10 Outrageous Reasons Black People Were Lynched in America

February 14, 2014

For years the U.S. government allowed racist white lynch mobs to murder Black men, women and children for practically nothing. The lynchings were so absurd one could argue that Black people’s lives were little to no value at all.  In fact, between 1882 and 1930 in just the 10 southern U.S. states of Florida, Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, North Carolina, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina, 2,500 black people were lynched. That is an average of nearly one hanging every week.

Below are 10 unbelievable  reasons Black people were lynched in American history, according to Jana Evans Braziel, Assistant Professor at the University of Cincinnati.  Some of them are so startling they are similar to the modern-day killings of Black children by white men,  like in the recent cases of Trayvon Martin, wearing his hooded sweatshirt, Jordan Davis, playing loud music at a gas station, or Oscar Grant, simply hanging out at the train station on New Year’s Eve.

Throwing Stones

 Some black people were lynched for throwing stones.  Skipping a rock across a lake could lead to death.

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Delhi’s New Chief Minister Wants to Radically Democratize Public Spending. Can It Work?

BY JUSTINE DRENNAN-MARCH 10, 2015 - 11:41 AM

India is often called the world’s largest democracy, but when it comes to the country’s finances, decisions almost always rest with elites — and often corrupt ones. Arvind Kejriwal, the city of Delhi’s new chief minister, wants to change that. After campaigning on a platform of fighting corruption and holding officials more accountable, his Aam Aadmi Party won 67 of the 70 Delhi Assembly seats in the capital territory’s elections last month. And in his first speech to the Assembly he now heads, Kejriwal laid out plans for a radically democratic approach to public spending.

Delhi’s New Chief Minister Wants to Radically Democratize Public Spending. Can It Work by Thavam Ratna

Nobel-winner Kenzaburo Oe: Japan should follow Germany, quit nuclear

Nobel-winning author Kenzaburo Oe speaks during a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan in Tokyo Tuesday. Pic: AP.

By AP News Mar 11, 2015
TOKYO (AP) — Nobel-winning author Kenzaburo Oe says Japan’s push to restart some nuclear reactors following the Fukushima disaster could lead to another crisis, and has urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to follow Germany’s example and phase out atomic energy.

Oe’s remarks to reporters Tuesday come a day after visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she decided to end the use of nuclear energy by 2022 because the Fukushima crisis convinced her of its risks. Abe has said Japan still needs nuclear power as a stable energy source.

The Fukushima plant suffered meltdowns following the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami, spreading radiation outside the compound and forcing more than 100,000 people to relocate.

The 80-year-old Oe says his last work in life will be to keep sending messages to achieve a nuclear-free world.

Irish parliament rushes to make ecstasy illegal again

WEDNESDAY 11 MARCH 2015

The Irish government rushes an emergency bill through parliament after a court decision strikes out a law prohibiting the possession of some drugs including ecstasy, ketamine and magic mushrooms.

Dublin's court of appeal struck down legislation banning more than 100 substances on Tuesday, forcing a late-night sitting of the Irish parliament, the Dail, to rush through emergency legislation to close the loophole.

Irish MEP Luke 'Ming' Flanagan, who tried unsucessfully to get cannabis legalised in Ireland in 2014, lamented the quality of the debate, telling Channel 4 News that this "could have been an opportunity to have a proper debate on drugs".

The emergency measures are expected to be signed by the Irish president before the day is out, but will not become law until midnight on Wednesday.

Blanket ban

The appeal court case was brought by a man prosecuted in 2012 for the possession of methylethcathinone, also known as 4-mec or snow blow. 4-mec was one of around 100 substances subjected to a blanket ban by the Irish government four years ago, which forced so-called "headshops" out of business overnight.

The man denies criminal charges of supplying the substance and argued the ban was invalid because it was unconstitutional. On Tuesday the appeal court agreed, and the possession of all 100 substances in the same class as 4-mec immediately became legal.

However, other laws making the sale of these substances illegal remain in force, so a person could only exploit the temporary legality allowing them to take the drugs if they already possessed them.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar warned against taking advantage of the new situation in relation to the 100 substances, saying "They all have very significant health risks that outweigh any perceived recreational benefits".

