Sri Lanka - News and Discussion

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 17 Aug 2010 10:30

Ottawa balks at public detention hearings for Tamils

I totally agree with the Canadian Federal govt's stand. Canadians have done nothing to deserve being inundated with a problem not of their making. The Eelamists are gearing up to play a media game, and the govt should be prepared to stop it.

kvraghav · Post by **kvraghav** » 17 Aug 2010 11:19

^^
I think canadian gonverment more than deserves this.It is based on the message they sent,by the way they handled the khalisthan movement and the people behind it.

Ameet · Post by **Ameet** » 20 Aug 2010 23:14

India to soon have widest diplomatic presence in Lanka

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-to- ... 89585.aspx

Mahendra · Post by **Mahendra** » 21 Aug 2010 01:33

Ameet wrote:India to soon have widest diplomatic presence in Lanka

http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-to- ... 89585.aspx

Now we will hear stories about how the 786 Indian consulates in Lanka are being used to foment trouble in the Pakistani ocean

naren · Post by **naren** » 21 Aug 2010 06:34

Stan_Savljevic wrote:Fonseka stripped of rank -- General will lose military status if sentence is approved
http://telegraphindia.com/1100814/jsp/f ... 810329.jsp
Seems like MR has approved the judiciary move.

Remember what happened to the Roman General after he got rid of Attila the Hun ?

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 24 Aug 2010 13:32

KP's revelations and allegations that Vaiko by scuttling PC and Kaliagnar's ceasefire proposal ,was responsible for fuhrer Prabhakaran's death will unleash a massive storm in the land of the Tamils,especially in Chennai,once known as Madras.The reason said KP was that vaiko din't want the credit to go to his political enemies and by doing so ensured the end of his supposed fuhrer.JUst as dear old Adsolf was so poorly served by Herman the German and other Nazi nitwits and dumbkoffs,so too was the LTTE's fuhrer betrayed during his last days in his bunker by the likes of Vaiko,and the others in the movement happily and safely ensconced abroad in their western mansions.

KP has done the world a signal service by revealing just who were behind the drama in attempting to save fuhrer P.TN Eelamists like Vaiko and Co.,foreign powers like the US-with its fleet ready to rescue,the UN,Norway,Britain too with Milli-Bond making his flying visit to armtwist Rajapakse,only to find that he had to dance to Pakse-Raja's Baila tune! This should be a warning to India as these very same powers and individuals are relentless in their efforts to divide India using ethnic differences and the Lankan crisis,which has now happliy ended.But watchfulness is the key to keep these evil-doers at bay,both at home and abroad.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 28 Aug 2010 04:27

No visa-on-arrival in Lanka

On Friday, Department of Immigration and Emigration announced that it was withdrawing the visa-on-arrival facility for tourists from 79 countries including India, UK, USA, China, Japan and host of European
nations.
It is from these and West Asian countries that Sri Lanka gets its chunk of tourists.

Only citizens from Singapore and Maldives will continue to get their visas on arrival as our citizens are extended the same facility by them," RMS Sarath Kumara, deputy immigration controller, told HT.
Sarath Kumara said the government was mulling the decision to withdraw the facility as there was no "reciprocity" from 79 countries.

As for India, according to tourism department data, more than 83500 Indian tourists came to Sri Lanka in 2009 – the largest number from one country to come holidaying in Colombo.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 28 Aug 2010 17:14

Yet another point to understand that what is ongoing is nothing but a religious war between the Hindus and the Buddhists, howsoever the Buddhists would like to put it to the unbelieving Hindu majority of India.

“Sri Lanka government is systematically destructing Hindu temples in the Eastern Province and constructing Buddhist Viharas in their places and one cannot remain passive while the Sinhala Buddhist chauvinists continue to destroy Hindu temples and appropriate the traditional Tamil lands for the occupying Sri Lanka Army,” said S. Yogeswaran, Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian for Batticaloa district.

“Sri Lanka government has not taken any steps to renovate the hundreds of Hindu temples in the Tamil homeland in the East and North destroyed during the war but is engaged in colonizing the Tamils’ lands with Sinhala people and in building Buddhist Viharas,” he added. Yogeswaran extended an appeal to temple authorities, Hindu organizations and associations to raise their voice.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 30 Aug 2010 01:59

Spotlight on Jaffna as Nirupama visits Lanka

The highlight of foreign secretary Nirupama Rao’s three-day visit to Sri Lanka beginning on Monday would be her trip to Jaffna — the first ever by an Indian foreign secretary in decades

Rao’s visit — to be followed by foreign minister SM Krishna’s Sri Lanka visit in September — to Jaffna and her interaction with non-government actors is being seen as India’s way of reaching out to the community, which has had close, and ancient, links with South India.

