I was given a flyer yesterday about Tamils demonstrating outside Marks and Spencer. Beyond belief. Will that make a change to United Nations actions? Will that help Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka?
Tamil civilian are dying now. The UN statement re Sri lanka according to a report in the Times or the BBC was watered down because of objections by China and Russia. These 2 countries can make the difference between a ceasefire today and one that happens at an indeterminate time in the future.
China I was told by a Tamil MP has multi million dollar projects in Sri Lanka. China has major interests in the region. China could force a ceasefire if they so choose.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
thought experiment re the Tamils
http://transmontanus.blogspot.com/2009/04/ulster-death-toll-reaches-5000-british.html
another view from conor foley Tamil civilians are being killed
http://www.liberalconspiracy.org/2009/04/20/humanitarian-crisis-in-sri-lanka/
Aid workers dying Tamils dying
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/mar/19/srilanka-international-aid-and-development
Conor Foley on the ongoing fatalities
Conor Foley on the ongoing fatalities
hypocrisy- the Tamils continue to be ignored
as reported in the Times today, more and more Tamil civilians are killed every day. Where are the cries of genocide. Where are the court cases to try and prove that the Sri lankan government has been committing war crimes. In general there is silence.
Surprising. Not really. When the president of Iran is a keynote speaker in a UN body on human rights it is clear we are living in an upside down world.
Surprising. Not really. When the president of Iran is a keynote speaker in a UN body on human rights it is clear we are living in an upside down world.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Tamils miss an opportunity
Today many european leaders walked out when the president of Iran spoke at the UN human rights conference. If as many Tamils argue Iran has been providing much support to Sri Lanka including the provision of arms to the government there. A perfect time to demonstrate outside the Iranian embassy.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
channel 4 news and Sri Lanka
Should be report on Sri Lanka tonight. Maybe how government there has attacked civilians
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Bhuddist fundamentalism and Sri Lanka
Avis Sri Jayantha
for sangam Research in a BOOK REVIEW OF Buddhist Fundamentalism is a series of essays edited by Prof. Bartholomeusz of Florida State University and Prof. de Silva of Old Dominion University in Virginia says,"The editors, in their introductory chapter, use the Fundamentalism Project of Marty, Appleby and others to describe fundamentalism as 1) a reliance on religion as a source of identity, 2) boundary setting that determines who belongs and who does not, 3) dramatic escatologies [stories which give meaning], and 4) the dramatization and mythologization of enemies (p.2)
According to them, Sinhala-Buddhist fundamentalism is different from other fundamentalisms in that there is no insistence on strict behavioral standards and believers do not form a coherent, readily identifiable group. Although there is no “sacred” text or scripture that serves as a blueprint for society, the authors argue that the mythohistorical tract, the Mahavamsa, carries canonical authority. Prof. Steven Kemper is quoted as saying that “the Mahavamsa has become the warrant for the interlocked beliefs that the island and its government have traditionally been Sinhala and Buddhist” (1991, p.2).
The editors emphasize that Sinhala-Buddhist fundamentalism is “determined not only by historical tradition and ideology, but by politics as well... As our essayists argue, Sinhala-Buddhist fundamentalism, used as a platform for politicians and patriots since the late nineteenth century, is concerned directly with power and dominance, especially dominance by the ethnic majority, the Sinhalese.”(p.8)"
Bhuddisn as a legitimating ideology for the Sri Lankan government. It enables them to define the Tamils as the other.
When a government resorts to religious ideology to delegitimise a minority group this often leads to abominable actions. Over years the other as the enemy becomes a potent weapon. It has been alleged that the Sri Lankan government has just used poison gas on Tamil civilians. Would this be surprise given the prevailing fundamental ideology.
