Tamils - a Trans State Nation..

"To us all towns are one, all men our kin.
Life's good comes not from others' gift, nor ill
Man's pains and pains' relief are from within.
Thus have we seen in visions of the wise !."
-
Tamil Poem in Purananuru, circa 500 B.C 

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"Whatever may be said, whosoever may say it -  to determine the truth of it, is wisdom" - Thirukural

Whats New Archive
January 2005

Special Focus:

31 January 2005 New Delhi & the Tamil Struggle - An Amoral Role to include

Tsunami & the "Killing" of Pirapaharan -  Karuna, Ram's Hindu, Lanka Truth, Asian Tribune, B.Raman, & Chandrika Kumaratunga - a RAW commitment to truth?

"... Speaking to our reporter yesterday (14 January 2005), Karuna Amman said more than 500 top level cadres of the Wanni Tiger organization died when tsunami waves battered the coastal belt in Sri Lanka on 26th December and among them were Prabhakaran and Pottuamman. Prabhakaran’s body was found on the 12th at about 11.30 a.m. A group of Tiger members who had been searching for his body using a few boats that survived tsunami waves found the body said Karuna. Though the body was in a decomposed stage the Tiger members were able to recognize it as that of Prabhakaran’s. My associates in Wanni had informed me that top Tiger leaders who have survived tsunami had been looking for Prabhakaran for the last few weeks..."

31 January 2005 Tamil National Forum - Selected Writings by M.Thanapalasingham to include

Language is the Life Breath of a Nation: Some Reflections from the Struggle of the Irish People - மொழி ஒரு தேசியத்தின் மூச்சு..... அயர்லாந்து மக்களின் போராட்டத்தில் இருந்து ஒரு பார்வையும் சில பதிவுகளும்... together with English Translation by Phillp Pragasam

"...பனையின் கீழ் வாழ்ந்தவர்கள் பனியின் கீழ் பெறும் அனுபவங்களும், போராளிக்கலைஞர்களின் ஆக்க இலக்கிய படைப்புக்களும் எமது மொழிக்கு புதியவை. இவற்றை உள்வாங்கி தமிழ் தேசியத்தின் மூச்சாக விளங்கும் எமது மொழி இன்றைய உலகமயமாக்கலுக்கும், வணிகமொழிக்கும் முகம் கொடுக்க நாம் உழைத்திடவேண்டும். "நன்மையும் அறிவும் எத்திசைத்தாயினும் யாவரே காட்டினும் மற்றவை தழுவி வாழ்வீராயின் அச்சமொன்றில்லை.." என்ற பாரதியின் குரல் என் காதில் விழுகின்றது..." more

31 January 2005 Tamil Nation Library - Eelam Section to include

Velupillai Pirapaharan: Leader for All Seasons - Book Review by Parasakthi Sundaralingam - பராசக்தி சுந்தரலிங்கம்

"இத்தலைவனின் சொற்களில் ஆவேசமும் உண்டு அன்பும் உண்டு. நிதானமும் உண்டு தீர்க்கதரிசனமும் உண்டு. 'உள்ளத்தில் உண்மையொளி உண்டாயின் வாக்கினிலே ஒளியுண்டாம்" என்று அன்று பாரதி பாடிய கவிதைக்கு இத்தலைவன் இலக்கணமாக விளங்குகிறான்..."

31 January 2005 Tamils - a Trans State Nation - Tsunami Disaster Appeal to include

Sampavi Parimalanathan, an Australian Tamil , writes on her return from North-East Sri Lanka - Death, Destruction & Discrimination [The writer is a Student Volunteer from one of the Universities in Sydney, who originally went to Sri Lanka to help in the hospitals]

"..I have just returned from my stay in tsunami affected Northeast Sri Lanka, having been there from the day the tsunami hit.The images of the people and their suffering are still clear in my mind. Their cries for help, their wails, their mourning still ring loudly in my ear. Words cannot describe the extent of the damage the people I have seen have experienced. I have lost count of the number of orphans I have come across, the number of mothers who have watched as their infants were snatched from their fingers by the waters, and the number of husbands – the bread winners – with no family to feed...I write this from experience. I was there amidst the atrocity. I saw the discrimination. I witnessed the injustice..." more

28 January 2005 Reflections On Holocaust Day

"...The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference..."  Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor, writer and Nobel Prize Laureate

