@unp.lk
kristof@nytimes.com
editor@nation.lk
editor@sundaytimes.wnl.lk
webmaster@asiantribune.com
sri.lanka.pro.peace@gmail.com

Re: Peace in Sri Lanka

To:

His Excellency the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic …

continue reading

Photo credit: Al-Jazeera

A friend recently forwarded me this story - an interview featuring the Sri Lankan President on Al Jazeera. I am slightly confused by it - and thought it would be useful to get some local interpretations…

Click here for original source

The following is a transcript of an interview between Al Jazeera’s 101 East presenter Teymoor Nabili and Mahinda Rajapaksa, the president of Sri Lanka:

Teymoor Nabili: Mr President, the Tamil Tigers launched their first attack against your government and against the Sri Lankan people only weeks after you came to power. Why do you think it was, that after so long of adhering to the peace plan, they suddenly decided to start attacking …

continue reading

These thoughts are triggered by the call for a Sri Lankan identity.

I am not convinced that Sri Lanka’s problems will go away if the people who live there identify themselves as Sri Lankans first. In fact, I find that idea quite problematic. A society should be able to live peacefully, respecting their neighbours despite their cultural differences.

In a past article on GroundViews, India was cited as an example of a ‘united’ people. I don’t know enough about India to comment too much - but I think in India, the critical mass (ie. population) of each of the cultural groups that make up the place ensures some kind of balance. And I bet there’s many small minorities that end …

continue reading

Recently, I noticed an Q&A style article titled “India Is Colonising Itself” by Arundhati Roy and Shoma Chaudhuri.

I thought the first Q and A was very interesting, and perhaps parts of it are applicable to Sri Lanka. So, I have cut and pasted it below, and look forward to any comments about “we’ve begun to eat our own limbs”, or anything else that might grab you!

There is an atmosphere of growing violence across the country. How do you read the signs? Do you think it will grow more in the days to come? What are its causes? …

continue reading

From Australia:

This image occupies almost half a page in the World section of today’s Age - the leading paper in Melbourne. I am sure it has also been printed in the Sydney Morning Herald and in many papers around the world.

I wonder if it made it on to Sri Lanka’s papers… Of course, it’s not clear when this photo was taken, and if it represents the type of aircraft that dropped the explosives over the air force base - but nevertheless - it’s no doubt doing the rounds in newspapers and websites throughout the world …
And where’s the discussion speculating the type of aircraft? Perhaps CNN / Fox / BBC are all running panels, …

continue reading