Accompanied by a team of Indian diplomats, Rao would take stock of the rehabilitation of the 300,000 displaced Tamils. She would also review development projects India is funding in northern districts

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 31 Aug 2010 01:13

Sri Lankan Cabinet lifts bar on third term

The Sri Lankan Cabinet on Monday approved changes to the 1978 Constitution, including an amendment that clears the path for President Mahinda Rajapaksa to seek a third term in office.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 01 Sep 2010 11:17

Responding to queries during a call-attention motion on “The situation arising out of the recent attacks on Indian fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy,” Mr. Krishna assured the House that “appropriate action and measures” would be taken to safeguard the country's territorial integrity and the welfare of its fishermen. Initiating the motion, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader T.R. Baalu said that when the Indo-Sri Lanka agreement was signed on the Katchatheevu islands in 1974, the then External Affairs Minister, Swaran Singh, had said that fishing and navigation rights had been safeguarded for the future. Under the agreement on the island, which falls in the Sri Lankan territory, Indian fishermen can rest and dry their nets during fishing in international waters.

Mr. Baalu asked the Centre to revisit the agreement and increase patrolling in the waters to protect the fishermen. Mr. Krishna, however, ruled it out, saying: “We cannot go back on the solemn agreement between two governments.” India and Sri Lanka were discussing, through the Joint Working Group — constituted to deal with issues related to fishermen and to work out bilateral institutional arrangements for ensuring the safety and security of the fishermen of both countries — and addressing such issues in a humane and practical way. Sri Lanka is a friendly country, an aspect that is needed to be kept in mind, the Minister said, adding that Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao is currently in Colombo discussing such matters. Mr. Krishna said he was planning to travel to Colombo in October, when issues related to fishermen would be discussed further.

India had consistently taken up issues relating to incidents of firing on or apprehension of fishermen with the Sri Lankan government to ensure that its Navy acted with restraint and our fishermen were treated in a humane manner. Unhappy over the reply, All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam members, led by M. Thambidurai, staged a walkout, while Mr. Baalu raised several other questions. The Minister said that after the October 2008 understanding between the two countries on fishing arrangements, incidents of apprehension and firing on Indian fishermen in the waters between India and Sri Lanka had come down significantly.

In 2008, a total of 1,456 Indian fishermen were apprehended by the Sri Lankan Navy, while in 2009, the number had come down to 127 fishermen, and till July this year, only 26 fishermen were apprehended.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article605780.ece
Nirupama visits Vavuniya, Kilinochchi, Jaffna
http://www.thehindu.com/news/internatio ... 606046.ece

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 04 Sep 2010 02:26

India Vows To Expedite Resettlement Of Sri Lankan Tamils

India Wednesday reiterated its commitment to help expedite the resettlement of war-displaced Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Rao assured him that New Delhi would extend its complete support to Colombo in carrying out various housing projects for the Tamil civilians besides helping in reconstruction work of the railway track in the northern region of the country.

New Delhi in constructing 50,000 houses for the IDPs to spur their rehabilitation.

Rao also underlined the importance of peace in the country and said ying that "peace was necessary for development and that the need of the hour was to look forward and benefit from the tremendous potential that Sri Lanka had as a country to grow and prosper."

India should help SL to prosper and be strong to avoid being induced by dlagon. India should be a close watch on china's moves in the IOR.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 05 Sep 2010 23:13

Army Chief Gen V K Singh visits Sri Lanka to boost defence cooperation

Army Chief Gen V K Singh arrived here on Sunday on a five-day visit which is expected to provide an impetus to defence cooperation between India and Sri Lanka and lay the ground for a bilateral defence dialogue.

His visit is considered preparatory to the Indo-Lanka defence dialogue that is scheduled to begin next year.

General Singh served in the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) during Operation Pawan in Sri Lanka in 1987. He will tomorrow pay floral tributes at the memorial for the IPKF soldiers and officers, who were killed during the war with the LTTE. Singh will be the first Indian Army Chief to visit the memorial, since the time it was erected.
The Indian army chief, who was awarded the 'Yudh Sena Medal' for his distinguished service during 'Operation Pawan' against the LTTE in Sri Lanka, is also expected to visit the war-ravaged Vavuniya in the North on Tuesday.
Media reports said that also on the anvil are visits by Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik and Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar to Sri Lanka.
Naval chief Admiral Nirmal Verma had visited Sri Lanka in June.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 07 Sep 2010 12:54

It is with deep regret that I am posting the obituary of an old friend ,Desmond Fernando,internationally celebrated lawyer and human rights activist.He had been ill for some time and the last time I saw him this year at a close friend's place,he looked disticnctly ill.Desmond belonged to a fast fading generation of brilliant,erudite Sri Lankans,whoo were born during the last days of the colonial era,mostly educated at Oxford or Cambridge,more "Ceylonese" in outlook than many "Lankans" of today whose outlook suffers from parochialism thanks to the years of ethnic conflict.Conversations with him were always a pleasure-on any subject,but especially on the Lankan crisis.