26 January 2005 New Delhi & the Tamil Struggle - An Amoral Role to include

S.Sivanayagam on 'Rumour-mongering, Sinhala Chauvinism and Hindu's Ram'  "..Reports of the "death" of Mr. Pirabakaran are nothing new. But what is surprising is the number of people in high places who have been deriving a morbid pleasure in wishing that Mr. Pirabakaran were dead.Who are these people in high places? The President of Sri Lanka, Madame Chandrika for instance. .. At a time when the whole of Sri Lanka was reeling under the biggest disaster the country had known...how did these people occupying such seats of responsibility lose their sense of humanity to relish the prospect of the Tamil leader’s death, even it were the 'dreaded' Pirabakaran? The case of the editor of a leading Indian newspaper – The Hindu –Ram by name, is even more shameful. ..." more

26 January 2005 Struggle for Tamil Eelam: Democracy Continues, Sri Lanka Style to include

Sieg Heil, Kumaratunga! - Sri Lanka Sunday Leader on President Kumratunga's announcement 'No Elections for Five Years'  "...Speaking at Hambantota last Wednesday, President Chandrika Kumaratunga ...(said) 'There will be no elections for five more years'.... knowing full well that her six-year term is billed to end November next. Tsunami or no tsunami, Kumaratunga is widely expected to leave no stone unturned in seeking a constitutional amendment to facilitate her continued existence in politics. Faced with a constitutional impasse, Kumaratunga has been widely predicted to seek extra-constitutional means of remaining in office. Few however, had expected her, like her mother before her, simply to call off elections and sit tight regardless of procedural nicety..." more

26 January 2005 Tamil Music on the Web Revised

"...தமிழன் சொந்தத் தாய்மொழிச் சொல்லில்
இசையைக் கேட்க இச்சை கொள்வதே
'தமிழிசை' என்பதன் தத்துவ மாகும்..." - Nammakkal Kavingar

"..In consideration of the tremendous original contribution of the ancient Thamizh people to the development of isait Tamizh, the least we can do to recognize their efforts is to present their ideas in a simple form which can be understood by ordinary people. Mere references to mutthamiz (முத்தமிழ்) alone is not adequate to convince the world that Thamizh music traditions go way back to the fifth century A.D. or even earlier..."  Dr.C.R.Krishnamurthy  on இசைத் தமிழ்:

25 January 2005 Reflections to include

"Only connect!...Only connect the prose and the passion, and both will be exalted, and human love will be seen at its height. Live in fragments no longer. Only connect, and the beast and the monk, robbed of the isolation that is life to either, will die." E.M.Forster - Howards End

24 January 2005 International Relations in the Age of Empire to include

Power & Interest News Report (PINR) Warning to Washington: 'Project 2020' - Dr. Michael A. Weinstein "..On January 13, the United States National Intelligence Council (N.I.C.) released the report of its "2020 Project," which is aimed at describing the possible configurations of world politics fifteen years from now.... "At no time since the formation of the Western alliance system in 1949 has the shape and nature of international alignments been in such a state of flux." Although it shuns geostrategy scrupulously, the report realistically and precisely does the necessary preliminary work of describing the emerging world balance of power. Its major conclusion is that China and India... will be "new major global players" that "will transform the geopolitical landscape, with impacts potentially as dramatic as those in the previous two centuries. " more  

[note by tamilnation.org: The US National Intelligence Council  (NIC) is the US Intelligence Community's (IC's) center for midterm and long-term strategic thinking and functions with the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) - and the report on its "2020 Project"  is a public report]

23 January 2005 Tsunami & Tamil Eelam to include

Sinhala Columnist H.L.D.Mahindapala in the Asian Tribune on Muralitharan & the Tsunami "...Muttiah Muralidharan, the controversial spin bowler, is now bowling against the Sri Lankan government from Prabhakaran’s end. He has declared publicly that the Sri Lankan government has not provided aid to the LTTE-controlled areas .. (and) that Prabhakaran is the only Tamil leader who had given dignity to the Tamils... Murali, like all other Tamils, climbed on the back of the Sinhalese and now he is kicking the ladder on which he climbed after he reached the top..." more

23 January 2005 International Relations in the Age of Empire to include

We Stand for Justice & Peace - ZNet  "...At the start of the Iraq War, ZNet posted a web page featuring what we called the We Stand Statement. The statement quickly inspired over 90,000 online signatures as well as 25,000 more collected in pen and ink by the Zapatistas in Mexico.  Responding to Bush's second inauguration, to the on-going war in Iraq, and to injustice more broadly, we have put the We Stand statement back online...."