Mr Flanagan told Channel 4 News "I think we should tax and regulate cannabis, then people wouldn't go near headshops."

Legal challenge

With many drug-related convictions now open to challenge, the government is considering appealing the legal ruling in a higher court.

Ireland's Department of Health had already prepared the emergency law following previous challenges to the law. In a statement it said: "The outcome of this case does not affect existing laws regarding the supply, possession or sale of older drugs such as heroin, cocaine or cannabis".

With No Fire Zone Online for Sri Lanka, At UN, Still "Lies Agreed To" 

1-Pioli toasts, Sri Lanka censorship demands not shown, UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

2-Pioli & Ban Ki-moon, Sri Lanka war crimes denial not shown. UN Photo/Mark Garten

By Matthew Russell Lee, part of a series

UNITED NATIONS, March 10 -- A film exposing crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka, "No Fire Zone," and the Rajapaksa government's video response denying war crimes, "Lies Agreed To," were both covered on BBC today. No Fire Zone, Sinhala version, has gone online. But what is the status of Lies Agreed To?

  

With No Fire Zone Online for Sri Lanka, At UN, Still Lies Agreed To by Thavam Ratna

Cameron tells Sri Lanka in 6 months time the spotlight will be back on

10 March 2015

Reiterating the UK's commitment to hold those responsible for mass atrocities in Sri Lanka accountable, the British prime minister, David Cameron reminded Sri Lanka ahead of his bilateral discussions with the country's new president, Maithripala Siresena this afternoon, that "in six months time the spotlight will be back on". 

"Ever since my visit to Sri Lanka in 2013 one thing has remained constant - my unwavering commitment to stand up for all those affected by what happened. I remain determined to ensure that there is accountability for the past and respect for human rights today. And that will be my message to President Sirisena when I meet with him in Downing Street today," Mr Cameron said, writing in the Tamil Guardian. 
Last month the UN Human Rights Council voted to defer the publication of the findings of a UN inquiry into mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people at the final stages of the armed conflict by six months to September, giving the new government in Sri Lanka six months to cooperate with the OHCHR Investigation on Sri Lanka (OISL).

The decision prompted widespread demonstrations by Tamils in the North-East, who said they were very disappointed that they are once again denied justice. 

"I know this decision has not been welcomed by everyone who has an interest in Sri Lanka’s future. And, let me assure you, we did not do this lightly" wrote Mr Cameron, acknowledging the feeling of the Tamil people and some human rights groups. 

"But we did it because we want to see genuine reconciliation in Sri Lanka. And we believe that the extra time enables the new Sri Lankan government to engage with the UN investigation, as it has committed to do, and to establish its own credible accountability processes."

"I will encourage President Sirisena to seize this window of opportunity."

Recent weeks have seen Tamils in the North-East rejecting a domestic process of accountability as lacking credibility however. Last month thousands joined a march by students and staff of the University of Jaffna rejecting an internal justice mechanism and asking how those who were in power at the time of the mass killings of the Tamil people, could be trusted to investigate themselves. The Tamil party led Northern Provincial Council also passed a resolution calling for an international investigation of what it said was the genocide of the Tamil people by successive Sri Lankan government. 

Their sentiments were echoed on Monday in London, as British Tamils protested against Mr Sirisena's visit to the UK, calling him a "war criminal" for his role as acting defence minister of Sri Lanka during the final two weeks of the armed conflict when the majority of Tamil civilian deaths by government shelling took place. 

Calling on the new government to rebuild trust with the Tamil people, Mr Cameron wrote: "The Sri Lankan government must keep up the pace on reform. Building trust by demilitarising the North, handing more land back from the military to local communities and releasing detainees held without charge." 

The issue of disappearances continues to simmer across the North-East with mothers across the region launching protests demanding that the new government returns their missing children to them. 

Recalling his visit to Jaffna in 2013, ahead of the Commonwealth leaders' summit, where he met Tamils whose loved ones were missing or killed, Mr Cameron said the victims will not be forgotten. 