I have lost over the years many distinguished and brilliant Lankan friends,whose loss to their country is immeasurable because of their uprightness and staunch upholding of the dignity of man despite the turmoil around them in their intellectually disintegrating and decaying state.Future visits to the isle will be all the poorer as the "autumn leaves" of the "Ceylonese" wither and fall.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2 ... o-obituary

Desmond Fernando obituary
William Goodhart
guardian.co.uk, Monday 6 September 2010

Desmond Fernando was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1958.
Desmond Fernando, who has died aged 77, was a distinguished lawyer and jurist of international stature whose practice as an advocate in Sri Lanka was based on an unceasing commitment to human rights. When I visited Sri Lanka, the depth of respect and affection for Desmond within the legal profession was obvious. He was a man of integrity, great energy, modesty and charm.

In a country with a democratic but often violent political system, both between Sinhalese and Tamils, but also within the Sinhalese community, Desmond fought hard to protect the independence of the judiciary and to prevent politicisation of the legal profession.

In 1990 he was appointed to the rank of president's counsel in Sri Lanka, the equivalent of a QC in England and Wales.

Desmond was the son of well-to-do Sinhalese parents, Peter and Mary. He was educated at St Joseph's College, in Colombo, and at the University of Colombo. He then became a law student at Keble College, Oxford, where he acquired a further degree. He was called to the bar at Lincoln's Inn in 1958 but soon returned to Sri Lanka and was enrolled as an advocate by the supreme court. In 1974 he became the first secretary of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) and was subsequently appointed president.

Desmond was in contact with many senior politicians but had no political ambitions for himself. He opposed the idea of a separate Tamil state and strongly pressed for the removal of discrimination against Tamils, which had been the root cause of their uprising. He tried to help Tamils by ensuring that legislation was published in Tamil as well as in Sinhalese and English; by enabling Tamil to be used as a working language in the courts; and by ensuring that Tamils were treated fairly in admission to law schools and in appointment to the judiciary.

Desmond was very concerned about the recent politicisation of the judiciary and the bar. He made clear his concern that the BASL had failed to present a united front against government actions which were clearly inconsistent with the rule of law.

Desmond was an active member of the International Bar Association (IBA), which is committed to the protection of legal systems wherever they are under threat. He was only the second Asian lawyer to become president of the IBA and he created its human rights committee. He was also involved with the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), becoming vice-president, and was a councillor of Lawasia, an international body of jurists from south and east Asia and parts of the Pacific.

He was married to Suriya Wickramasinghe, a human rights activist. They later separated.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 08 Sep 2010 18:45

Mourning ahead of an impending defeat
http://www.island.lk/

Opposition and UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe leads his party’s Parliamentarians in a walk out from Parliament yesterday in protest against the moving of the Bill titled ‘18th Amendment to the Constitution’. Wickremasinghe referred to the Amendment as a ’ and declared that his party would not participate in today’s debate on the Bill. Pic by Chandrasiri Weerasinghe.

Let my quill speak about this moment,as an old Lankan watcher.Cometh the 18th amendment to the Lankan constitution and the emasculation and castration of the Lankan constitution will be complete.The passing of the bill will herald the "crowning" of president Rajapakse and the beginning of his dynastic rule.Never in its independent history has the island seen a potentate with such absolute power in his grasp.Never have the institutions of state been contained in the grip of one man so completely.The magnificient Kandyan roofed Lankan Parliament with its members has been reduced to that of a palatial structure housing a toothless and impotent debating society,whose sound and fury signify nothing.The pagoda roofed Supreme Court,built and gifted by the Chinese now resembles the Lankan equivalent of a "Punch and Judy" marionette show,where the puppeteer president can nominate to the bench any legal eagle he wishes to bestow a wig upon! Power has retruned full circle to the majestic collonaded colonial parliament of old,at Galle Face, which Jatyawardene turned into his exclusive presidetial secretariat,where uniformed flunkeys wait at his command and those who crave a boon from their lord and master,bow,scrape and prostrate themselves at his feet.The armed forces of the nation obey his every command as head of state and salute him trembling with fear after witnessing his swift court-martialling of Gen.Fonseka,Lanka's latter day presidential pretender.