 'I stand for internationalism. I oppose any nation spreading an ever expanding network of military bases around the world and producing an arsenal unparalleled in the world...I stand for equity. I don't think the U.S. or any other country should seek empire.... I stand for solidarity. I stand for and with all the poor and the excluded. Despite massive disinformation millions oppose unjust, illegal, immoral war, and I want to add my voice to theirs...I stand for peace and justice and, more, I pledge to work for peace and justice...'  more

22 January 2005 Struggle for Tamil Eelam - Democracy, Sri Lanka Style revised

21 January 2005 One Hundred Tamils of  the 20th Century to include

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar - The Man who “Dwarfed” the Stars  Banquet Speech at the Nobel Banquet, December 10, 1983 - ".. I learnt the poem when I was a boy of twelve some sixty and more years ago; and the following lines have remained with me ever since:

'Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;
Where knowledge is free;
Where words come out from the depth of truth;
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;
into that haven of freedom, Let me awake.'
more

20 January 2005 Tamils - a Trans State Nation - Tsunami Disaster Appeal - Tsunami & an Outpouring of Poems - Kavithaikal - சுனாமி கவிதைகள் to include

1. ஏ கடலே - Kaviarasu Vairamuthu
2. யார் மேல் குற்றம்? - கருணாநிதி,  தி.மு.க. தலைவர்
3. கழுகிறங்கும் கடற்கரை - புதுவை

18 January 2005 Reflections to include

"...The meaning of our existence is not invented by ourselves, but rather detected...What matters, therefore, is not the meaning of life in general, but rather the specific meaning of a person's life at a given moment...We can discover this meaning in life in three different ways: (1) by doing a deed; (2) by experiencing a value; and (3) by suffering...Everything can be taken from a man but the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way..." Victor Frankl, suvivor of  Auswitchz,  in 'Man's Search for Unltimate Meaning'

17 January 2005 Tamil National Forum - Selected Writings by M.Thanapalasingham to include

சாகாவரம் பெற்ற அமெரிக்க சுதந்திரப் பிரகடனமும், ஈழத்தமிழர்களின் சுயநிர்ணயப் போராட்டமும்

"அமெரிக்க சதந்திர பிரகடனத்தின் தர்மமே தமிழ் மக்களின் சுதந்திரப் போராட்டம். அமெரிக்க மக்கள் சுதந்திரம் பெற்றமைக்கு இந்த தர்மமே காரணம். ஈழத் தமிழ் மக்களும் வெற்றி பெறுவர் ஏனெனில்...

"தார்மீக அடிப்படையில் நாம் ஒரு உறுதியான அத்திவாரத்தில் நிற்கின்றோம். எமது போராட்ட இலட்சியம் நியாயமானது. சர்வதேச மனித அறத்திற்கு இசைவானது. எமது மக்கள் தன்னாட்சி உரிமைக்கு உரித்தானவர்கள். தனி அரசை அமைக்கும் தகுதி பெற்றவர்கள். சர்வதேச சட்டத்தின் அடிப்படையில் இந்த உரிமையை எவரும் நிராகரித்துவிட முடியாது " தமிழ் ஈழ தேசியத்தலைவர் திரு வே. பிரபாகரன்.

"தர்மத்தின் வாழ்வதனைச் சூது கவ்வும்
தர்மம் மறுபடி வெல்லும் எனு மியற்கை
மருமத்தை நம்மாலே உலகம் கற்கும்......" பாரதி

எமது போராட்டத்தின் தர்மம் அது தரித்துள்ள காண்டீபம் காலத்தை மாற்றிக்கொண்டிருக்கும் காட்சிகள் எம் கண்முன்னே விரிகின்றது."more

17 January 2005 Tamils - a Trans State Nation - Tsunami Disaster Appeal to include

Pirapaharan meets with disaster management planners "Although our people have suffered through severe hardships, we are shocked by the scale of destruction and loss of lives tsunami has inflicted on our community within a short period of time. Our people were displaced several times and suffered losses to their property by the actions of the Sri Lanka Army during the past several years. While this period where the destruction to the Tamil homeland was inflicted silently without the knowledge of the international community can be called tsunami-one, December 26th disaster, tsunami-two, has brought additional destruction... At the same time I urge the expatriate community to do everything necessary to help the people affected by the disaster. We should not wait for aid and relief from the international agencies but start immediately to bring hope and confidence to our affected people.We should not allow our people to become a community that is dependent on international aid..."

