Bodu Bala Sena and the global context of Islamophobia

Chandre Dharmawardana

The Bodu-Bala Sena (BBS) is a political movement crystallizing mainly around Sinhala-Buddhist advocates of strong anti-Islamism. The knee-jerk reaction of opportunist political observers is to regard this as an example of a majoritarian populace behaving brutally, after having `caused Sinhala-Tamil terror’ by allegedly provoking the Tamils with ‘Sinhala-only’ discrimination. The BBS has also provided fodder for anti-government critics as well as the usual `I told you so’ liberals who believe that mass movements can be corrected by a little bit of sermonizing by `good monks’ holding vigils around the Lipton circus.

The Sri Lankan Republic at 40: Reflections on Constitutional History, Theory and Practice

Type of Publication: Edited Collection…..Publisher(s): The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), and the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung für die Freiheit (FNF) 

Place Publication: Colombo, Sri Lanka ….. Date of Publication: 21^st December 2012…….

Size of Publication: 1168 pages in two volumes (Vol. I: pp.1-660; Vol. II: pp.661-1168)

ISBN: 978-955-1655-93-8 ………..Bar Code: 9 789551 655938

Editor: Asanga Welikala

Website: http://republicat40.org (entire contents downloadable in complete volumes or as individual chapters)

 Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu of CPA

Purpose and Scope of the Publication: In 2012, Sri Lanka marks the fortieth anniversary of the founding of its republic. With the promulgation of the first republican constitution on 22^nd May 1972, Ceylon severed its remaining constitutional links with Britain that had survived the grant of independence as a dominion in 1948. Both the process adopted in the making of that constitution as well as its substance were historic – a decisive ‘constitutional moment’ – reflecting dramatic political currents that had dominated the late-colonial and post-independence period, and establishing a constitutional order that has, despite being replaced by a second republican constitution in 1978, retained its essential substantive character as a highly centralised unitary state to the present.

Bikes for Life, Sanga and the Lanerolles reach out to the north

Smriti Daniel, in the Sunday Times, where the title is “Kumar’s push to help children ride into a brighter future. The cricket legend’s Bikes For Life (BFL) initiative takes a tuneful turn with the De Lanerolle Brothers joining hands”

For the smiling children clustered around him, the chance to meet cricketer Kumar Sangakkara must have been a bigger thrill than receiving the bikes he had brought them as gifts. However, in the months to come, these bikes will make a significant difference in their lives. For many of these children this will be their primary mode of transport to school – and Kumar hopes – to a better life.

A bicycle from a cricketing hero: A shy schoolgirl in the North is all smiles as Kumar Sangakkara gives her a brand new bike

Ecumenical Religious Interaction: Examples for the New Year 2013

 courtesy of Renton de Alwis

 SEE http://www.recdo.org/gallery-children-and-youth.php and the work of RECDO

Longitudinal UNICEF Survey of Nutrition in the IDP Camps in 2009

Michael Roberts

In the course of presenting a seminar on the topic “Humanitarian Work obscured by the Fires of Propaganda War: The IDP Camps, 2009-12” at the premises of ICES on 7^th November 2012, I was met by a hostile challenge from Mirak Raheem of the Centre for Policy Alternatives  who raised three points of criticism – one based on empirical material that I had presented about a few IDPs who were bussed in from Nandikadal and the Vanni Pocket – a four-five hour journey I believe – being dead on arrival. Information from the UTHR report , from such individuals as Narendran Rajasingham (who met escaped IDPs in March-April) and the doctors at Manik Farm (e.g. Safras, Woodyard) reveal that there were a few IDPs who could best be described as “walking dead” (and some kin reported the trauma of leaving grandparents behind because they were not fit to move).

     Despite the evocative photographs presented re the abnormal conditions encountered for several months by the Tamil populace corralled together in a revolutionary act of blackmail by the LTTE, Raheem had clearly NOT comprehended the abnormal circumstances of that moment in April-May 2009 and the looming possibility of a humanitarian disaster among the large clusters of IDPs assembled (some 250,000 all told) in the Vavuniya locality in numerous temporary schools-used-as-camps as well as the Mänik Farm Zones. This outstanding failure was – and remains — a measure of the ideological blindness located in advocacy circles in Colombo. It marks an obduracy that is founded upon (1) enclosure within air-conditioned cocoons in Colombo; and (2) a visceral hostility to the Rajapaksa regime that cannot allow for any good emanating from a range of official (and unofficial)  agencies. One can even envision the advocacy circles in Colombo as a cluster that has created its very own siege bunker in the morally righteous cloister way up in the clouds.