"I will never forget the faces of those I met in Jaffna over a year ago. Their stories of unbearable suffering and loss will stay with me forever and continue to drive me in pushing for change. What I saw and heard also underlined why I went there in the first place: to shine a light on the lack of progress and to help bring about international pressure for reform."

"We owe it to victims and survivors across Sri Lanka to ensure that those responsible are held to account. And we will not forget them. That’s why we, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have made clear that the report must be published and discussed by September 2015 and we will stick to that."

"In six months time the spotlight will be back on Sri Lanka. Let it shine on a nation that is prepared to address its past, reconcile its differences and reform its political structures so it can secure a bright future for all its peoples. And let it shine on a renewed and growing partnership between the UK and Sri Lanka."

Jeyakumary Balendaran has been released

Good news!-10/03/2015
 


After just three days shy of a year in jail, Jeyakumary Balendaran has finally been released!

This is fantastic news, and a huge relief for her and her daughter. Her release is due to the phenomenal work of a small but committed band of lawyers, supporters and campaigners working inside Sri Lanka, but they were helped and heartened by you and your support. So thank you for all your postcards, all your petitions, all your tweets and all your messages of support. They meant a lot.

Post by Tamil Australian.

While she is free today we must not forget that many hundreds of other political remain in detention. Under the Prevention of Terrorism Act no evidence is needed to keep someone in jail; none was ever produced against Jeyakumary, and the same is true of many hundreds of other cases like hers. For this reason the Prevention of Terrorism Act must be repealed and all those held under it released. If you are able to help cover our running costs and support campaigning to this end then please do donate here.

We will soon let you know about our next campaign. But in the meantime we wanted to let you know the good news, and say thank you.

Pic: @vikalpavoices via twitter

Here was our full statement on her release:

After 362 days in detention without charge Jeyakumary Balendaran was today released on 200,000 LKR bail (just over £2,200 or $3,300)/. She will still be subjected to some restrictions, including monthly police reporting and having her passport confiscated. Details on other restrictions may follow. Six other detainees, including Geethasudha: a pregnant woman arrested last year, and 64 year old Mahalingam Padmawathi were also released.

Fred Carver, Campaign Director of the Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace and Justice, said,

“This is fantastic news, and a huge relief for her and her daughter. Her release is due to the phenomenal work of a small but committed band of lawyers, supporters and campaigners working inside Sri Lanka.

“Jeyakumary’s detention made it hard to accept the idea that there had been any meaningful change in Sri Lanka. Her release gives us greater cause for hope. But the true test will be whether her release marks the beginning of a broader reversal in a pattern of harassment by the security forces against families of the disappeared and other Tamil activists in the North and East of Sri Lanka. Jeyakumary’s detention had chilling effect on the willingness of these individuals to speak out. This effect will only cease if the military and security forces stop their campaign of intimidation.Reports on the ground, and the persistence of high levels of military personnel in these areas, suggest that this process has yet to begin.

“Jeyakumary should never have gone to jail. At no point was any evidence presented against her. The fact that she could be still be detained for three days shy of a year demonstrates the unjust nature of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). This act is completely incompatible with a fair and just society, and it is high time it was scrapped. It seems around 300 people are still being held under the PTA, although the exact number is unknown, and given the complete lack of due process these people have received they must be considered political prisoners.”

Jayatilleka’s New Political Mission & Its Darker Undercurrents

By Siri Gamage -March 10, 2015

Dr. Siri Gamage

Dayan Jayathilleka seems to be on a mission in a hurry! Ever since the previous Rajapaksa regime was overthrown by the voters on January 8th 2015, he has been putting out a large number of articles to various media claiming now there is an ‘existential threat’ to the Sinhalese from various sources including the Tamils. He seems to be trying to be the theoretician for the defeated political forces, as Anton Balasingham was to Prabhakaran, and continue to justify the defeated Rajapaksa project by citing historical political figures and their thoughts. Intelligent people from all walks of life understand the folly of this project couched in Sinhala patriotic terms.

