Maldives Update, December 30, 2006

What has been the consequence of the planned (but cancelled) November 10 demonstration? Minivan News columnists debate:

• Abdulla Sharif, The Fallout Of 10/11: MDP's Gain? Minivan News, December 22, 2006.
• Fathimath Shimla, The Fallout Of 10/11: Government's Gain? Minivan News, December 22, 2006.

Sri Lanka Update: December 21-30, 2006

At the end of the year, a review of events in Sri Lanka.
Dayan Jayatilleka, 2007: The Road Ahead, Asian Tribune, December 28, 2006.

Sri Lanka's North and East to be administrated separately, ColomboPage, December 26, 2006.
B. Muralidhar Reddy, Sri Lanka: uncertainty as de-merger nears, The Hindu, December 29, 2006.

Seeking peace:

Sri Lankan Tamil MPs meet Sri Sri Ravishankar, The Hindu, December 30, 2006.
Jehan Perera, International pressure on 17th Amendment can make a difference ...by persuading the SLFP and the UNP for its implementation, Daily Mirror, December 26, 2006.
Tissa Balasuriya, For Peace with Justice in 2007 An Islandwide Petition, Daily Mirror, December 23, 2006.

Amal Jayasinghe, Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka acused of piracy by Jordanian ship crew, AFP/ Lanka Business Online, December 26, 2006. But, We rescued the sailors: LTTE, The Nation on Sunday, December 24, 2006.
Master left without his voice, The Nation on Sunday, December 24, 2006.

From Tamil Nadu:
Commentary: Moves and counter moves on Tamil chess board, Asian Tribune, December 24, 2006.
Sakthy Edamaruku, PM voices concern over Lanka issue, CNN-IBN, December 23, 2006.
And elsewhere in the region:
M Rama Rao, Pakistan makes a killing in arms supplies to desperate Sri Lanka, Asian Tribune, December 28, 2006.

Meanwhile, the human security crisis continues.

Ammu Joseph, Life in an open prison, Himal Southasian, January 2007.
Tim Sullivan, Emptiness of trauma, Standard Weekend, December 30, 2006.
Twenty-three percent of women in Sri Lanka's IDP camps are breadwinners, LankaPage, December 29, 2006.
Shelter or survival: a dilemma for the displaced in Sri Lanka, PeaceJournalism.com, December 26, 2006.

Tsunami Anniversary

Subcontinent South has compiled links to features and reports relating to the second anniversary of the December 26, 2004 that affected most of the region we usually cover.

This compilation is available here and will be updated from time to time over the next few days.

Please feel free to suggest other links and resource for us to include.

Maldives Update, December 20, 2006

The Maldives: Waving or drowning? The Economist, December 19, 2006.

Of interest as the tsunami anniversary approaches:
Hilath Rasheed, Maldives island reclaimed, International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) Press Release, December 12, 2006.

Sri Lanka Update, December 20, 2006

The Sri Lankan ceasefire, observed more in the breach, is five years old this Christmas Eve. News about Sri Lanka continues largely to be news about the conflict.

Radhika Giri, Cry, beloved Tamil country (Interview with Tamil poet Jayapalan) The Statesman, December 17, 2006.
Peace and the Tamil Tigers? (Editorial) Washington Times, December 17, 2006.
Ayesha Zuhair, The Muslims of Mutur: A community at crossroads, Daily Mirror, December 18, 2006.
Jehan Perera, Government needs to keep majority report on table, December 19, 2006.
Dayan Jayatilleka, A Realist Critique Of The Lankan Crisis, Asian Tribune, December 19, 2006.

Reactions to Balasingham's death are still coming in.
V.S. Sambandan, LTTE and Sri Lanka after Balasingham, The Hindu, December 19, 2006.
It is still not too late Prabhakaran (Editorial) Daily News, December 18, 2006.
Vijay Bharath, Remembering Anton Balasingham, TamilCanadian.com, December 17, 2006.
Champica Liyanaarachchi, Balasingham: the ‘silenced’ Voice of Tigers? Daily Mirror, December 20, 2006.

