After Poson, Sri Lanka faces moment of truth

Wednesday, 15 June 2011

My dear Mahinda Aiya,
 Ayubowan, vannakam, assalamu alliakum and best wishes for all the blessings of Poson as the government is dragged deeper into an international diplomatic battle over alleged atrocities during the final stages of the war.
Poson today marks the advent of Buddhism to Sri Lanka when Arahath Mahinda Thera brought the Buddha’s message of love, mercy and non-violence. His first words to King Devanampiyatissa who was on a deer hunt were, “Stop Tissa, do not kill”. Ironically, more than 2600 years after that hallowed event, the Rajapaksa regime is facing war crimes charges with the focus now being on the British Channel Four documentary film titled “Sri Lanka – The Killing Fields”.

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The politics of literary boycotts

 

Antony Loewenstein

In January, Reporters Without Borders and a network of exiled Sri Lankan journalists, Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka, issued an appeal signed by a number of prominent figures, including Noam Chomsky, Arundhati Roy, Ken Loach, Tariq Ali and me.
It called on participants in the Galle Literary Festival to consider the message their attendance sent:

We believe this is not the right time for prominent international writers like you to give legitimacy to the Sri Lankan government's suppression of free speech by attending a conference that does not in any way push for greater freedom of expression inside that country… We ask you in the great tradition of solidarity that binds writers together everywhere, to stand with your brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka who are not allowed to speak out. We ask that by your actions you send a clear message that, unless and until the disappearance of [cartoonist] Prageeth [Eknaligoda] is investigated and there is a real improvement in the climate for free expression in Sri Lanka, you cannot celebrate writing and the arts in Galle.    Read More