17 January 2005 Tamil Diaspora - a Trans State Nation Pongu Thamizh to include  Fourth anniversary of Pongu Thamil Declaration held in Jaffna

17 January 2005 International Relations in the Age of Empire to include US special forces operate 'inside Iran'  and Sri Lanka to sign 150 million dollar arms deal with Iran

16 January 2005  Tamils - a Trans State Nation - Tsunami Disaster Appeal to include

1.  Tamils Around the World Rally in Support of  Tsunami Victims  in Tamil Eelam - Switzerland - London - Germany - Canada - Sweden...

2. Tsunami & an Outpouring of Poems from Australia, Switzerland, Norway... - கவிதைகள் -"The healing power of poetry - the Truth that lives within each and every one of us; the Truth that always liberates and never dies..."

"நாம்
அழிய பிறந்தவர்கள்
அல்ல
ஆளப்பிறந்தவர்கள்..
நாம் விடுதலையை வேண்டி நிற்கும் இனம்
எவரும்
உதவிக்கு வரவில்லை
எம் மக்களே எமக்குதவினர்" more

15 January 2005 International Relations in the Age of Empire

Aceh Goes to Heaven - Andre Vltchek  "....Shortly after the tsunami hit the coast, GAM (Free Aceh Movement) declared a ceasefire. Few days later there were reports that Indonesian military continued with its operations. Sporadic exchanges of fire erupted in several places of Aceh. With no shame and no hesitation, the President of Indonesia began accusing GAM of breaking the ceasefire..."

14 January 2005 Human Rights and Humanitarian Law to include

Paul Treanor on Who is behind Human Rights Watch?  "...Human Rights Watch ...is certainly not an association of 'concerned private citizens'. HRW board members include present and past government employees, and overlapping directorates link it to the major foreign policy lobbies in the US... Human rights are not the only ideology of intervention. The 'civilising mission', which justified 19th century colonisation, is another example.The point is that human rights can serve a geopolitical purpose, which is unrelated to their moral content...." more

13 January 2005  Tsunami Disaster & Tamil Eelam to include

IBC Real Play Radio on Kofi Annan's Failure and LTTE's Relief Work - Thinnai - Current Political View - participants Analyst Jothilingam, Nanthan திண்ணை - சமகால அரசியல் பார்வை - பங்கேற்பவர்கள் ஆய்வாளர் ஜோதிலிங்கம் நந்தன்

12 January 2005 Tamils - a Trans State Nation: Tsunami Disaster Appeal: Tamil Eelam to include

1. An appeal by a Student Volunteer from USA -  Vithya Balasubramaniam

"Three weeks ago, I had planned to visit Sri Lanka with 52 other students from all over the world to do some service work in the war torn areas. And for the first few days of my trip, I actually managed to visit a few orphanages and spend some time with the children and those who have become disabled due to the war. But on December 26, my optimism on the country's restoration from war all changed in a second...The people of the Tamil administered areas in Sri Lanka have suffered for 20 years in war, being displaced out of their homes, being injured, and losing loved ones. The cease fire, which has been the past 3 years, has finally put a light at the end of the tunnel allowing them to finally start rebuilding their lives. And in a few minutes, it was all taken away from them again...If you wish to contribute to the relief, please do so through Tamil Rehabilitation Organization  http://www.trousa.org/  or International Medical Health Organization http://imhousa.org . And please do not think that you may not have enough. Anything is worth something. It only costs 10 cents to buy a bar of soap and less than a dollar for satisfying meal. "

2. Sri Lanka: ADB, JBIC, World Bank to Visit Tsunami Affected North  "The country directors of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank and senior officers of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), will visit the North East on 13 January as a part of the ongoing coordinated needs assessment for rebuilding the tsunami affected parts of Sri Lanka.The team of officers will meet Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam’s political chief, S.P. Thamilselvan and will visit the much affected Mullaitivu to assess first hand the damage to the area."