One of Sri Lanka's prominent civil rights organizations, the University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) has published two reports on the situation in the north.
Bulletin No.42– a note on current developments: Disillusionment with the State and the Perils of Unity in Grievance, December 13, 2006.
Bulletin 43 : Laying the Siege of Jaffna- behind the singular assault on the poorest of women, December 13, 2006.
This was UTHR's response to the killing of Kethesh Loganathan:
Ketheeswaran Loganathan and the Tamil Dissidents’ Dilemma, University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna), August 15, 2006.
Earlier in November, UTHR(J) released a special report, The Choice between Anarchy and International Law with Monitoring, to which they have now added a supplement.

Eye on Maldives, December 16, 2006

Non-Maldivians writing on the Maldives:

Hari Kunzru, Welcome to Paradise, The Guardian, December 16, 2006.

Will Jordan, who is a British journalists working for the independent Maldivian newspaper, Minivan News, has a blog: http://willjordanuk.blogspot.com

Anton Balasingham's death, December 14, 2006.

The death of Anton Balasingham, idealogue and spokesperson of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam is important news.

Anton Balasingham passes away, TamilNet, December 14, 2006.
LTTE leader salutes 'Voice of the Nation', TamilNet, December 14, 2006.
Tamil homeland, diaspora in 3-days mourning for Balasingham, TamilNet, December 14, 2006.

Obituaries and assessments of his life and the future of the conflict have started appearing in newspapers around the world.

Anton Balasingham, The Times, December 14, 2006.
FACTBOX-Sri Lanka rebel negotiator Balasingham, Reuters, December 14, 2006.
Priyath Liyanage, Brain behind the Tigers' brawn, BBC, December 14,2006. P.K. Balachandran, Balasingham - a moderating influence, Hindustan Times, December 15, 2006.
M.R. Narayan Swamy, Balasingham epitomised LTTE's love-hate ties with India, IANS/ India ENews, December 15, 2006.
Talking Tiger: Has the idea of non-violent engagement by LTTE died with Anton Balasingham? Editorial, Indian Express, December 16, 2006.
Shylashri Shankar, Moderator, or apologist for the LTTE? Indian Express, December 16, 2006.
Radically rethinking the ethnic conflict: Interview with Victor Ivan, editor of Ravaya, TamilWeek.com, December 16, 2006.

Reactions to this death will be watched surely, and in that 'stand up and be counted' spirit, the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's condolences are significant.

Karunanidhi condoles death of Balasingham, The Hindu, December 15, 2006.
Balasingham's demise creates a great void - TNA, TamilNet, December 15, 2006.
Tamil Nadu leaders condole Anton Balasingham's death, AndhraCafe.com, December 16, 2006.
We've lost a friend, says Norway, TamilNet, December 16, 2006.

Recent South Asia Reports

Two recent reports on South Asia have been in the news.

The first is the SAARC Human Rights Report 2006, prepared by the Asian Centre for Human Rights and edited by Suhas Chakma.

The second is an older (August 2006) report commissioned by the Minority Rights Group International and prepared by Maya Chadda and titled, Minority Rights and Conflict Prevention: Case Study of Conflicts in Indian Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Nagaland. It is included in Subcontinent South because Professor Chadda compares the Indian state's response to these conflicts with its earlier response to secession in Tamil Nadu.

Maldives Update, December 15, 2006

Fishing is central to the Maldivian economy and in the last week, inefficiencies and corruption in the fishing industry have been in the news.

Fishy Fury, Minivan News, December 5, 2006.
Fishy Fury: Part II, Minivan News, December 10, 2006.

Violence has been reported in Haa Alifu atoll by both the establishment and independent press.

Hoarafushi gang attack Police, Haveeru Daily, December 14, 2006.
Police arrest three in relation to Thakandhoo gang violence, Haveeru Daily, December 14, 2006.
Will Jordan, Violence In Hoarafushi, Minivan News, December 15, 2006.

Freedom of conscience and the relationship between the state and faith are emerging flashpoints in Maldivian political discourse.