Rajapaksa is portrayed as the protector of Sinhala Buddhist Nation and in Jayathilleka’s words he restored the boundaries of the country after winning the war (No one would argue this latter point though many including Sarath Fonseka contributed to this result). He does not speak about how the regime used this ‘protector façade’ to build an empire while severely curtailing the media, brutalising society and civic activists, centralising power and favoring family members in government appointments, politicising the foreign service (a subject he should be familier), intrusions into rule of law, corruption through mega deals (according to media), increased taxes, creation of an expensive provincial political mafia, and much more. These are minor matters for him that should be ignored. What matters is to beat the drum of ‘an existential threat’ while conniving with the defeated political forces, including the parasitic deshapremis and leftists, and try to reconstruct a political discourse that was rejected by the majority of voters on the 8^th of January.

Let’s look at the nature of this political discourse that he is trying to reconstruct and give lifeblood by writing non-stop to various media outlets. It is none other than ‘majoritarian Sinhala nationalism’ though he makes musings about Sri Lankan identity in the course of doing so. The Sinhala nation that he and his political colleagues are trying to use as the flag post for their failed project is an ‘exclusionary one’. It excludes ‘significant others’ such as the Tamils as a group from the national political equation. It is essentialist in nature in the sense that only Sinhalese can belong in it. No one else. He says that the Sinhalese nation should have more rights compared to ethnic minorities. In other words, the Tamils can’t have same powers as the Sinhalese. The Tamils can have cultural rights not political rights equal to the Sinhalese (See his article dated march 7^th, 2015 in CT).

These are very narrow racialist -not nationalist-views being pumped out almost on a daily basis through various media to provide currency and reconstruct a failed discourse together with the failed Rajapaksa project within which he seems to imagine a future for himself and other Sinhalese politicos beating the patriotic drum. This looks like the Bhumiputra concept adopted by Malaysian governments (under this minorities had a rough deal), not necessarily enlightened or humanistic views that should come from an academic, though a politically partisan one in that. In a post-war context where reconciliation between the Sinhalese and Tamils should be the main focus, repeating the mantra of Sinhala nationalism, an existential threat, denial of legitimate rights of the Tamils as equal citizens etc. can have far-reaching consequences for the harmony and well-being of society.

Read More

TAMIL DIASPORA IS BECOMING PART OF LARGER SRI LANKAN COMMUNITY--JEHAN PERERA

09 March 2015

President Maithripala Sirisena is reported to be seeking to build relations with the Tamil Diaspora while in London to participate in the Commonwealth Day celebrations as chair of the Commonwealth. Along with Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, the president is expected to meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron to explore ways and means of securing the support of the Diaspora groups. This signals a paradigm shift in the approach of the government towards a group that is important to Sri Lanka’s future wellbeing. The Tamil Diaspora is generally portrayed in Sri Lanka as being hostile to the country and seeking its division. During the war funding and weaponry came to the LTTE from abroad which contributed to their becoming a formidable military force and a threat to the unity of the country and to the lives of its citizens. When the LTTE’s defeat became imminent the Tamil Diaspora actions in mobilizing in huge protests in the Western countries against the Sri Lankan government in the final stage of the war showed that they could take on the LTTE’s cause to themselves. However, after the presidential election that saw the unseating of President Mahinda Rajapaksa there are increasingly close ties between the new government and the TNA, which represents the mainstream Tamil polity within the country. This is causing a change in the Tamil Diaspora in a manner that bodes well for national reconciliation. It is better to have the friendship of the Tamil Diaspora than its enmity. The new government has very reason to be grateful to the Tamil voters. The huge majorities for President Maithripala Sirisena that were notched up in the northern and eastern electorates where the Tamil and Muslim voters predominate made the difference between victory and defeat for the president. During his recent visit to Jaffna, President Sirisena made his gratitude known through the words he spoke. He said, “Everyone should work in a spirit of brotherhood irrespective of differences. The task of bringing together the minds of the people cannot be achieved only through physical development. It is this government’s hope to bridge the North and South through friendship and understanding.” President Sirisena showed his gratitude in visiting Jaffna despite negative signals that came from the Northern Province after the presidential elections. The resolution accusing successive Sri Lankan governments of practicing genocide against the Tamils that was passed by the Northern Provincial Council a mere three weeks before the President’s visit to Jaffna was not in keeping with the improvement in relations between the TNA and the government. Nor did it correspond with the positive changes that have been taking place on the ground in the north and east. The most important of these is the lifting of the fear of arbitrary arrest and disappearance by government forces. The mismatch between the improvement in ground realities and the resolution on genocide by the Northern Provincial Council indicated a Tamil Diaspora hand.