As usual I wonder why this context is absent from reporting on the Sri Lankan conflict.
for sangam Research in a BOOK REVIEW OF Buddhist Fundamentalism is a series of essays edited by Prof. Bartholomeusz of Florida State University and Prof. de Silva of Old Dominion University in Virginia says,"The editors, in their introductory chapter, use the Fundamentalism Project of Marty, Appleby and others to describe fundamentalism as 1) a reliance on religion as a source of identity, 2) boundary setting that determines who belongs and who does not, 3) dramatic escatologies [stories which give meaning], and 4) the dramatization and mythologization of enemies (p.2)
According to them, Sinhala-Buddhist fundamentalism is different from other fundamentalisms in that there is no insistence on strict behavioral standards and believers do not form a coherent, readily identifiable group. Although there is no “sacred” text or scripture that serves as a blueprint for society, the authors argue that the mythohistorical tract, the Mahavamsa, carries canonical authority. Prof. Steven Kemper is quoted as saying that “the Mahavamsa has become the warrant for the interlocked beliefs that the island and its government have traditionally been Sinhala and Buddhist” (1991, p.2).
The editors emphasize that Sinhala-Buddhist fundamentalism is “determined not only by historical tradition and ideology, but by politics as well... As our essayists argue, Sinhala-Buddhist fundamentalism, used as a platform for politicians and patriots since the late nineteenth century, is concerned directly with power and dominance, especially dominance by the ethnic majority, the Sinhalese.”(p.8)"
Bhuddisn as a legitimating ideology for the Sri Lankan government. It enables them to define the Tamils as the other.
When a government resorts to religious ideology to delegitimise a minority group this often leads to abominable actions. Over years the other as the enemy becomes a potent weapon. It has been alleged that the Sri Lankan government has just used poison gas on Tamil civilians. Would this be surprise given the prevailing fundamental ideology.
As usual I wonder why this context is absent from reporting on the Sri Lankan conflict.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Tamil deaths count for less on the BBC?
According to research by honestreporting.com ,"It is extremely appropriate to highlight the BBC's coverage of the Middle East considering the importance that the BBC attaches to the region. During the conflict, the BBC published, on average, 4.5 articles every day dealing with the fighting. In contrast, BBC coverage of the Sri Lankan government's campaign against the Tamil Tigers group -- a conflict that resulted in an estimated 2,000 civilian deaths in January of 2009 -- produced barely one article a day."
Why the difference in coverage? Are Tamil deaths not as important? Is the possibility that the Sri Lankan government indiscriminately bombs civilians not important?
How do we explain this conundrum? The BBC is made up of journalists and editors. people who live in a democratic system. They are not being forced at gunpoint to report in this manner. When I was studying I used to think about the concept Ideology,or ideas such as Hegemony. I believe that somehow there has grown up an accepted way of looking at the world. A set of filters to make sense of our experiences. It is this set of filters that goes some way to explaining why even a modicum of journalistic objectivity has disappeared. I think of DR Congo and realize that even with the enormous numbers of deaths in that country there is minimal reporting.
This is outrageous.
Just to pat myself on the back. 3 of my pics re the Tamils have made the front page of the demotix news website. I would continue to photograph this protest but I am unable to because of the student Kommisars.
Why the difference in coverage? Are Tamil deaths not as important? Is the possibility that the Sri Lankan government indiscriminately bombs civilians not important?
How do we explain this conundrum? The BBC is made up of journalists and editors. people who live in a democratic system. They are not being forced at gunpoint to report in this manner. When I was studying I used to think about the concept Ideology,or ideas such as Hegemony. I believe that somehow there has grown up an accepted way of looking at the world. A set of filters to make sense of our experiences. It is this set of filters that goes some way to explaining why even a modicum of journalistic objectivity has disappeared. I think of DR Congo and realize that even with the enormous numbers of deaths in that country there is minimal reporting.
This is outrageous.
Just to pat myself on the back. 3 of my pics re the Tamils have made the front page of the demotix news website. I would continue to photograph this protest but I am unable to because of the student Kommisars.
Monday, April 13, 2009
The student Kommisars
For a week I have been following this protest closely. All the Tamils who I have met have impressed me with their warmth and friendliness. Then out of the blue come the Kommisars. "Have you got a press card" Well " no i don't, but I have been here all week" Kommisars"sorry you can't film here." And they assign a young man to follow me around so I can't take any more photos.