3. Engaging Rebels in Reconstruction Efforts - Zachariah Cherian Mampilly, University of California, Los Angeles  "The Tamil areas of Sri Lanka and the Aceh province of Indonesia, both sites of violent separatist movements, were also two of the most affected areas. Casualty and damage figures for these areas are slowly trickling out, but their status as rebel held territories limits the speed with which information about each emerges and, more dangerously, the potential for timely reconstruction efforts. Surprisingly, it is not the lack of authority in these areas, but long standing norms about the role of recognized governments that is the greatest hindrance to rebuilding..." more

12 January 2005 Reflections

"All warfare is based on deception.  Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable; when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away; when far away, we must make him believe we are near... Feign disorder, and crush him...If he is in superior strength, evade him.... Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant...Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where you are not expected... The general who loses a battle makes but few calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat: how much more no calculation at all!  It is by attention to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose. " Sun Tzu on the Art of War, One of the oldest Military Treatises in the World

11 January 2005 Tsunami Disaster & Tamil Eelam to include

1. Pirabhakaran Mystery; a Response to the Hindu Editorial by Sachi Sri Kantha "I read with amusement your editorial [Jan.11] which had a caption, 'Where is Prabakaran?'. The simple answer is, he is in Eelam. He has been in Eelam since 1987, after returning from the "house arrest" in New Delhi arranged by the then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and his then prime advisor J.N.Dixit....Tamils will never forget that since 1987, Prabhakaran has led the LTTE forces against the Sri Lankan army and Indian army, while living among them in Eelam. Eelam populace can distinguish well journalists from India [amongst whom the the House of Hindu counts as one], who show faked anguish and pseudo-sympathy in words to their plight and to their travails...."more

2.  B Raman, Additional Secretary (retired), Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India on Tsunami & LTTE  "One finds it difficult not to form an impression that many Sinhalese feel that the tsunami has had a brighter side in that it has taught a lesson to the Tamils and the LTTE. Even Kumaratunge and her colleagues seem to feel that the tsunami has brought the LTTE to its knees and this is the time to teach it a lesson...The LTTE is a ruthless organization and Prabakaran was the most ruthless terrorist leader in the world. One need not shed any tears over his death, if he is really dead..."

3.  R.Cholan from USA writes to President Kumaratunga "I got all choked up when I heard of your announcement to adopt a ‘Tamil’ child orphaned by the tsunami. What a wonderful gesture it is, for the ‘ethnic’ Sinhalese president of the country to adopt an ‘ethnic’ Tamil child, at a time when the country is torn apart precisely by this ‘ethnic’ difference. Your secretary’s statement that it is a ‘personal decision’ and not a ‘political’ one, adds to the nobility of your decision...Please adopt a Tamil child, Ms. Kumaratunga, but be sure to raise that child as a Tamil."more

4. Fragile State: In Sri Lanka, Aid To Tamils Deepens Political Tensions say James Hookway and Jay Solomon in Wall Street Journal "Ethnic Tamils from around the world are mobilizing to respond to Sri Lanka's humanitarian crisis. Yet the speed and success with which the Tamil diaspora has acted also presents an unusual political risk for the country..."more

5. Tsunami & Sri Lanka: Emerging Realities Brian Senewiratne "..Even in the face of a national disaster, ethnic and political considerations are never too far away in Sri Lankan thinking, in particular in the minds of the Sinhalese politicians of all parties. The best example of this is a recent statement by President Chandrika Kumaratunga that the Tamil Tigers had lost too many cadres in the tsunami disaster to resume the armed struggle. This is an outrageous comment from a national leader whose country has been decimated. Faced with a national crisis from an unavoidable natural disaster, all that the President could do was to focus on what ‘benefit’ it could be towards settling her political problems..."more

11 January 2005 Tamil National Forum  - Selected Writings by M.Thanapalasingham to include

1.சுனாமி அனர்த்தமும் கொபி அனான் போக முடியாமல் போன தேசமும்

"ஞாயங்கள் என்ன சொல்கிறது? விழ விழ எழும் உறுதிகள் என்ன சொல்கிறது? பதியொடு படரா மக்களும் புலம் பெயர்ந்து வாழும் தமிழ் மக்களும் இந்த அனர்தத்தால் மேலும் உறுதி கொண்டு நிற்கும் செயல்பாடுகள் எதைக் கூறுகின்றது? இன்றோ இந்த பிணைப்பில் புலம்பெயர்ந்து வாழும் இளம் தலைமுறையும் தம்மை இணைத்துக்கொண்டுள்ளமை எதைக் காட்டுகிறது? இதுதான் தமிழ் தேசியம்... ஐக்கிய நாடுகள் சபையின் செயளாளர் நாயகத்தை நாம் வரவேற்க அந்த சபையில் தமிழர் தேசம் தொங்கிக்கொண்டு இருப்பதால் முடியாது. அவர் அடுத்தமுறை வரும்போது தமிழர் தாயகத்திற்கு வருவதை யாரும் தடுக்காது அவராக வரும் வாய்ப்பை நாம் ஏற்படுத்தவேண்டும். அந்த வருகை அழிவைப் பார்வையிட அல்ல. அழிவில் இருந்து கட்டப்பட்ட ஆக்கத்தை பார்த்து வாழ்த்துவதாக இருக்கவேண்டும் என்பதே தமிழ் மக்களின் சங்கல்பமாகும். ஏனெனில்......