POWERFUL FORCE

The Tamil Diaspora is a factor in Sri Lanka’s life that cannot be ignored or marginalized. There are about a million Tamils who live outside Sri Lanka which is about a third of the entire Tamil population living within Sri Lanka. They are bound to Sri Lanka as their relatives continue to live in it and they are also bound to their memories of injustices that drove them out. Many have overcome their initial adversity and prospered in the merit-based systems of Western countries. Some amongst the Tamil Diaspora have become political leaders in the countries to which they emigrated. They have gained a place for themselves in politics by championing the cause of the Tamils in Sri Lanka. With their money, influence and education, they have been able to bend some of the Tamil politicians in Sri Lanka to their will. During the period of the war and in the post-war period of the Rajapaksa presidency, the Tamil Diaspora was unified in opposing the Sri Lankan state and its agents. In the post-war period they joined hands with international human rights groups to lobby for an international probe into war crimes committed in the last phase of the war that saw the defeat of the LTTE. In retaliation, the former government of President Rajapaksa banned most of theTamil Diaspora organizations as being terrorist. However, the election of President Sirisena and his appointment of a new government headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has seen a significant shift taking place within the Tamil Diaspora. Some of its leading members, such as Fr S J Emmanuel of the Global Tamil Forum and Suren Surenthiran of the British Tamil Forum have come out in support of the policy of constructive engagement with the government being followed by the present TNA leadership. In a recent statement Fr Emmanuel has said, with self-critical insight, that “The blame for the present situation of the country or of the Tamils cannot be placed only on the Sinhalese people and their leaders alone. As I explained above, we have inherited a system of government initiated by leaders from all communities. Unfortunately it has brought us all to this plight. The present regime change is a unique chance to examine our foundations and do all that is possible for a better future. Hence, we who are either victims on the ground or diaspora-stake holders, are called to make careful and responsible moves, not upsetting the international concern for our cause, not giving the new regime to effect some fundamental changes to our governance, and not weakening the unity of our current Tamil leadership when prudence and wise collaboration are the needs of this hour.”

HEALING WORK

The TNA leadership has taken unusually accommodative positions that have shown their goodwill towards the new government, such as attending the Independence Day celebrations for the first time in four decades. The election of the new President with the support of Tamil votes and the good relationship between the TNA and government offers an opportunity for a healing of relations between the Tamil Diaspora and Sri Lanka. The Tamil Diaspora has talent, wealth and international connections that can make a great contribution to Sri Lanka’s development if they are utilized for constructive purposes. The Tamil Diaspora is too large, too influential internationally and has too many links with the Tamils living in Sri Lanka for it to be kept out of Sri Lanka. It is much better to have them as an ally, and as part of the larger Sri Lankan community, than to try to exclude them as a hostile or enemy force. There are already efforts by members of the Tamil Diaspora to assist in the process of reconciliation that includes the people living within the country as well as those living outside. One such initiative titled “Write to Reconcile” is by the internationally acclaimed novelist Shyam Selvadurai. Although based in Canada since 1984, he has kept his links with Sri Lanka alive and for the past three years has been working with prospective young novelists in Sri Lanka. They come from all three communities, and also from the Diaspora. They work under Shyam’s tutelage to learn the basics of writing a prize winning story and also gain exposure to the different perspectives of Sinhalese, Tamils and Muslims and to visit each other’s areas and become friends and colleagues. His work brings together young people from the different ethnic communities to exchange ideas and learn from one another in a structured environment. What is especially noteworthy about Shyam’s work is that it is the Tamil Diaspora that is reaching out to promote reconciliation within Sri Lanka. This positive linkage between the Tamil Diaspora and Sri Lanka spans the generations. Shyam Selvadurai’s constructive work for Sri Lanka pre-existed him in his father, DDN, the great Sri Lankan tennis coach who also played for Sri Lanka’s national team. Although the family emigrated to Canada after the July 1983 anti-Tamil riots destroyed their home and nearly took their lives, he has been returning to Sri Lanka to coach local talent and is now facilitating the building of tennis courts in the schools of Jaffna. The contribution of the Selvadurai family can become one of hundreds or thousands of similar initiatives that build capacity and reintegrate Sri Lankans living within the country and abroad. There is a Tamil Diaspora that suffered and left the country, but continues to love it and wants to return to improve life in the country of their birth and kin.

