Sri Lanka News Updates with Discussions

November 25 has been marked as the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women by women activists worldwide. This day is marked with the brutal assassination, in 1961, of the three Mirabal sisters who were political activists in the Dominican Republic. The Mirabal sisters are a symbol of resistance against the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic then. Since 1981 women`s activists have celebrated this day as the International Day for Elimination of Violence Against Women to gain momentum and solidarity in their struggle against violence against women.

A Sinhala guy is speaking Tamil. Chinese Tamil was charming, Let see how Sinhala Tamil sounds.

Chinese Boy singing tamil song-Vasantham Star 2009

The Sinhala Buddhist chauvinists and other non Buddhist Sinhala racists often use the word `SRI LANKANS` in this forum. Even the Sinhala president used the word Sri Lankans to deny the existence of minorities and their grievances in Sri Lanka. I think the Sinhalese in this forum use the word Sri Lankans and fancy phrases like `Sri Lanka for all Sri Lankans` etc to deny the rights of minorities in Sri Lanka. Many of them use the word` Sri Lankan` to try to hide their anti Tamil racism and pretend like they are peace loving humanitarians.

`I hope we will have sense to deliver a political solution, because without the political solution, we will continuously face tensions. And it will be very discriminatory towards minority community, mainly the Tamils and the Muslims of this country. For people to begin to think that this country belongs to them, the Tamil people Sinhala and the Muslim people to be united to create a new governance in Sri Lanka. Its time WE END THIS DEPENDENCY ON INDIA, CHINA and PAKISTAN.

Clarifying his findings Major P.A Bandara observed that one of the so called soldiers was wearing a white T-shirt underneath. It is a uniform regulation for soldiers of the Sri Lankan Army to wear an Olive green T-shirt issued by the Army under their uniform and therefore white T-shirts are not acceptable. He also observed that one of the so called soldiers had overgrown hair which is also unacceptable.

http://www.news.lk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11390&Itemid=44

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Sri Lanka to probe sex charges on UN peacekeepers in Haiti

The government yesterday vowed to take disciplinary action against the Sri Lanka peace keepers who are to be sent home following allegations of sexual abuse of Haitian women, which include paying for sex with underage girls.

The Defence Ministry yesterday announced that the government in close consultation with the UN, will undertake all appropriate disciplinary actions and prosecutions against Sri Lankan military personnel who have been implicated in alleged misconduct and sexual abuse while serving the United Nations Stabilizer Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) .

The State Government of Tamil Nadu and the people of Tamil Nadu sing this song in praise of Mother Tamil (Tamil Thaai Vazhthu) at all state government functions and in schools. The government of Tamil Nadu selected `Neeradum kadaluduththa ...` written by Manonmaniam Sundaram Pillai as the state anthem. First of all it talks of Dravida Nadu, not Tamil Nadu. Moreover, what is sung at Tamil Nadu State functions is not the full song but a curtailed or mutated version of the song.

The original song had the following lines: `Ariyam pol ulaga vazhaku azhinthu ozhinthu sithayaa un seerilamai thiram viyanthu seyal maranthu vazhthuthumae` (a loose English translation is, `Unlike Sanskrit that is no longer in use and is dead, you have not lost your youthful nature. We praise that youthful vigour`).

100 interesting folks made TIME Magazine`s list of the 100 most influential people in the world and Eelam Tamil Hip Hop star M.I.A. was one of them. Spike Jonze wrote a piece about the Paper Planes singer for the list, which fans can read now at Time.com.

Other artists deemed influential by the institution included John Legend, A.R. Rahman and more.

There are also a few celebrities are on the list: Tina Fey, Tom Hanks and Kate Winslet all made the cut. Zac Efron and George Clooney also make the list.

The Sri Lankan government wants to extinguish the idea of an independent Tamil homeland History has shown that the ideas are not defeated in battle field. The Sri Lankan government used the language of global war on terror to try to sanction its brutality.

There is a rich diverse collection of folk music that accompanies every part of everyday rural life,right from birth (thalattu or lullabies) to death (oppari or songs of lament) in Tamil.

While lullabies are soothing and lull the child to sleep, the oppari is done by a group of women who are the official mourners at the funeral. They sit in a circle, hold each other and sway as they wail in a sing-song way, extolling the dead person`s goodness but there have been instances when a sharp criticism too has been thrown in.

AVVAIYAR IS the poetess of the Tamil country who lived thousands of years ago, propagating the fragrance of Tamil literature and also speaking about morality and spirituality. She acted as a messenger between the warring Tamil kings and brought peace among them.

The Avvaiyar who lived during the Sangam period was the court poet of the Tamil rulers. She travelled from one part of the country to another and from one village to another, sharing the gruel of the poor farmers and composing songs for their enjoyment. The Purananuru poet wrote most of her songs on the small time chieftain Athiyaman Neduman and his family. The rest of her songs related to the various aspects of state governance. She was one of the most famous and important female poets of the Tamil canon.

This is the sad truth in Sri Lanka. The Tamils created many leaders who are acceptable to the Sinhalese, and they genuinely worked to protect the interests of the Sinhalese. But the Sinhalese have failed to create even one leader who is acceptable to the Tamils and who genuinely cared about the Tamils interests in Sri Lanka.

The extent of Sinhala racism against Tamils is very deep rooted. For example, Chamalka85 who identifies himself as a Sinhalese, but is arguing for the right of Tamils in Sri Lanka. That is totally new to the Sinhalese, they are in shock now.

The Sri Lankan government wants to extinguish the idea of an independent Tamil homeland, History has shown that the ideas are not defeated in battle field. The Sri Lankan government used the language of global war on terror to tried to sanction its brutality.

Okay, we had clearly asked the wrong question. Perhaps it was a tad stupid of us after what we had just seen. But none the less the question was out there. We had asked the chap if he was a Tamil and that was that.

We had just been to the *Kandy Kathirgamar temple. We had expected to see a stately statue of Karthikeya. We saw a calendar style reproduction. Yes. You don`t get to see the actual deity. We asked the priest why the idol was hidden. He told us that that was tradition and shuffled off. My sister and I looked at each other, baffled. We had travelled all this way to be here to worship where my grandfather once had. Then I noticed a board placed strategically next to the poster that said `THIS HINDU DEITY IS THE SERVANT OF THE BUDDHA.` The physical proof, if one can call it that, behind the sanctum, is a gigantic STATUE OF THE BUDDHA DWARFING THE MAIN TEMPLE.