“Sri Lanka tells James Packer: ‘Do not come to our country in your lifetime'” by The Guardian

Sri Lanka’s new government has declared Australian billionaire James Packer unwelcome in the country after the gaming mogul pulled out of building a luxury resort following a ban on new casinos.

via: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/feb/02/sri-lanka-tells-james-packer-do-not-come-to-our-country-in-your-lifetime

“Sri Lanka says it will return private land in civil war area” by Radio Vatican

Sri Lanka’s new government plans to return private land seized by the military in the civil war-ravaged north and release several hundred detainees, a minister said, in an apparent move toward reconciliation with ethnic minority Tamils. Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne told reporters late Wednesday that the government of new President Maithripala Sirisena will ease its military presence, and that unlike the previous administration of President Mahinda Rajapaksa that was defeated in the Jan. 8 election, does not believe military action alone can prevent a resurgence of the rebels. “Especially for the north, we don’t think we need all that security. Our entire concept will be different,” he said. “About the lands in the north … we have already decided whatever acquired for business purposes, other than the security purposes, to give back to the owners.” He said the administration of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, which defeated the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in the civil war, was always concerned about a resurgence of the group. “We don’t think you can stop an LTTE resurrection (just) with an army,” he said. “So spending on security will be very moderate.”

via:http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2015/01/30/sri_lanka_says_it_will_return_private_land_in_civil_war_area/1120770

Appel à contributions – « Frontières et mobilités des hommes et des idées en Asie » JE Jeunes Chercheur.e.s en Etudes Asiatiques

Nous vous rappelons que les 26 et 27 mai prochains, à l’Université de Bordeaux, auront lieu les Journées d’Etudes des Jeunes Chercheurs en Etudes Asiatiques autour de la thématique suivante « Frontières et mobilités des hommes et des idées en Asie ». Vous trouverez l’appel à communications en pièce jointe, la date limite pour soumettre un résumé est le 15 février 2015. Les intervenants pourront bénéficier d’une prise en charge de leurs déplacements, dans la limite du budget disponible, grâce au soutien du GIS Asie et de l’Université de Bordeaux.

Nous vous remercions d’avance de bien vouloir faire suivre cet appel par le biais de vos réseaux. En espérant vous retrouver nombreux!

Bien cordialement,

 JCA_2015_Argumentaire_4

Le comité d’organisation scientifique des Journées d’Etudes des Jeunes Chercheurs en Etudes Asiatiques

Luc Benaiche, Aurélia Desplain, Gwennaël Gaffric et Hou Renyou

chercheurs-asie@sciencesconf.org

Appel à contributions – Journées doctorales Asie du sud de Ecole doctorale de Sciences-Po, le Ceri (Paris) et le CSH (Delhi), 17-19 juin.

Noria South Asia est heureux d’organiser les premières journées doctorales internationales dédiées à l’Asie du sud, à Paris.

Ces journées sont organisées en partenariat avec l’Ecole doctorale de Sciences-Po, le Ceri (Paris) et le CSH (Delhi). Elles se tiendront les 17, 18 et 19 juin 2015.

Veuillez trouver en pièce jointe l’appel à contribution (en anglais) et noter que la date limite de soumission des papiers est fixée au 15 mars 2015.

N’hésitez pas à partager et diffuser cet appel autour de vous.

CallPaperSAGraduateConference#June2015

Funding opportunities for students at SASLI (summer language study in Madison)

Learn a South Asian language this summer!

The South Asia Summer Language Institute (SASLI) based at the University of Wisconsin – Madison is offering intensive summer courses in the following South Asian languages: Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Malayalam, Marathi, Pashto, Sanskrit, Sindhi, Sinhala, Tamil, Telugu, Tibetan and Urdu. Applications for Summer 2015 are now being accepted. The summer 2015 program will run from June 15 – August 7.

Funding

There are three funding options available to students:

***1) FLAS Fellowships, deadline February 13, 2015 – FLAS Application

2) $1000 Fee Remissions, indicate interest when submitting the SASLI online application

3) SASLI Half and Full Remissions, deadline March 15, 2015  – Half/Full Fee Remission Application

Further information about funding can be found on the SASLI website at: http://sasli.wisc.edu/funding.html

Apply to SASLI

Instructions for submitting a complete application packet and the SASLI web application can be found on the SASLI website at http://sasli.wisc.edu/apply.html. Please apply or encourage your students to apply as soon as possible, as faculty hiring is based on student interest.

Any questions can be addressed to SASLI by phone at (608) 261-1194 or by e-mail at sasli@southasia.wisc.edu.

We look forward to your application!