We were shown a hint of Rajapakse's vaulting ambitions in the immediate aftermath of the defeat of the LTTE,where the heads of the three services and the police paid their obeisance to him with their salutes and sonorous report of his glorious victory over the Eelamites,at a special function telecast live across the world.The Rajapakse dynasty has begun.Lanka might have had political dynasties ruling it before.The "Uncle,Nephew" dynasty of the UNP had DS,Dudley,Sir John,JR and Ranil impose their crony-capitalist agenda on Lankans.They were opposed by the Bandaranaike dynasty begun by Sir Solomon-Maha Mudaliar in colonial times,succeeded by his son SWRD,wife Sirima,daughter Chandrika and son-the late Anura,who for most of their turns in office, tried to usher in a socialist society.Mrs.B. was far more democratic than JR,who was the architect of the infamous executive presidency that gave the Lankan prsident more powers than that of the man in the White House or Elyeese Palace.Yet even JRJ saw to it that the trappings of democracy where preserved in the cut and thrust of parliamentary debate in his "dharmishta" rule.Parliament could still impeach a president,which almost happened when Premadasa was president.JRJ never sought a third term,neither did Chandrika,who actually was robbed of one year of her second term by a conspiring chief justice at the behest of vested interests.Thus came Rajapakse,on the back of a controversial election,without the Tamil vote.

Now hail Raja-pakse! King-Emperor of Sri Lanka,conqueror of the Eelamites in general and Prabhakaran in particular.Thou art the reincarnation of Dutugemunu.Thou hast crushed the Eelamites even unto their sons and daughters.Desolation hast thou made their land.Thou hast scattered them like a whirlwind to the uttermost quarters of the globe.Trampled the "tiger" Prabhakaran under thy foot and made the "pussy" Ranil thy footstool.The press thou hast muzzled even to suffocation.None dare to pen against thy good name.The traitor Fonseka thou hast stripped of his be-medalled uniform and cast into the dungeons.Thine enemies flee in fear before thy gaze.Thy people prostrate themselves before thee,thou art a god unto them.Nations from north to south,east to west pay tribute to thee.They gaze upon thy visage and marvel at thy wondrous victory.Salutamus Rajapakse,President and King-Emperor Indicus Oceanus in general and Lanka in particular!

PS:Noble President,King-Emperor,I deign to remind you of two old sayings:
"Sic transit gloria...",whispered in the ears of conquering Roman heroes and,
"..assassination are the accidents of kings..",said Benito Mussolini.

May I also quote Shelley and dedicate this immortal poem in advance to your memory?

OZYMANDIAS
I met a traveller from an antique land
Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone
Stand in the desert. Near them, on the sand,
Half sunk, a shattered visage lies, whose frown
And wrinkled lip, and sneer of cold command
Tell that its sculptor well those passions read
Which yet survive, stamped on these lifeless things,
The hand that mocked them and the heart that fed.
And on the pedestal these words appear:
"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 09 Sep 2010 05:58

Sri Lanka Ends Presidential Term Limits

Rajapakse dynasty should now think about bringing in EVMs, to ensure their perpetual rule.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 09 Sep 2010 11:01

Sanjay ,there is no need now! The Pres. is supreme in every sense and can appoint MPs,judges,etc.Like Caligula,Rajapakse has become a "God"!

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 09 Sep 2010 21:37

X-posted..

shravan wrote:Pune blast mastermind trained in Sri Lanka

May need to take it up with SL on how to stop this.

krisna · Post by **krisna** » 10 Sep 2010 06:33

Sri Lanka shuns West, finds solace in East

President Mahinda Rajapaksa's administration knows that it is not fighting a lone battle against the EU, having received support from emerging economies like China and India to withstand pressure from the Western bloc.

On the same day the European body ended Sri Lanka's trade benefits on August 15, Rajapaksa ceremonially released water into a newly built Chinese-funded harbor at Hambantota, a southern coastal city in Sri Lanka. The port was built at a cost of US$360 million, about 85% of which came from China.

Last month, Sri Lanka forged an $83 million agreement with India to reconstruct a section of the northern railway left in tatters by the war that pitted government troops against the secessionist Tamil Tigers.

The two states had previously signed a similar agreement to rehabilitate another section of the same track worth over $140 million. The commitments are part of a larger package worth $800 million India has pledged on concessionary terms to help rebuild the war-ravaged northern part of Sri Lanka.