It is a shame as some of my pics through my agent have been making the rounds of pic editors around the world. It is a shame some of the Tamils who I have been talking with weren't around to vouch for me.
It is interesting in the last week I have met a few Free lance photographers and journalists like me. We do make a difference because we are sometimes there when the press card journalists are away in their beds. A freelancer who has the same agent as me just last week had a front cover pic in the Guardian.
Yesterday I met with a member of the tamil forums group and he showed me an explanation of Tamil history and the way his community have been persecuted in Sri Lanka. So much I didn't know. The bhuddism of the Sri Lankan government seeming to fit into the fundamentalist family of religions. When texts get read literally and an other is defined as alien. Where is the reporting on this. The commercialist ethos of the mainstream media has led to a focus on the Tamil Tigers and very little on the policies and actions of the Sri Lankan government. As usual there is no context. Context is not sensational.
Geopolitics is not sensational. Why is there minimal reporting on the Chinese connection in Sri Lanka. The billion dollar seaport project, the oil well developments. It seems the accepted narrative for western liberals is that only American 'imperialism' is bad imperialism. China is actively investing in many war torn parts of Africa. How do the Chinese defend their interests in the United Nations?
It is a shame as some of my pics through my agent have been making the rounds of pic editors around the world. It is a shame some of the Tamils who I have been talking with weren't around to vouch for me.
It is interesting in the last week I have met a few Free lance photographers and journalists like me. We do make a difference because we are sometimes there when the press card journalists are away in their beds. A freelancer who has the same agent as me just last week had a front cover pic in the Guardian.
Yesterday I met with a member of the tamil forums group and he showed me an explanation of Tamil history and the way his community have been persecuted in Sri Lanka. So much I didn't know. The bhuddism of the Sri Lankan government seeming to fit into the fundamentalist family of religions. When texts get read literally and an other is defined as alien. Where is the reporting on this. The commercialist ethos of the mainstream media has led to a focus on the Tamil Tigers and very little on the policies and actions of the Sri Lankan government. As usual there is no context. Context is not sensational.
Geopolitics is not sensational. Why is there minimal reporting on the Chinese connection in Sri Lanka. The billion dollar seaport project, the oil well developments. It seems the accepted narrative for western liberals is that only American 'imperialism' is bad imperialism. China is actively investing in many war torn parts of Africa. How do the Chinese defend their interests in the United Nations?
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Tamil march
You have to laugh. The stop the war organization and various assorted 'left' groups who have not be seen all week turned up today. The best bit was the stop the war organization put their banner near the front as if they were heavily involved in this protest.
The tamil community were amazing. The police estimate that at least 100,000 were there. I think the numbers were much more than that. I would say at least 95% of the marchers were Tamils young and old. At least now the media are taking an interest.
The question now revolves on whether pressure can be brought to bear on the Sri Lankan government to agree a cease fire and immediate access for the red cross etc. That will bring relief to some of the Tamil community in the uk as quite a few are extremely anxious for relatives they have not heard from in months.
I will post pics of the protest soon.
The tamil community were amazing. The police estimate that at least 100,000 were there. I think the numbers were much more than that. I would say at least 95% of the marchers were Tamils young and old. At least now the media are taking an interest.
The question now revolves on whether pressure can be brought to bear on the Sri Lankan government to agree a cease fire and immediate access for the red cross etc. That will bring relief to some of the Tamil community in the uk as quite a few are extremely anxious for relatives they have not heard from in months.
I will post pics of the protest soon.