" இலட்சியத்தால் ஒன்றுபட்டஇ எழுச்சி கொண்ட மக்களை, எந்த ஒரு சக்தியாலும் ஒடுக்கிவிட முடியாது" தமிழ் ஈழ தேசிய தலைவர் திரு வே. பிரபாகரன். " more

2.English Translation by Phillip Pragasam of  இந்தியாவும் ஈழத்தமிழர்களின் சுயநிர்ணய போராட்டமும் – பேசாப்பொருளை பேச நான் துணிந்தேன் - India And the Struggle for Self determination of the Eelam Tamil People - I dare to speak the unspeakable

9 January 2005 Tamils - a Trans State Nation: Tsunami Disaster Appeal: Tamil Eelam

1. Kofi Annan hails LTTE-led relief efforts  "UN Secretary General, Mr. Kofi Annan, hailed the relief efforts led by the Liberation Tigers in the wake of the Asian tsunami of December 26th and expressed his disappointment over the Sri Lankan governments veto of his plans to visit LTTE held areas devastated by the waves, when he met Tamil parliamentarians Sunday. "I commend the LTTE and the TRO for the very good work they have been doing", he told the MPs."

2. Colombo blocks Kofi Annan from touring LTTE held areas - UN officials "Annan was quoted as saying: "I am here on a humanitarian mission. I would like to visit all the areas, but as you know I am here as a guest of the government and they set the itinerary". UN officials told Reuters that they had been striving to convince the government, but to no avail. "

8 January 2005  About Us & Visitor Comments to include

Request by Alisa Stack-O'Connor Sometime Assistant Director, Counter-Terrorism Policy for the Office of the US Secretary of Defense ".. I'm writing about the women of the LTTE and have found several references to statements by Pirabakaran and other Tamil leaders about the role of women in the LTTE, but I can't find the actual statements. Where should I look for official LTTE doctrine on/about women?.." and response by tamilnation.org  more

7 January 2005 International Relations in the Age of Empire to include

 China's Geostrategy: Playing a Waiting Game - Dr. Michael A. Weinstein"...Despite the growth and proliferation of international and transnational political organizations, the basis and framework of world politics remain the configuration and distribution of power among states, each one applying a strategy to realize the interests perceived by its decision makers...At present, China is what historian John Gittings calls a "status-quo power that often punches below its weight in international politics." That is a realistic position for a power to take that expects its situation to improve over time, as it builds up its economy and military to full potential. For the moment, Beijing's interests are best served by adopting a "defensive" posture and a foreign policy geared to promoting stability. That is likely to change to a more assertive stance the more that China's power resources increase. more

7 January 2005 Tamils - a Trans State Nation: Tsunami Disaster Appeal: Tamil Eelam and Tamil Nadu to include

1.Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation -  Coordination & Support Centre, Tsunami Disaster Management Unit (DMU)  "To address the immediate and life-threatening relief and rehabilitation needs of those affected by the Tsunami in the NorthEast of Sri Lanka, the Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) has set up a Disaster Management Unit (DMU) at its head office in Colombo. Our objective is to co-ordinate all emergency relief work in the NorthEast and we have many dedicated employees and volunteers working around the clock. The DMU is structured to address urgent needs and maximize efficiency and we have identified and established the following divisions: Medical, Logistics & Procurement, Communication & Media, Data collection & management, Finance / Administration. The DMU is fully functional and has been delivering emergency relief items to affected areas in the NorthEast from day one of the disaster. " Donate Now