Sri Lanka must seize this window of opportunity - David Cameron

David Cameron Tamil Guardian 10 March 2015 Writing in the Tamil Guardian today, British Prime Minister David Cameron reiterated his commitment to ensuring those responsible for war crimes in Sri Lanka are held accountable and said he would press the country's new president, Maithripala Sirisena, to deliver on his commitments, during a bilateral discussion at Downing Street this afternoon.  Sixteen months ago I welcomed Tamil representatives from communities here in Britain to Downing St to discuss how we could work together to address the issues of Sri Lanka’s past and put the country on the path to a brighter, peaceful and prosperous future.   Since then, a UN led investigation into alleged war crimes by all sides in the conflict has got underway. And the people of Sri Lanka have elected a new President who has made clear that he is fully committed to reconciliation and reform.   Ever since my visit to Sri Lanka in 2013 one thing has remained constant - my unwavering commitment to stand up for all those affected by what happened. I remain determined to ensure that there is accountability for the past and respect for human rights today. And that will be my message to President Sirisena when I meet with him in Downing Street today. The new Sri Lankan government has a real opportunity to unlock Sri Lanka’s enormous potential through economic, political and social reform, and by fairly and transparently addressing the issues of the past.   And they have taken encouraging steps already - the release of some military land, the appointment of civilian governors for the North and East and the President’s visit to the North of Sri Lanka to discuss Tamil issues.   In response to this open and progressive stance by President Sirisena, which is a dramatic contrast to that of his predecessor Mr Rajapaksa, we supported the proposal from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to extend the timetable of his report by six months.   I know this decision has not been welcomed by everyone who has an interest in Sri Lanka’s future. And, let me assure you, we did not do this lightly. But we did it because we want to see genuine reconciliation in Sri Lanka. And we believe that the extra time enables the new Sri Lankan government to engage with the UN investigation, as it has committed to do, and to establish its own credible accountability processes.   I will encourage President Sirisena to seize this window of opportunity.  The Sri Lankan government must keep up the pace on reform. Building trust by demilitarising the North, handing more land back from the military to local communities and releasing detainees held without charge.   And I will urge President Sirisena to deliver on his commitments to tackle the challenges that are holding Sri Lanka back. Strengthening respect for human rights, eradicating corruption, improving political accountability and ensuring the freedom of the press. These are all essential elements of a democratic, fair and functioning state. If President Sirisena can achieve his ambitious programme of reform then I truly believe he can help to heal the deep wounds of war and rebuild this beautiful country. I will never forget the faces of those I met in Jaffna over a year ago. Their stories of unbearable suffering and loss will stay with me forever and continue to drive me in pushing for change. What I saw and heard also underlined why I went there in the first place: to shine a light on the lack of progress and to help bring about international pressure for reform.   We owe it to victims and survivors across Sri Lanka to ensure that those responsible are held to account. And we will not forget them. That’s why we, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, have made clear that the report must be published and discussed by September 2015 and we will stick to that.   In six months time the spotlight will be back on Sri Lanka. Let it shine on a nation that is prepared to address its past, reconcile its differences and reform its political structures so it can secure a bright future for all its peoples. And let it shine on a renewed and growing partnership between the UK and Sri Lanka.