Simon Hughes MP negotiates an agreement
The big news today 10/4/09 was the negotiations that Simon Hughes MP had with the Tamil students and the two hunger strikers. It was agreed that the joint demands would be for 1. An immediate and permanent ceasefire 2. Immediate access to the red cross and other humanitarian organizations 3. Immediate access to representatives of the international press 4. A referendum for all Tamil citizens to express their opinion about their future. In order to obtain these goals British members of parliament with one Tamil student each would visit the UN, The office of president Obama and Hilary Clinton, The european council in Brussels and the secretary general of the commonwealth in London. The goal to report back within 10 days because of the urgency of the situation. Also a senior representative of the Church of England about all faiths working together for peace.
I spoke with M.K. Shivaji a Tamil MP from Sri Lanka. He said the killing continues day by day and there have been many civilian casualties. He says the situation is very grave. Many Tamils believe there is a case to use the word genocide in this context.
He also said that various nations were involved with the Sri Lanka government especially economic projects. Chief amongst them being China. It seems China is also hindering Tamil demands for ceasefires etc at the UN. There is a whole news story here which both the mainstream media and the alternative media are not reporting. Much of the Tamil story is untold.
As I have written earlier the media as the fourth estate have lost their way. They are so in thrall to commercialism and chasing either celebrities or sensational stories they have lost the ability to investigate real stories. A very simple example was here in London with the Tamil story. This is on the doorstop of the BBC. Yet simple little facts they get wrong. It was the labour MP who first gave the water to the hunger striker not Simon Hughes MP. Not a big part of the story but should tell the story as it happened. Why have the BBC not been covering this story carefully. A large community of Tamils seem to be solidly behind this protest. A community which I am told is near to 300,000. Very novel is the nature of the protest. It is the first protest I have seen in London that consists of so many families. This in itself is a story worthy of reports.
I spoke with M.K. Shivaji a Tamil MP from Sri Lanka. He said the killing continues day by day and there have been many civilian casualties. He says the situation is very grave. Many Tamils believe there is a case to use the word genocide in this context.
He also said that various nations were involved with the Sri Lanka government especially economic projects. Chief amongst them being China. It seems China is also hindering Tamil demands for ceasefires etc at the UN. There is a whole news story here which both the mainstream media and the alternative media are not reporting. Much of the Tamil story is untold.
As I have written earlier the media as the fourth estate have lost their way. They are so in thrall to commercialism and chasing either celebrities or sensational stories they have lost the ability to investigate real stories. A very simple example was here in London with the Tamil story. This is on the doorstop of the BBC. Yet simple little facts they get wrong. It was the labour MP who first gave the water to the hunger striker not Simon Hughes MP. Not a big part of the story but should tell the story as it happened. Why have the BBC not been covering this story carefully. A large community of Tamils seem to be solidly behind this protest. A community which I am told is near to 300,000. Very novel is the nature of the protest. It is the first protest I have seen in London that consists of so many families. This in itself is a story worthy of reports.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Scenes from Westminster bridge
I am not sure if these give a flavor of the night. The range of people families and young people asking for the killing to stop
Canon and Tamil
Sivakumaravd Sivatharsar the 21 year old student who is on hunger strike meets Canon Nicholas Sagovsky. You can see the compassion in the canons face who represents in this gesture much that is great about the Church of England. We also see a young man who is offering his life to get a respite for his people. A meeting of two different worlds, yet both saying the same thing -- Stop the Killing.
The Silence
When I wrote this post earlier today most of the media had ignored the Tamil protest. As soon as I finished my wife said have a look at the Independant. And here http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/a-fight-to-the-death-in-westminster-1666825.html an excellent article by Jerome taylor. As it was written for a deadline they missed a new fact. I have since passed that info on to the independant but who knows if the news desks ever read unsolicited E mails.
The The silence of the lambs the slaughter of innocent tamils
Robin Wood,” The film's title derives from Starling's definitive childhood memory: the young girl's unsuccessful attempt to save one lamb from those waiting to be slaughtered, whose frantic bleating distressed her.”
I started taking photos of 3 Tamil demonstraters at the recent put people first protest. I knew very little of the conflict in Sri Lanka and even now my knowledge is very limited. Since then I have followed the Tamil community as they protest the threat of genocide against their home community back in Sri Lanka.