MDP Politician Seconded Supreme Council Clause, Minivan News, December 13, 2006.

An official report has pointed to rampant domestic violence in the Maldives.

One In Three Women Abused, Minivan News, December 14, 2006.
See Ministry of Gender and Family, Maldives, webpage for other reports.

On Maldives politics, by a Sri Lankan, on the occasion of Human Rights Day:

Raj Gonsalkorale, Maldives: Tourist Dollars Feeding Human Rights Violations? Asian Tribune, December 10, 2006.

Sri Lanka Update, December 15, 2006

The arms trail story has been picked up by yet another reporter.

Arun Ram, Is LTTE getting arms from India? Daily News and Analysis, December 13, 2006.
LTTE, with an ISI mark, Daily News and Analysis, December 13, 2006.

Karuna, who heads an armed group in Eastern Sri Lanka, has accused Norway of giving the LTTE money.

Norway Gave Money To The LTTE: Karuna, Sri Lanka Army, November 27, 2006.
Norway says Sri Lanka report on mediator is "lies", Reuters, November 29, 2006.
Ex-LTTE commander Karuna wants war on Prabhakaran to continue, DailyIndia.com, December 5, 2006.

More on the LTTE's activities:

Jonathan Bunn, Scaring Tamils out of pounds, This is London, December 14, 2006.
Radhika Coomaraswamy UN Special Representative chides LTTE for bombing a school, killing a child and wounding ten, National Movement Against Terrorism, December 14, 2006.

Of interest to Sri Lanka observers:

Roots of Conflict in Sri Lanka: Kasim Tirmizey interviews Jonathan Spencer, ZNet, December 12, 2006.

The Centre for Policy Alternatives, Colombo has issued this statement on the introduction of the Emergency (prevention and prohibition of terrorism) regulations 2006.

Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, New Emergency Regulations: Which Target and Threat ? Published in the Morning Leader, December 13, 2006.

Jehan Perera, Heading deeper into polarisation and confrontation, Daily Mirror, December 12, 2006. (If the Daily Mirror is not accessible, the same article will soon be available at the National Peace Council site.)

Majority and dissenting opinions of the experts appointed to advise the Sri Lankan government on constitutional change were leaked in the last week.

Dharisha Bastians, Dissension on devolution: Experts’ panel respectfully disagree; two reports tabled for discussion at APRC tomorrow, The Nation on Sunday, December 10, 2006.
P.K. Balachandran, SL Govt distances from 'devolution' report, Hindustan Times, December 11, 2006.

South India Survey: December 15, 2006

From Andhra Pradesh, news about pollution control measures that may threaten livelihoods.

Andhra Pradesh's cashew units sealed to control pollution, Daily India, December 11, 2006.
Steam boil cashews & eat it too, New Indian Express, December 13 2006.

As Indians get used to the idea of laws against the use of child labour:

R. Krishnakumar, About child labour and education: The Kerala difference,Frontline, December 1, 2006.

On the Mullaperiyar issue:

Sam Rajappa, Mullaperiyar Imbroglio: Much Ado About Nothing, Statesman, December 8, 2006.

AIDS and the Subcontinent

A four year old kid being thrown out from a play school for being HIV positive has made it clear that all the campaigns to create awareness have failed miserably. Similar was the case of Bensy and Benson from Kerala who struggled two full years to make their way back to school.

A study by British journal BMC Medicine has said that number of people affected by HIV may be much lower than what is reported.

Refugees and Education

Recently arrived Sri Lankan student refugees will take up the Sri Lanka G. C. Ordinary Level Examination, thanks to the joint efforts of Sri Lankan Deputy High Commission in Chennai and the Organisation for the Eelam Refugees Rehabilitation.

Arms Trail Unearthed: December 11, 2006

Reports in the last couple of weeks have made the connection between the Maoists in Andhra Pradesh and the LTTE. (Previously posted, reproduced here for ready reference.)

Jaya Menon, Police on lookout for LTTE link in arms haul, Indian Express, December 5, 2006.
Jaya Menon, Explosives seized in TN, destination might be LTTE, Indian Express, December 1, 2006.