The President in the Nineteenth Amendment

The immunity that the President enjoys under the current Constitution has been subject to constant criticism. Therefore, it is unfortunate that this immunity is retained in the draft, albeit in a mildly diluted form.

by Reeza Hameed

(March 10. 2015, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Mathripala Sirisena manifesto promised to implement a programme to stabilise the country in two stages, and the first of those stages is the Hundred Day programme which would be devoted to solving urgent issues.

The President in the Nineteenth Amendment by Thavam Ratna

People’s Movement For Democracy Should Continue Despite The Challenge Of Racism

By Athulasiri Kumara Samarakoon -March 10, 2015

Athulasiri Kumara Samarakoon

As Karl Marx insisted, ideas first emerge in the form of activity. Such activities may be theorized later on. When a new form of activism becomes the self-consciousness of a society, it could create social movements. We can consider this Marxist idea for examining how social movements emerge in capitalist societies. A broader social movement can arise through a larger concentration of people around a certain activity.

In Sri Lanka we have very recent examples of how social movements for democracy and justice emerged and became broad movements of people, and finally resulted in toppling an authoritarian regime. When our democratic system was crumbling under the Rajapaksha regime, it was first the ordinary people of Sri Lanka who rose against the tyranny and created mass movements to defeat the authoritarian system. This mobilization included industrial workers, professionals, literary personnel, artists, university academics, peasant farmers, fisher folk, human rights activists, university students and even villagers who were deprived of the right to have pure water (Rathupaswala). All such mass movements contributed hugely to re-establish democracy under a new political leadership.

Finally, the victory of the common candidate, Maithripala Sirisena has brought new hopes for the struggle for democracy, and the civil society is closely watching the developments under his rule. It was clearly evident through Sirisena’s victory that a society could not be controlled by a coercive hegemony for long if the civil society decisively rises up against authoritarianism.

The sense of injustice which stimulates people for struggle is a manifestation of the contradiction between exiting social norms and actual relations resulting from such norms. The exploitative and coercive mode maintained by the Rajapaksa regime first started to crumble within itself as it was unacceptable to the civil society. The major weakness of that regime was its inability to grasp the reality that without the acceptance and active support of civil society, it could not for long reproduce its hegemonic rule only with coercive means. The culture of abductions using ‘white vans’, creating fear in media, suppression of freedom of expression in academia and the civil society, rampant corruption and impunity under that regime were the means of its stiff coercion unleashed on civil society.

Today, after the defeat of Rajapaksa we are now in a transitional period of democracy. At a glance, we see there is some freedom in media; and the rule of law being restored. On the other hand, ordinary people and workers have been guaranteed of some measures to reduce the cost of living. Yet, all these measures have to be properly implemented in order to achieve the real objectives of democracy and social justice.

With all these developments in the political system, today we have arrived at a new historical juncture. After defeating a regime which was obsessed with propagating racism and religious fanaticism, demolishing democratic institutions and finally leading the country towards a fascist system, we could breath freely now. Yet, as the civil society we have no time left to rejoice; since we will not have achieved anything until we make sure that democratic system is reformed and the politicians adopt democracy as their daily philosophy. Therefore it is essential that we keep vigilant that the civil society struggle remains active and it further guides the current regime towards necessary reforms.Read More

Sinhalese have a vital role to play in the search for justice – Callum Macrae

BY KITHSIRI WIJESINGHE-10 MARCH 2015
At an event in the British parliament on Tuesday 10 March, the producers of multi-award-winning, Emmy-nominated feature documentary No Fire Zone: The Killing Fields of Sri Lanka launched the Sinhala language version of the film in what will be seen as a direct challenge to the new government over its commitment to a free media.

This controversial film exposing the war crimes and massacres committed at the end of the civil war in 2009 has been effectively banned in Sri Lanka until now – and anyone helping the film-makers threatened with prosecution. The announcement coincides with the visit of new Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena to the UK and takes place the day before he is due to have dinner with the Queen. The release of the film in Sri Lanka will allow the majority Sinhala population to see for the first time the shocking evidence of war crimes and massacres committed at the end of the war by their own government’s forces, said Director Callum Macrae in an exclusive interview with JDS.

Sinhalese Have a Vital Role to Play in the Search for Justice – Callum Macrae by Thavam Ratna