2. Even Govt divides survivors on caste, says it’s practical - Grim Reality of Tamil Nadu's Caste Divisions "Doors are being slammed in the face of Dalit survivors here—and the Government is quietly doing some of the slamming. Yesterday, The Indian Express reported how Dalits from 63 affected villages are facing the brunt of the powerful Meenavar fishermen (a Most Backward Class): being thrown out of relief camps, pushed to the rear of food and water lines, not being allowed to take water from UNICEF facilities and in some cases not even being allowed to use the toilet. Now it’s been learnt that the Government, instead of ensuring justice, was reinforcing this divide—both caste and communal. more

2. India's "untouchables" gather dead in Nagapattinam, Tamil Nadu "They are the "untouchables"; the lowest of the low in India's ancient caste system. No job is too dirty or too nasty, and they are the ones cleaning up the rotting corpses from last week's killer tsunami.The overwhelming majority of the 1,000 or so men sweating away in the tropical heat to clear the poor south Indian fishing town of Nagapattinam, which bore the brunt of the giant wave, are lower caste dalits from neighboring villages.Locals too afraid of disease and too sickened by the smell refuse to join the grim task of digging friends and neighbors out of the sand and debris. They just stand and watch the dalits work."

7 January 2005 Conflict Resolution: Tamil Eelam - Sri Lanka: Tracking the Norwegian Conflict Resolution Initiative to include

1. US military presence will not affect Peace Process  says Colin Powell  "US Secretaryof State Colin Powell said in a press briefing held at the runway at the Bandaranayake Memorial Airport, Katunayake Colombo, that US military presence will not affect the ongoing peace process. Responding to a question about how long the US military would stay, he said they would remain long as it is required by the Sri Lankan government and would ensure that the reconstruction and rehabilitation work is complete..."

2. No problems about U.S. troops in Sri Lanka for relief work, says India

3. Sri Lanka Rejects U.S. Rescue Fleet - Plans to put a Marine expeditionary unit ashore on Sri Lanka put on hold "..Plans to put a (US) Marine expeditionary unit ashore on Sri Lanka with heavy equipment, ...have been put on hold.  more

7 January 2005 Tamil National Forum - Selected writings by Sanmugam Sabesan Updated

6 January 2005 Tamil National Forum  - Selected Writings by M.Thanapalasingham to include

A Response to Dayan Jayatilleke - பேய் அரசு செய்தால் பிணம் தின்னும் சாத்திரங்கள் "இயற்கையின் ருத்திரதாண்டவத்தில்கூட அரசியல் லாபம் தேடும் சிங்கள அரசின் பிரதான அங்கமாக சிங்கள பத்திரிகையாளர்களும் சிங்கள ஊடகங்களும் செயல்படுவது தமிழருக்கு தெரியாத ஒன்றல்ல. இருந்தாலும் மற்றையவர்களைப் போலன்றி டயான் யெயதிலகா பச்சையாக இனவெறி கக்கவில்லை. இவரது மெத்தபடிப்பு இதற்கு காரணமாகலாம். இயற்கையின் அனர்த்தத்தால் பெரிதும் பாதிக்ககப்பட்ட தமிழ் மக்களும் இத்தேசத்தவரே என்ற அடிப்படையில் சிங்கள அரசு நிவாரண பணிகளை மேற்கொள்க வேண்டும் என்ற பாணியில் இவர் எழுதி இருப்பது ஆடு நனைகின்றது என்று ஓநாய் அழுததற்கு ஒப்பாகும்..." more

5 January 2005 Tamils - a Trans State Nation: Tsunami Disaster & the Tamil People: Tamil Eelam to include

An Australian Tamil writes from North-East Sri Lanka - Sent on Friday 31 December 2004  "I am writing to you from North-East Sri Lanka, one of the areas hit by the massive tsunami on December 26th. I initially came here to do voluntary work at hospitals, however, since the natural disaster, I have been roaming the streets, talking to survivors and helping with some aid work. All I see is absolute devastation. Local schools overflow with displaced people. Mourners cry in huddled groups. There are families where only 3 out of 20 people have survived. So far I have met 105 families where a loss of more than 10 people per family has occurred. Stories of the water grabbing babies from their mothers' grip, stories of small children being trapped underneath collapsing buildings, stories of entire orphanages being engulfed by the sea still swirl in my head... It has been five days since the tsunami, and I am yet to see any Sri Lankan Government personnel arrive to assess the situation at any of the areas in the North East province that I have been to. Yet, branded as 'terrorists' by many nations, the LTTE are risking their own lives, searching the seas for bodies whilst warning calls go out for another tsunami..." more