This morning's report suggests that Rameshwaram has become an entrepot for this trade.

Jaya Menon, ‘Explosives from India going to both Lankan govt and LTTE,’ Indian Express, December 11, 2006.

PK Balachandran, Indian explosives not for war, says SL, Hindustan Times, December 11, 2006.

Also:

ULFA has LTTE links: Assam police, Agencies/ Chennai Online, December 1, 2006.

Sri Lanka Update, December 9, 2006

Responding to continuing conflict:

• 'Democracy must not be used to create opportunity for terrorism' - President, ColomboPage, December 7, 2006.
• MR Narayan Swamy, Experts suggest genuine power sharing in Sri Lanka, Hindustan Times/IANS, December 7, 2006.
• Simon Gardner, Sri Lanka to crack down on terror but no rebel ban, Reuters, December 6, 2006.

Fanning the flames:

• Jaya Menon, Police on lookout for LTTE link in arms haul, Indian Express, December 5, 2006.
• Jaya Menon, Explosives seized in TN, destination might be LTTE, Indian Express, December 1, 2006.

Perspectives: Fred Abrahams, Postcard from … Sri Lanka, Foreign Policy in Focus, December 8, 2006.

When one steps away from states and politics and considers the security of individuals and their families, livelihoods are integral to this consideration: Raekha Prasad, In the rice paddies of Sri Lanka, a new enemy: salt, The Guardian, December 9, 2006.

Sri Lanka Update: December 6, 2006

Commentary from Sri Lanka:

• Jehan Perera, LTTE’S continuing failure to gain international legitimacy, National Peace Council, November. 27, 2006.
• Dayan Jayatilleka, Prabhakaran's Mahaveera Speech 2006 Decisive Escalation Final Conflict, The Lanka Academic, November 28, 2006.
• Jehan Perera, Bigger Role for International Community, National Peace Council, December 3, 2006.
• Wilson Gnanadass, Interpreting Prabha’s Heroes Day speech, The Nation on Sunday, December 3, 2006.
• Sunil Bastian, Sri Lanka's International Straitjacket, The Lanka Academic, December 5, 2006.

Maldives Update: December 6, 2006

• Sumon K Chakrabarti, Slam govt, get arrested in Maldives, CNN-IBN, December 4, 2006.
• Open letter to the Information Minister, Mohamed Nasheed: Five press freedom organisations write to Mohamed Nasheed, Reporters Without Borders, December 5, 2006.

Mullaperiyar Issue, December 6, 2006

Vinu Abraham and Srinivasa Ramanujam, Boiling point, The Week, December 10, 2006.

Maldives Update, December 4, 2006

In the week that Subcontinent South has not been updated, Amin Faisal has been released. A status report on other November 10th detainees has been prepared by the Maldivian Democratic Party.

Prominent members of the Maldivian Democratic Party have left, such as Ibrahim Ismail (Ibra) and Jennifer Latheef.

Ibra: The Interview, Minivan News, December 1, 2006.
Jenny Latheef Resigns From MDP, Minivan News, November 29, 2006.

Reports on human rights violations in the Maldives were published.

Maldives: Renewed repressive measures against the opposition, Amnesty International, November 28, 2006.
Maldives: 3 Years on and still no respect for human rights, Friends of Maldives, November 2006.

Riparian Disputes: Mullaperiyar, Nov.23-Dec.4 2006

What is at issue?

Papri Sri Raman, The story of the 'Big River' dam, IndiaPRNews, November 26, 2006.

What happened this last week?

TN-Kerala standoff on Mullaperiyar reaches flashpoint, The Hindu, November 23, 2006.

Dam you! Kerala, TN tell each other, CNN-IBN, November 23, 2006. (Map here.)

Centre gets proactive on Mullaperiyar dam issue, Financial Express, November 24, 2006.
Devotees and provisions may be decisive in dam row, Times of India, November 23, 2006.

The shape of things to come:

Vaiko vs Karunanidhi, TimesNow, November 25, 2006.