The UN hacks off its own toes

Kath Noble, courtesy of the Island, 21 November 2012, where the title is “The UN’s plan for making white people feel better”

Last week I felt like I had been transported back in time. We were back in those awful first six months of 2009, when I was by turns horrified at the plight of the people caught up in the fighting in the Vanni and disgusted with the way in which the international community was responding.

Of course, we all wanted to stop the war. I hate violence. But as I argued then and continue to believe, at that point, the only way the war was going to stop was with the defeat of the LTTE. Prabhakaran would not give up on Eelam. He was going to continue his vicious campaign against the Sri Lankan state and all its communities until he was caught or killed. Our task, therefore, was to minimise the damage. We had to try to ensure that it was done with as little death and destruction as possible.

Operation Mänik Farm

With the closure of the Mänik Farm Transitory Welfare Shelters in Vavuniya District, where most number of Internally Displaced people had been housed since 2009, Stamford Lake (Pvt) Ltd has launched “Operation Mänik Farm”– a story that says about what really happened in Mänik Farm. Stories of the Mänik Farm Transitory Welfare Shelters have been echoing from mid of 2009 and even today, many wonder what really happened in Manik Farm? What was it like working in Mänik Farm? What was it like being in Mänik Farm? And many more unanswered questions…… “Operation Mänik Farm” gives the answers. It is a story narrated by a Humanitarian Worker on the difficulties of providing relief to the massive displaced people, its complexity and, gives the answers to many who are curious to hear the ‘secrets’ of Mänik Farm.

Note arising out of very short visit by Arjuna Aluwihare to Menik Farm camps and Chetticulum and Vavuniya hospitals 29 and 20 September 2009

Arjuna Aluwihare, …… This memo was written by Professor Arjuna Aluwihare for his own edification — then in early October 2009. As befits a scholar he presents hi impressions within the proviso that it was short visit. I have taken the liberty of highlighting some sentences. Web Editor… see  ** at END for bio-note

1. I was very well received by Dr Jayasinghe, Dr Safras, and all other medical and other personnel. Drs Jayasinghe and Safras had arranged for my driver and me to stay at the IOM accommodation in Zone 0- and we were fell fed and watered! It was a pleasure also to meet many young graduates from various faculties who have recently come as medical officers to the camps. I need to stress we were very well looked after. I am grateful to the Secretary Health for arranging this visit.

2. Health related matters

I had seen the statistics and data collected and collated by the IDP centre and Dr Herath and his staff, and was amazed at their detail and the trouble taken to understand the problems and deal with them. Having seen the camps it is easier to appreciate how much very hard work is reflected in the tables he had. I had also read the poems written by Dr Terence de Silva.

Honing in on KP– DBS and Pramod Kumar

 KP as depicted in Interpol files

I: “KP moves from Colombo to Thamilcelvan’s House in Kili” …. DBS Jeyaraj in transcurrents

 KP with Prabhakaran, Shankar and Anton Balsainghma during the halcyon days of Thamililam

Selvarasah Pathmanathan alias “KP” who is under the protective custody of the Sri Lankan Government has been relocated from Colombo to Kilinochchi last week by the authorities. The former chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who was detained in suburban Colombo earlier will now reside within Kilinochchi urban limits. KP will be housed in premises that would also be the head office of the organization founded by him namely the North Eastern Rehabilitation and Development Organization (NERDO).

“Unity Team” sponsored by Emirates to play cricket in Singapore and promote FOG’s work of reconciliation

From the Daily News, 16 October 2012, with additional input from the Web Editor

Emirates, the international airline which serves Sri Lanka with 28 weekly flights, yesterday welcomed batsman Kumar Sangakkara and a team of aspiring young cricketers on board its flight to Singapore. Emirates, an Official Partner of the ICC, is sponsoring the flights of the Unity Team, a select side made up of the best performers in the recent Murali Harmony Cup, a tournament – also supported by Emirates.
The Unity Team departed on Friday, 12 October, for a four-day tour of Singapore that includes two exhibition cricket matches against Singapore Cricket Club and sight-seeing trips around the Lion City. Sangakkara is the under-19 team’s head coach and is being supported by spin icon Muttiah Muralitharan, who will be joining up with the group in Singapore.