Indian companies are also exploring prospects for expanding their presence in Sri Lanka. The Mahindra group, worth over $7 billion, announced last month in Colombo that it was introducing new vehicle models into the Sri Lankan market while looking to set up an assembly plant in the country.
"Sri Lanka has been able to stave off pressure brought on by the EU and the Western bloc because other countries like India and China have supported it, especially in the UN," analyst Jehan Perera told Inter Press Service (IPS).

SL trying to balance between elephant and dragon not to be caught between them.
Going thru a few more artciles it seems china has helped diplomatically and in UNO also in warding of pressure from western powers and human rights nonsense in their fight against LTTE. Also thru prodding of china, SL took some help from pakistan and Iran etc. It also has givenm credit and building of port at hambantoto in southern tip of SL.
India is helping predominantly in north east where tamils are present. I hope they diversify and help elsewhere also.

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 10 Sep 2010 13:20

WHat India must do is to have a few symbolic projects that remain in the minds of the locals as "India's " gift.CHina has done so very well with the foll. gifts.The imposing Bandaranaike International Convention Centre (BMICH),the Supreme Courts complex,the Hambantota Port and Norocholai power plant.India has nothing to rival those projects,even though the amount of aid we have given might be significant.Aid for buses,rail link restoration,etc.I would suggest that we gift 3/4 speciality hospitals in the north,south,hill country and east of the Island.Lankans have for years all flocked to Apollo hospital in Madras.A Colombo "Apollo" was also set up,now without the Indian participation though.The Japanese set up (gifted) a hospital at Kotte in the '80s.Setting up the Hambantoita airport is another option,if still available,but we could do so with smaller airstrips at other places where tourism is expected to grow,such as Kalpitiya in the NWest and Batticaloa in the East.These could bring tourists from India in directly to the destinations if they are also made international ones,at least at Hambantota.

The most significant way however to forge a lasting Indo-Lankan security partnership,is for closer coopertaion with the lankan armed forces,especially the Lankan navy,where we have in the past given the Lankans OPVs. We could build for the Lankans a new navy,as many of their vesels are old,especially those of Israeli oprigin and are costly to maintain,that would mesh with that of India's in fprming a joint security architecture for the southern Indian Ocean.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 10 Sep 2010 13:59

Philip wrote:WHat India must do is to have a few symbolic projects that remain in the minds of the locals as "India's " gift.CHina has done so very well with the foll. gifts.The imposing Bandaranaike International Convention Centre (BMICH),the Supreme Courts complex,the Hambantota Port and Norocholai power plant.India has nothing to rival those projects,even though the amount of aid we have given might be significant.Aid for buses,rail link restoration,etc.I would suggest that we gift 3/4 speciality hospitals in the north,south,hill country and east of the Island.Lankans have for years all flocked to Apollo hospital in Madras.A Colombo "Apollo" was also set up,now without the Indian participation though.The Japanese set up (gifted) a hospital at Kotte in the '80s.Setting up the Hambantoita airport is another option,if still available,but we could do so with smaller airstrips at other places where tourism is expected to grow,such as Kalpitiya in the NWest and Batticaloa in the East.These could bring tourists from India in directly to the destinations if they are also made international ones,at least at Hambantota.

The most significant way however to forge a lasting Indo-Lankan security partnership,is for closer coopertaion with the lankan armed forces,especially the Lankan navy,where we have in the past given the Lankans OPVs. We could build for the Lankans a new navy,as many of their vesels are old,especially those of Israeli oprigin and are costly to maintain,that would mesh with that of India's in fprming a joint security architecture for the southern Indian Ocean.

Sirjee,

The sinhalas actually want very much more than all this.

Tamilnadu and it's inhabitants are their biggest hurdle .

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 13 Sep 2010 01:46

Police investigate break-in at Canadian Tamil Congress

Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010

TORONTO — Toronto police are investigating a break-in at the office of the Canadian Tamil Congress and the apparent theft of the names of the 492 Sri Lankan migrants smuggled to Canada last month aboard the MV Sun Sea.

Colombo?

