MetaFilter posts tagged with SriLanka and war

"I started the movement with the firm resolve that I will never be caught alive by the enemy. That has spread down the ranks."

shoebox — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:56:16 -0800

Velupillai Prabhakaran, the elusive and ruthless leader (timeline, short bio) of the violent separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has been reportedly killed in battle by the Sri Lankan Army (self-loading video) (Previously) So far, most news organizations are reporting this as fact (guardian obituary) and calling a definite end to the war, but the LTTE are denying all claims as to the death of their leader and state that this is simply government propaganda to dissuade their movement. Sri Lanka has been subject to a heavy media blockade since hostilities resumed in December 2005 in the ongoing conflict. Whether or not the claims are true, the army has completely surrounded and routed the Tigers from their strongholds in Northern Sri Lanka and the Prime Minister has declared victory. It is unclear what will happen from now as many in the Tamil minority are wary of the government. However, one thing is clear: This is a definite turning point in the history of this young, post-colonial nation torn apart by civil war and internal strife for decades.

Life as a female Tamil Tiger guerilla relived by one of first female soldiers

chunking express — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:31:52 -0800

Life as a female Tamil Tiger guerilla relived by one of first female soldiers. In 1987, aged 17, Niromi de Soyza shocked her middle-class Sri Lankan family by joining the Tamil Tigers. One of the rebels' first female soldiers, equipped with rifle and cyanide capsule, she was engaged in fierce combat.

You have been accusing my soldiers of raping civilians?

chunking express — Mon, 11 May 2009 06:49:16 -0800

"Is this Channel 4? You have been accusing my soldiers of raping civilians? Your visa is cancelled, you will be deported. You can report what you like about this country, but from your own country, not from here." -- Nick Paton Walsh tells the story of how he was ordered to leave Sri Lanka by Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

LTTE Is No Excuse For Killing Vanni Civilians

chunking express — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 08:35:10 -0800

"A young mother is injured and her three month old baby killed by shell fragments as she breastfeeds the child in the government declared no fire zone. Parents hide their children in roughly dug bunkers to escape LTTE press gangs who comb the no-fire zone for conscripts. A woman loses her husband to sniper fire and the toddler he was carrying too drowns when they attempt to wade across a lagoon to escape the no-fire zone. A father is shot in the head by LTTE members as he attempted to flee with his family." - The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) discuss the situation in Vanni, Sri Lanka, in their 47th information bulletin.

War in Sri Lanka

chunking express — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:44:55 -0800

If you didn't know, there is a war going on in Sri Lanka. Jailed journalist Jayampathy Wickramaratne discusses what a political solution to the conflict might entail. Noam Chomsky offers up his opinions on the war and its eventual aftermath. Want to hear from some Tamils? MIA offers up her take on the situation. And in a very precient article from May of last year, D.B.S Jeyaraj discusses the LTTE at 32. The editorial on the war was written by Canadian politician Bob Rae, who has been to Sri Lanka to help with discussions on a federal solution to the countries problems. The first two interviews were posted online in the past couple days. Jayampathy Wickramaratne is in jail now, and has been for some time. The MIA post is from a week or so back. She's been bringing up the war a lot in interviews about her Grammy and Oscar nominations. The D.B.S. Jeyaraj article is a little older, but very interesting.

Tigers beat

Artw — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:07:22 -0800

Is this end for the Tamil Tigers? The Sri Lankan army have captured Elephant Pass, the latest in a string of victories against the guerrilla outfit. The army has pledged to avoid civilian casualties (which have caused India and other countries to intervene in the past) but there are still concerns with reports of artillery strikes on civilian centers in Tharmapuram [graphic], and serious human rights concerns. Though the military battle may be all but over the country is sure to face armed political struggle for some time.

Travels in a Militarised Society.

chunking express — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 13:50:07 -0800

groundviews is Sri Lankan citizen journalism initiative. There is a lot of good stuff here. I started by reading Travels in a Militarised Society (Part one and two). What Liberation, on the government taking control of the East, is also an interesting read.

Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka

chunking express — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:47:24 -0800

Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalist Ideology: Implications for Politics and Conflict Resolution in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s Scars Trace Lines of War Without End

chunking express — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:16:06 -0800

Sri Lanka's Scars Trace Lines of War Without End. This article in the New York Times does a pretty good job of covering the state of the conflict in Sri Lanka up till today.

tamim — Sat, 28 Apr 2001 23:29:29 -0800

While the latest chapter dates back to 1975 (ignited in 1948-49), the Sri Lankan conflict essentially stems from the answer to which of the two major ethnic groups landed first in the island some 2,500 years ago. Both sides now have websites which routinely boasts of the death tolls of the opposing group.