A History of the Tamil Struggle for Self-Determination in Sri Lanka

Radical Notes, November 19-20, 2009

Tamil Eelam: Historical Right to Nationhood

by Ron Ridenour

We are running  four articles in a five-part series which trace the settlement of the Tamil people in Sri Lanka and the development of the modern Tamil struggle for self-determination. They also expose the cabal of imperialist and reactionary powers that have fortified the Sinhala-chauvinist Sri Lanka regime, and describe the horrific conditions in the so-called “welfare villages” that now hold close to 300,000 Tamil refugees. Finally, the author draws apt comparisons with Israel’s oppression and ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.

Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon in English, and Serendib in Arabic (which gave rise to the word serendipity) is commonly referred to as the “pearl of the orient” due to its beauty and wealth of natural resources, flora and fauna. Today, it is a land torn apart by hatred: racist government policies, ethnic cleansing, and terror war just ended albeit continuing in the form of incarceration of hundreds of thousands of Tamil people in the north. A key reason for this brutal hatred is the dispute over whether a minority of its people, the Tamils, should have: equal rights with the majority Sinhalese, and if this is denied (as will be shown it has), should they have the right to their own autonomous territory.

Sri Lanka’s first aborigines with continuous lineage are the Tamil people. It is not precisely known when they came to the island, but perhaps as many as 5000 years ago. Archaeologists date the first humans in Sri Lanka to some 34,000 years. Scientists call them Balangoda people, the name of the location where artifacts were found. These hunting-gathering cave dwellers have no current lineage.

Nepal: Third Phase of Protests Begins

Himalayan Times, November 21, 2009

Maoist 3rd phase of protests begins

KATHMANDU: Agitating UCPN-Maoist has declared third phase of protest programmes demanding the establishment of ‘civilian supremacy’ by cancelling the President Ram Baran Yadav’s step to reinstate the then army chief Rookmangud Katawal.

The Maoists had given a week to the government to fulfill their demands at the end of second round of agitation on November 13 that expired on Friday.

The Central Committee meeting of the Maoists today decided to launch a month-long protest programme that begins on November  22 and ends on December 22. The itinerary includes the protest programmes by its sister organisations, boycotting the programmes of prime minister and ministers and a general strike from December 20-22. The Maoists have also threatened to launch an the indefinite general strike after December 22 if their demands were not addressed.

UCPN (Maoist) Gives Government Three Days to Pass Budget

This article was published on Nepal News.

Maoists three-day reprieve for passage of budget from Nov 23

The Unified CPN (Maoist) on Sunday decided to allow the legislature parliament to resume normal business on Nov. 23, 24 and 25 for the approval of the budget.  A parliamentary party meeting of the main opposition party held today morning made a decision to this effect.

The party had on Saturday decided to take a three-day break from the five-month disruption of the parliament so that the government’s budget for year 2009/2010 could be passed. However, the dates for the same had not been fixed yesterday.

The Maoist lawmakers have been disrupting House proceeding since Aug 6 demanding ‘correction’ of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav’s move reinstating the then Army Chief Rookmangud Katawal by overturning the Maoist government’s decision to sack him.

Meanwhile, the Maoists have also started their third phase of protest programme from today.  As per the protest programme unveiled by the Maoist party on Saturday, the one-month protest programme include publicity campaign from Nov 22-30, sister organizations protest programmes from Dec 1-10 and ethnic and regional fronts protests between Dec 11 and 19. A three-day general strike is also scheduled between Dec 20 and 22.