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 13 Sep 2010 14:56

Media reports say that we ve signed on to build a large power project in Trinco,at a site that the GOSL prefer.V.wise,as the Chinese would step in immediately if we'd refused! Lanka offers Indian investors a huge opportunity,believe me,now that a stable govt. has taken office,Pres.Rajapakse frmly in the saddle and internal strife is non-existant.For another decade one can hopefully expect to do good business with Lanka,being its closest neighbour and the southern states especially TN and Kerala can exploit it to the hilt.I know some who have already set up their manufacturing units and trade centres in the island and expect to invest further.The hospitality industry is especially robust with a 50% growth this year.Lanka is still the cheapest dstination one can fly to from India and offers real value for money with its fine resorts,hotels and excellent service.The GOI must now leverage the good relations that exist and set up lasting physical monuments of goodwill as the Chinese have done.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 14 Sep 2010 05:21

(Forbes)Is Sri Lanka Taking A Turn For The Worse Again? Watch The Stock Market

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Sep 2010 02:57

Philip, Can you create SL- India Interests Forum and run it. I mean hold meetings on quarterly basis in Chennai, B'lore, Hyd, Kochi on rotating basis? lets exchange ideas off-line.

joshvajohn · Post by **joshvajohn** » 16 Sep 2010 18:56

Rajapaksas Bared
By Tisaranee Gunasekara

The Rajapaksas have come within striking distance of transforming Sri Lanka from a flawed democracy into a dynastic oligarchy because their crimes and abuses have gone largely unchallenged by Lankan society, especially that intellectual-ethical obscenity, the zero-civilian casualty myth (and the incarceration of more than 300,000 Tamils in ‘welfare villages’).

Rule of Law and Tamil Rights - key challenges of democratization in post war Sri Lanka
http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2010/09 ... s-key.html

(September 14, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Staring at a great opportunity of genuine democratization brought about by the end of the war, Sri Lanka appears to be going back to a more historical form of democracy that prevailed in ancient Greece, where democracy was effectively the will of a small group of privileged people, with majority of its people such as women and slaves prevented from participating in governance and politics. Like the slaves and women in ancient Greece, minorities and those with dissenting views are at the losing end of democracy that is being practiced in Sri Lanka today.

Tamils are prisoned!
http://www.dinamalar.com/video_Inner.as ... 960&cat=32

Rajapaksa using Sino-Indian rivalry in Sri Lanka: Activist
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/art ... 565504.cms

Refugees risking lives to return
Thursday, 16 September 2010 - 10:01 AM SL Time
http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2010/9/60352.html

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 17 Sep 2010 15:08

Ramanna,no problem.I will be making another business visit shortly and will have some more info on the situ with regard to investment opportunities,etc.

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 17 Sep 2010 16:56

Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Authorities believe as many as 70 people could have died from an an explosion at a construction storage site in eastern Sri Lanka, police said Friday.

The blast flattened a nearby police station and wounded 52 people.

Finding the exact death toll in the wreckage may be difficult, police said.

The bodies of 14 policemen and six civilians have been found so far.

At least two Chinese nationals were among those killed, officials said. They were working on a road construction project and had gone to collect explosives to use in their work when the explosion occurred, said Major Gen. Udaya Madawala.

The Chinese Embassy to Sri Lanka said it has dispatched officials to investigate the explosion, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The blast took place in Karadiyanaru in the eastern coastal district of Batticaloa.

This was a major blast. What kind of construction site uses explosives enough to flatten a small village? And what were Chinese labors doing there? Military related construction perhaps?

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » 17 Sep 2010 17:15

^^^ Has it been expilicitly mentioned what kind of construction site it was? If a quarry was nearby, there would be a few sticks of dynamite/TNT which could have been smuggled out...

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 17 Sep 2010 17:44

The Chinese are all over the island! They haav grabbed jobs that ordinarily should've been done by locals.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/index.php/new ... eaths.html
[quote)
Chinese probe Friday, 17 September 2010 By Jamila Najmuddin

The Chinese government is probing the death of two of its nationals following a massive blast in Karadiyanaru, Batticaloa this morning, a Chinese Embassy official told Daily Mirror online.

The Chinese Ambassador in Colombo and a group of Chinese Embassy officials left for Karadiyanaru this afternoon to inspect the site of the blast and obtain first hand information about the incident.

Two Chinese nationals were among the 60 people killed in today’s blast, the military said.

According to the military, the explosion occurred when two Chinese nationals had arrived to take some explosives from one of the three explosives laden containers which were kept at the Karadiyanaru Police Station for safety.
[/quote]

Sachin · Post by **Sachin** » 17 Sep 2010 21:25

Just heard it on Asianet News (a Mallu News channel). They had got the PTI correspondent on line. He spoke a kind of "learnt" Malayalam (i.e it was not his native language). The blast seems to have happened in a Police armoury, most of the dead are police men. As per him, this could be an accident and not a terrorist attack.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Sep 2010 23:30

Philip wrote:Ramanna,no problem.I will be making another business visit shortly and will have some more info on the situ with regard to investment opportunities,etc.

