- Tamil
Homelands - the bird that couldn't fly
The homelands
claim has been amply refuted by several scholars,
citing historical evidence. However, the very
thoroughness of the refutations demands closer
study than is feasible for most foreign
governments and NGOs, and citizens here and
abroad who have been duped by Eelam propaganda.
So the bald assertion by the Eelam lobby that
there is and always has been a Tamil homeland
tends to be believed. The Eelamists are masters
of the big lie, repeatedly dished out in
digestible form.Even
those who do have the time and inclination to
analyse claims, refutations, counterclaims, and
counter-refutations, may find it difficult to
decide. The Eelam propaganda machine revels in
this situation, where the big lie acquires the
edge over the painstaking refutation. So the
brainwashing continues, through the rhetoric of
an army of well-heeled professionals unhampered
by scruples about academic standards or truth. (full text)
- L
E G A L W A T C H
War without end and government without accountability
"I could not dig;
I dared not rob;
Therefore I lied to please the mob.
Now all my lies are proved untrue
And I must face the men I slew:
What tale shall serve me here among
Mine angry and defrauded young?"This was Rudyard Kipling's imaginary
"Epitaph for a Politician" following
the carnage of the 1914-18 War. We leave it to
readers to decide whether there are Sri Lankan
politicians who might deserve a similar
"epitaph" one day.
It is clear that while
censorship may hide the truth, it cannot hide the
fact that lies are being told. That was amply
demonstrated last week when casualty figures rose
daily from 9 to 43 to 150 to 400 arising from
what was initially described as a six hour battle
that began and ended last Sunday morning. (full text)
- Japan's
financial crisis
Not so long ago,
Japan's economic achievement was being hailed as
a miracle. After total destruction in World War
II, Japan was determined to overhaul and
modernise its institutions. Even the US was
looking to learn how Japan had transformed itself
into the world's most effective power.Today, although it is the second largest
economy in the world, Japan is in deep financial
crisis. A nation once held up as a paragon of
financial progress has sunk into recession.
Financial strategists suggest that because of
weak domestic activity and financial turmoil in
Japan, investors should be prepared for a
collapse in currency rates even in the G7
countries, led by the US. The collapse in money
rates in Asia is already visible, tensions are
rising in Latin America and Russia and the trend
is making itself felt in Europe. (full text)
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- Thamilchelvam's
sweet talk
Subsequent to the
publication of my article captioned "It is
futile to negotiate with the LTTE", a few
Tami friends have stated that my article
"was not helpful". A certain Tamil
intellectual told me that "Eelam" in
whatever form was the aspiration of every Tamil.I am certain that this so called
intellectual's statement does not represent the
thinking of all Tamils, particularly those in
Colombo, for as a Muslim friend pointed out, the
intellectual wishes to have the best of both
worlds."He cannot possibly have the cake and
also eat it" was how he put it. He then
referred to the infamous Indian partition and
stated that "if ever Eelam was created there
would be no free choice for the Tamil people, as
there was for the Muslims who chose to stay back
in India". (full text)
- The
week that was
It could either the
presidential or the PC polls
An
election in February next year - S. B.
The Mayor of Colombo,
Karu Jayasuriya had made arrangements for a
delegation of city fathers to visit Singapore on
a fact finding mission. The objective was to gain
first hand knowledge of the progress made by
Singapore that can be applied for the improvement
of Sri Lanka's capital city.The JVP representative in the delegation
was the party's propaganda secretary and MMC, Mr.
Wimal Weerawansa. This the party considered to be
a good opportunity for him to meet JVP chief
Somawansa Amarasinghe who was in Italy at the
time. Accordingly, during the Singapore visit,
Weerawansa met the JVP boss Somawansa. (full text)
- UNP's new
vision for a new millennium
Speech delivered by Mr.
Ranil Wickremasinghe, Leader of the Opposition at
"Hotel Marriot" in Los Angeles.
"Sri Lanka
has bled too long. Ending the north east conflict
is the greatest challenge that all of us face
today. We recognise today that over the years the
conflict has become both complex and multi
faceted. The recent past has shown us that it
cannot be solved by ad hoc responses, military
operations with the objective of political image
building and the exploitation of issues for short
term political gains and blaming the
Parliamentary opposition." (full text)
- Injustices
suffered by the Kandyan Sinhalese
The Sinhala Commission
set up by the National Joint Committee has
identified and recorded the injustices suffered
by the Sinhala people in the first part of its
final report. Some of the injustices can be
attributed to being the direct result of British
colonial policy. Others, particularly the
developments since independence, are the indirect
consequences of British policy. The injustices
suffered by the Sinhala people as a whole are due
to the direct and indirect effects of these
policies, while those suffered by the Kandyan
Sinhalese are due to specific policies targeted
against this segment of the Sinhala people. (full text)
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