4 January 2005 Reflections to include

"..A nation is a soul, a spiritual principle. Two things, which in truth are but one, constitute this soul or spiritual principle. One lies in the past, one in the present... A heroic past, great men, glory (by which I understand genuine glory), this is the social capital upon which one bases a national idea. To have common glories in the past and to have a common will in the present; to have performed great deeds together, to wish to perform still more-these are the essential conditions for being a people. One loves in proportion to the sacrifices to which one has consented, and in proportion to the ills that one has suffered...More valuable by far than common customs posts and frontiers conforming to strategic ideas is the fact.. of having suffered, enjoyed, and hoped together... I spoke just now of 'having suffered together' and, indeed, suffering in common unifies more than joy does. Where national memories are concerned, griefs are of more value than triumphs, for they impose duties, and require a common effort... A nation is a grand solidarity constituted by the sentiment of sacrifices which one has made and those that one is disposed to make again... " Ernest Renan in What is a nation?, 1882

3 January 2005 Tamils - a Trans State Nation: Tsunami Disaster & the Tamil People: Tamil Eelam - Tamil Nadu updated to include

LTTE's Efficient Military Machine Started Aid within Minutes reports Arthur Max, Associated Press  "...Veterans of a long guerrilla war, the Tamil rebels who control northern Sri Lanka moved with military precision to help victims of the Indian Ocean tsunami. The speed and efficiency of the massive humanitarian operation showed an administrative capability that underscored the rebels' demand for Tamil independence from the Sinhalese-dominated southern part of Sri Lanka. Within minutes of the disaster, soldiers of the Liberation Tigers for Tamil-Eelam, or LTTE, were evacuating survivors and pulling bodies from the still-roiling water, said villagers and aid workers. In a well-practiced drill, squads set up roadblocks to control panic and prevent looting. Others requisitioned civilian vehicles to move the injured to hospitals. Many donated blood. Teams with digital cameras and laptops moved into disaster zones to photograph the faces of the dead for later identification, then swiftly cremated or buried the corpses... Meanwhile, in the south, the government was struggling to cope while politicians argued over who was in charge. From the field came isolated reports of corruption and hijacking of relief trucks." more

1 January 2005 Conflict Resolution: Tamil Eelam - Sri Lanka: Tracking the Norwegian Conflict Resolution Initiative to include

Sinhala Columnist Dayan Jayatilleke in the Asian Tribune on the Impact of the Tsunami on the Peace Process  "..Velupillai Prabhakharan threw down the gauntlet in his November 27th Mahaveera day speech, and if press reports and the grapevine are to be believed, President Kumaratunga threw in the towel at the SLFP’s Central Committee meeting on December 20th, announcing her decision to negotiate on the basis of the ISGA. It is still possible to see some merit in her new stand: there is a world of difference between agreeing to negotiate, even on the basis of the ISGA, and actually agreeing to set it up. It is possible in the course of negotiations to advance issues such as the decommissioning of LTTE heavy weapons under international auspices, which would be acceptable to the international community but not so to the Tigers... Who will better harness the power of that quake (the tsunami) - the Sri Lankan state, to build a united country, or the Tigers, to accelerate separation?... If relief and reconstruction are done right, we can, with the international community, restructure while we construct...We now have the world’s unprecedented attention, solidarity, sympathy and support. Conceived in pain and tragedy, this moment is unique, historic and precious..." more

1 January 2005 Tamil National Forum to include

On New Years Day, M.Thanapalasingham from Australia writes on புத்தாண்டும் புதுயுகமும் "...இன்று பாரதியின் சபதங்களும், பாரதிதாசனாரின் கனவுகளும் ஈழத்தமிழ் மண்ணில்தான் புதுயுகம் ஒன்றிற்கான களத்தினை அமைத்துவிட்டு இருப்பதை காண்கின்றோம்... ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பின்னால் வீரமும், தன்னம்பிக்கையும், கொண்ட மக்கள் கூட்டம் தமிழ் மக்களிடையே வலம்வருவதை காண்கின்றோம். இவர்களே புதுயுகத்தின் மாந்தர்கள். போரும் புலம்பெயர்வும் பல இழப்புக்களுடன் கூடியதாயினும் அது புத்தாயிரத்தில் தமிழர் வல்லபங்களை உலகிற்கு பறைசாற்றி நிற்கும் வீரயுகமாக விளங்குகின்றது..."

News & Whats New Archives - December 2004

 

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