My plan is setup a Indo-SL Joint business council with you as Secy. Have a couple of eminent business peole on the board. Organize a seminar every six months ini India and Sl on rotation basis. Have a bunch of reports researched by the Business schools in B'Lore, Chennai, Hyd and Colombo. They can be your research depts and they get business experience.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 17 Sep 2010 23:32

^^^ Re the explosion. Looks like ESD issue set off the explosives.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 19 Sep 2010 06:13

Ambar
Colombo, Sri Lanka (CNN) -- Authorities believe as many as 70 people could have died from an an explosion at a construction storage site in eastern Sri Lanka, police said Friday.

The blast flattened a nearby police station and wounded 52 people.

Number of deaths are much less than reported. State media says around 25 deaths. Most likely cause is negligence.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 19 Sep 2010 06:21

Philip
The Chinese are all over the island! They haav grabbed jobs that ordinarily should've been done by locals.

Philip, this is a standard complain by every nation in the world.
I wonder what direction Sri Lanka would take. Whether it would end up being like Singapore, where there are large number of Chinese, Indians Malaysian, expatriots live in Harmony.

I have seen many commenting by Indians here trying to influence Sri Lanka in a particular direction. This is what many super powers wants to do, but end up backfiring most of the time. It would be preferable that SL does not become a play ground for either Indians or Chinese.

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 19 Sep 2010 06:22

Looks like CCP always carries its labour every where. They did this in Sudan and Chad as well IIRC.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 19 Sep 2010 06:30

Stan_Savljevic
Yet another point to understand that what is ongoing is nothing but a religious war between the Hindus and the Buddhists, howsoever the Buddhists would like to put it to the unbelieving Hindu majority of India.

Stan, are you basing this on some sort of facts? I can't believe that Buddhist have a concept of Unbelieving Hindus or Unbelieving Chritians etc. That is a concept for strict religions where they do not want any one from one religion to move to other religions. The first thing I learnt as a Child learning Buddhism is that you should look at other religions and then only if you like Buddhism you should follow it. Therefore your statement doesn't sound right. Also I don't believe that there is relgious conversion happening between Hindus and Buddhist. The main compition for both Religions come from Christianity and not from one another.

Buddhism is the Religion of Majority of Sri Lankans and hence it is Natural for MR to do help rebuild Buddhist Temples. Most probably to accumulate good merits (God know how much karma he have accumulated while being a politician.). Whether this is right or wrong is another story.

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 19 Sep 2010 17:10

thusitha wrote: Stan, are you basing this on some sort of facts?

Religious wars are common things in South India and associated territories which go as different countries of the region today. More so in what is now Tamil Nadu. The old Sangam Tamil literature has a huge repository of work on Jainism, Buddhism, along with the body of work that gets attached specifically to Hinduism today. In fact, all of the five great epics of Tamil literature are in some sense related to Jainism or Buddhism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_G ... Literature). The fact that there is no predominant theme of Buddhism or Jainism in India is a consequence of the Bhakti movement, which resulted in huge philosophical debates between Vaishnavism and Shavism on the one hand, and Buddhism and Jainism on the other. Due to certain historical factors, Buddhism and Jainism got "driven out" of South India, barring a few exceptions. This was not uniform across the associated territories however. South East Asia and Sri Lanka (in particular) still had dominant themes of Buddhism, which in the case of South East Asia gave way to Islam in the 14th-15th century CE.

If one reads the body of work of folks such as Anagarika Dharmapala and the rise of the mythology behind Mahavamsa or Duttugumenu, it is amply clear that there is zero-sum game between Hinduism (especially the Shaivistic tradition with popular Tamil ramifications thereof such as the deification of Murugan) and Theravada branch of Buddhism. It is a religious war. It has been conceptualized on both sides as a religious war. Language based assertion is just the politically correct phraseology for the same. It is perfectly clear that when one peels the onion, Sinhala == Buddhist vs. Tamil == Shaivistic (and more recently Christian or Islamic up to certain degrees) becomes de jure rigorous.

I can't believe that Buddhist have a concept of Unbelieving Hindus or Unbelieving Chritians etc.

Boss, all that is fantastic to claim to western people who have zero idea about Buddhism. Buddhism is as much "strange" in terms of religious hardlining as much are other religions. Even if it were ah-so-ideal in theory, the way it is practiced either in South East Asia or Sri Lanka leaves one witless as to what the Buddha preached and what the so-called Buddhists of today practice. In short, what I read of Buddhism in my school texts is hardly the Buddhism that I see practiced and read about. The same can be said about Hinduism or any other religion, but fact is, Buddhism is somehow the pet-munna of western liberals esp the Richard Gere variety. Hinduism is not the pet munna of anyone, in fact, Hindus are liberally dished out crap advisories on how we will burn in hell-fire this or hell-fire that. So it is not exactly the same idolatry we both indulge in.