Innocent civilians are dying. They have no food, they have no medicines and bombs fall on what are designated as safe zones. Where is Clarice starling to save them.
Here in London where I grew up I try to hear but there are so few sounds. Where is the political establishment? Where is the media? Where are the liberal intelligentsia?
Gaza has some similarities and the noise was formidable. On a day to day basis the bells and whistles ring loud and clear.
In the last few days the media only gave reasonable space to the protest when there was a rather minimal clash with the police and a few arrests.
Here is an amazing news story of a Tamil community in Great Britain. Go to the protests and you won’t see hordes of young white students and far left newspaper sellers. In fact you will hardly see any. What you will see is row after row of Tamil families. I have never seen so many prams at a protest.
I went to the demonstration on Westminster bridge at 2 in the morning. There were as usual lots of families as well as quite a few you men in hooded tops etc. Normally at that time in the morning in central London the sight of hoodies would wake up my street survival techniques. Shock and horror for a Londoner everyone was friendly. People were nodding, smiling and asking me who I worked for in the media.
This is remarkable. Yet for the media it is a non story. Sensationalism and celebrity are what they print.
I saw the so called anarchists at the put people first march with their I am hard look and attempts at gross forms of masculinity was supposed to put fear in the establishment. The media photographers were all over them waiting for some little act of violence to provide a nice little story.
Here with the Tamils I see a community of human beings showing the best of what it is to be human. Kindness,warmth, enthusiasm, care, heart, and so much more. I looked at the hunger strikers yesterday and I had trouble not crying for these two young idealistic men. They were not attacking anyone, not strapping a bomb onto their body . They were injuring themselves in order to try and get a respite in the killing for their people.
A questioning and vital fourth estate is a vital part of the democratic process. What is going on.
The The silence of the lambs the slaughter of innocent tamils
Robin Wood,” The film's title derives from Starling's definitive childhood memory: the young girl's unsuccessful attempt to save one lamb from those waiting to be slaughtered, whose frantic bleating distressed her.”
I started taking photos of 3 Tamil demonstraters at the recent put people first protest. I knew very little of the conflict in Sri Lanka and even now my knowledge is very limited. Since then I have followed the Tamil community as they protest the threat of genocide against their home community back in Sri Lanka.
Innocent civilians are dying. They have no food, they have no medicines and bombs fall on what are designated as safe zones. Where is Clarice starling to save them.
Here in London where I grew up I try to hear but there are so few sounds. Where is the political establishment? Where is the media? Where are the liberal intelligentsia?
Gaza has some similarities and the noise was formidable. On a day to day basis the bells and whistles ring loud and clear.
In the last few days the media only gave reasonable space to the protest when there was a rather minimal clash with the police and a few arrests.
Here is an amazing news story of a Tamil community in Great Britain. Go to the protests and you won’t see hordes of young white students and far left newspaper sellers. In fact you will hardly see any. What you will see is row after row of Tamil families. I have never seen so many prams at a protest.
I went to the demonstration on Westminster bridge at 2 in the morning. There were as usual lots of families as well as quite a few you men in hooded tops etc. Normally at that time in the morning in central London the sight of hoodies would wake up my street survival techniques. Shock and horror for a Londoner everyone was friendly. People were nodding, smiling and asking me who I worked for in the media.
This is remarkable. Yet for the media it is a non story. Sensationalism and celebrity are what they print.
I saw the so called anarchists at the put people first march with their I am hard look and attempts at gross forms of masculinity was supposed to put fear in the establishment. The media photographers were all over them waiting for some little act of violence to provide a nice little story.
Here with the Tamils I see a community of human beings showing the best of what it is to be human. Kindness,warmth, enthusiasm, care, heart, and so much more. I looked at the hunger strikers yesterday and I had trouble not crying for these two young idealistic men. They were not attacking anyone, not strapping a bomb onto their body . They were injuring themselves in order to try and get a respite in the killing for their people.
A questioning and vital fourth estate is a vital part of the democratic process. What is going on.
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