Features

Features

Latest news from and about the homeland

Karaitivu 1985: A Forgotten Anti-Tamil pogrom in the Shadow of Sri Lanka’s Genocide
File photograph: Karaitivu Beach (Gowshan Nandakumar) It was a quiet morning on 12 April 1985 when Karaitivu, a small coastal Tamil village in the Amparai district of Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, was plunged into terror. As villagers prepared to celebrate the Tamil New Year, armed mobs - composed largely of Muslim men and backed by Sri Lankan security forces - descended upon the village and…

‘String of Pearls’ or 'New Silk Road’?

Nov 13, 2010
China’s funding of Sri Lanka's Hambantota port development, and similar projects in other countries, has been interpreted by some Western and Indian analysts as part of a grand geostrategic design.
 
The ‘string of pearls’ argument, first made by a few US military analysts, has not only become explanation for, but also ‘evidence’ of, China's supposed military ambitions in the Indian Ocean.
 
This logic, while ignoring important related developments elsewhere, has also prevented serious consideration of alternative explanations.
 
It cannot, for example, account for China investing seven billion dollars to develop three other ports in … Italy.

Tamil Nadu's imperial masterpieces

Nov 11, 2010
This Nataraja statute from the period of Raja Raja Chola (985-1014 CE) was part of a recent display of Chola bronzes at the Brihadisvara temple in Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. The Chola dynasty lasted ten centuries (3rd-13th) and at its height ruled a vast empire that encompassed all of southern India and present day Sri lanka and whose sub-entities stretched far into South East Asia. Photo courtesy Frontline

Defining partnership of the 21st century'

Nov 8, 2010
US president Barak Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh displayed the new levels of amity between their two countries. Photo: Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty Images

UN expert dismisses Sri Lanka's reconciliation commision

Jun 29, 2010
Udara Soysa
In a brief but compelling interview with The Sunday Leader, UN Special Rapporteur on Extra-judicial Executions, Philip Alston slammed a Sri Lanka government initiative, asserting the Commission on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation will not focus or address human rights, humanitarian law, violations or war crimes.

Tamils’ cause finds support amongst candidates from all three British parties

May 2, 2010
As Britain goes to the polls on Thursday, a key issue for many British Tamil voters is UK policy on Sri Lanka and the Tamil question there. In this regard, the Tamil Guardian contacted the offices of several candidates last week seeking their views.

Engaging' Tamil diaspora to elude the cause

Mar 23, 2010
Engaging sections of vested interests in the diaspora to elude righteous causes of struggling people, in order to achieve imperialist goals in war and peace, is a long time strategy of powers. International foundations, firms and other such outfits are created from time to time for this purpose.

My vote for Eelam

Feb 23, 2010
Arani Kumaran
The last weekend in January saw the British Tamil referendum on the independent state of Tamil Eelam.

‘In years to come, we will not be able to say that we did not know what was happening’

Nov 24, 2009
Advisers
It is just over 10 weeks since we launched the Campaign. In that time, pressure on the Sri Lanka Government (GoSL) - from this Campaign and from many other directions - has helped to keep alive the issue of the Tamil internees (a more accurate phrase than "internally displaced persons").

It's deja vu as 'those people' still cry for help

Oct 27, 2009
Lyn Bender
I AM suffering flashbacks of my time at Woomera Detention Centre. Not as a detainee, but as a psychologist and part of the medical team employed to cover contractual requirements to ''manage'' the psychological needs of asylum seekers

Close the camps in Sri Lanka

Oct 27, 2009
Lead Story
Canada's Toronto Star calls for the closing of the internment camps in Sri Lanka
‘String of Pearls’ or 'New Silk Road’?
Tamil Nadu's imperial masterpieces
Defining partnership of the 21st century'
UN expert dismisses Sri Lanka's reconciliation commision
Tamils’ cause finds support amongst candidates from all three British parties
Engaging' Tamil diaspora to elude the cause
My vote for Eelam
‘In years to come, we will not be able to say that we did not know what was happening’
It's deja vu as 'those people' still cry for help
Close the camps in Sri Lanka
‘String of Pearls’ or 'New Silk Road’?
Tamil Nadu's imperial masterpieces
Defining partnership of the 21st century'
UN expert dismisses Sri Lanka's reconciliation commision
Tamils’ cause finds support amongst candidates from all three British parties
Engaging' Tamil diaspora to elude the cause
My vote for Eelam
‘In years to come, we will not be able to say that we did not know what was happening’
It's deja vu as 'those people' still cry for help
Close the camps in Sri Lanka