The first thing I learnt as a Child learning Buddhism is that you should look at other religions and then only if you like Buddhism you should follow it. Therefore your statement doesn't sound right.

Yes yes, I am not right. But Buddhism as you guys think of it and what I would like to see of it are two different themes. Buddhism did not arise out of thin air. It arose out of conditions that existed in India at a certain point in time. (And such conditions existed all over what is now Asia, which led to the widespread adoption of Buddhism. Plus the missionary zeal of the post-Ashoka Buddhists.) So I think I have a good reason to believe I know what Buddhism is supposed to be, given that we liberally get dished out sermons on the ideology of the eight-fold path. What I see is a complete contrast: Buddhist countries are no different from the rest of the world in terms of being oiseaulish in terms of bloodshed. Some of the worst imaginable/unimaginable crimes come from Buddhist countries: LTTE vs. Sinhalese assertion, Burmese generals vs. Kachin, Chin, Shan ethnic groups, Pol Pot, Viet Nam, North Korea, Japan (of old) even if one would like to attribute it to their Shintoistic credentials. So I have a problem seeing Buddhism-uber-alles. In fact, I hardly do. I see as much human bigotry in Buddhism as much as I see in every other religion, sometimes worse. It is easy for me to pin it down to religious non-dismissibles. It is a religious war by every other name than that: remnant Hinduism vs. assertive Sinhalese Buddhism with Islam and to a certain degree Christianity playing a by-stander role as spoilers. Unfortunately, this is politically incorrect, but nothing could be farther from the truth than this.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 19 Sep 2010 17:48

Stan_Savljevic

Stan, are you basing this on some sort of facts?

Religious wars are common things in South India and associated territories which go as different countries of the region today. More so in what is now Tamil Nadu. The old Sangam Tamil literature has a huge repository of work on Jainism, Buddhism, along with the body of work that gets attached specifically to Hinduism today. In fact, all of the five great epics of Tamil literature are in some sense related to Jainism or Buddhism (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Five_G ... Literature). The fact that there is no predominant theme of Buddhism or Jainism in India is a consequence of the Bhakti movement, which resulted in huge philosophical debates between Vaishnavism and Shavism on the one hand, and Buddhism and Jainism on the other. Due to certain historical factors, Buddhism and Jainism got "driven out" of South India, barring a few exceptions. This was not uniform across the associated territories however. South East Asia and Sri Lanka (in particular) still had dominant themes of Buddhism, which in the case of South East Asia gave way to Islam in the 14th-15th century CE.

If one reads the body of work of folks such as Anagarika Dharmapala and the rise of the mythology behind Mahavamsa or Duttugumenu, it is amply clear that there is zero-sum game between Hinduism (especially the Shaivistic tradition with popular Tamil ramifications thereof such as the deification of Murugan) and Theravada branch of Buddhism. It is a religious war. It has been conceptualized on both sides as a religious war. Language based assertion is just the politically correct phraseology for the same. It is perfectly clear that when one peels the onion, Sinhala == Buddhist vs. Tamil == Shaivistic (and more recently Christian or Islamic up to certain degrees) becomes de jure rigorous.

My question was is there a religious war happening right now, not 1400 0r 1500 hundreds. If this is the case, there should be large scale conversion or stories about Buddhist trying to convert Hindus en mass. I don't believe this is the case. Unless this is happening your claim cannot be accepted.

thusitha · Post by **thusitha** » 19 Sep 2010 17:59

Stan_Savljevic
I can't believe that Buddhist have a concept of Unbelieving Hindus or Unbelieving Chritians etc.

Boss, all that is fantastic to claim to western people who have zero idea about Buddhism.

I made that comment being fully aware that you have a good idea of Buddhism. It is incorrect to assume westerners have no clue about Buddhism. They are intelligent as well. I made that claim from my experience as a Sri Lankan. I have never heard a buddhist monk or someone talking about non believers.

I am amazed by the amount of Buddhism bashing, when in reality it is another religion that came out from India.

And what is the reason why Buddhism is more palatable for Westerners than Hinduism? Aren't they pretty much the same (My knowledge about Hinduism is very poor). Most likely reason for me is that there are too many Gods. The West is trying to get rid of the one God they already got, therefore it is unlikely they have a stomach to go and worship another thousand.