-- 

South Asia Summer Language Institute

B488 Medical Sciences Center
1300 University Avenue
Madison, WI 53706-1532
608.261.1194

sasli.wisc.edu

“Modi to visit Jaffna during Sri Lanka trip” by Meera Srinivasan

After an apparently strained relationship with Colombo during Mr. Rajapaksa’s tenure — predominantly over what India saw as Sri Lanka’s growing proximity to China — New Delhi was quick to welcome and reach out to Colombo’s new dispensation following the January 8 election.

via: http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/south-asia/modi-to-visit-jaffna-during-sri-lanka-trip/article6849872.ece

“Sri Lanka’s NGOs test limits of new freedoms” by IRIN

NGOs faced extreme scrutiny under the previous long-term President Mahinda Rajapaksa, particularly those working on human rights or issues related to the legacy of the conflict in the north. But optimists within the humanitarian community in Sri Lanka believe the early signs auger well for improvements under the new government of Maithripala Sirisena, who promised during the election campaign to arrest the nation’s drift towards dictatorship.

Via http://www.irinnews.org/…/sri-lanka-s-ngos-test-limits-of-n…

“Lanka reaches consensus to implement 13A: Wickremesinghe” by Zee News

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Saturday said political parties have agreed to implement the thirteenth amendment as a solution to end the country’s over three-decade-old ethnic conflict involving the Tamil minority.

via: http://zeenews.india.com/news/south-asia/lanka-reaches-consensus-to-implement-13a-wickremesinghe_1535741.html

“Financialisation, foreign debt and crisis” by Ahilan Kadirgamar

Since the end of the war, Sri Lanka’s economy is being transformed through a rapid process of financialisation. Such widespread financialisation facilitated infrastructure development, a real estate boom linked to urbanisation and expansion of credit leading to increasing indebtedness of the rural population. In short, financialisation contributed to the geographical changes of the economy through beautification of Colombo and infrastructural connectivity of the country. Furthermore, it has changed the class structure of the society with increasing inequality leading to a new wealthy class and an increasingly indebted population.

via: http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150201/business-times/financialisation-foreign-debt-and-crisis-132297.html

“Ensure Safe Return of Refugees to Sri Lanka” by The New Indian Express

The inter-ministerial talks on resolving the woes of the Tamil refugees in India have resumed. This follows the recent meeting external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj had with her Sri Lankan counterpart Mangala Samaraweera in Delhi. The refugee problem is a hangover of the ethnic crisis the island nation had experienced. At one time, there were over three lakh Sri Lankan Tamils in India seeking refugee status. Nearly two-thirds have returned to Sri Lanka or other places. Of the remaining, about 60,000 are in refugee camps enjoying whatever little facilities they are entitled to under UN rules. It is only natural that they want to return to their homeland

via: http://www.newindianexpress.com/editorials/Ensure-Safe-Return-of-Refugees-to-Sri-Lanka/2015/02/02/article2647560.ece

“US Pledges Support for Sri Lanka Reforms” by Reuters

A senior U.S. diplomat pledged support for the new Sri Lankan government’s plans for political and economic reforms, as the two countries try to rebuild relations that had frayed as the previous administration moved closer to China.

via: http://www.voanews.com/content/reu-us-pledges-support-for-new-sri-lanka-government-reforms/2624258.html

“From Bullets to Ballots: The Face of Sri Lanka’s Former War Zone” by Amantha Perera

In four months’ time, Sri Lanka will mark the sixth anniversary of the end of its bloody civil conflict. Ever since government armed forces declared victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on May 19, 2009, the country has savored peace after a generation of war.

via: http://www.ipsnews.net/2015/01/from-bullets-to-ballots-the-face-of-sri-lankas-former-war-zone/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=from-bullets-to-ballots-the-face-of-sri-lankas-former-war

“Sri Lanka’s new government plans fresh war crimes probe” by Shihar Aneez

Sri Lanka is planning an investigation into accusations of human rights abuses in the final stages of a 26-year civil war amid international frustration at the failure to look into numerous civilian deaths, a government spokesman said late on Wednesday.

via: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/29/us-sri-lanka-rights-idUSKBN0L21GQ20150129

“Sri Lanka’s Rainbow Revolution” by Elijah Hoole

Elijah Hoole: “It was around six in the evening. Friendship Villa in the South Eastern University was full of activity. As I made my way through the corridor in search ofdrinking water, a batch mate from Batticaloa beamed at me. He was shaking with excitement. Sinhalese students could be heard shouting from their rooms. I soon came to know the cause of all the commotion: the opposition had unveiled Maithripala Sirisena as the common candidate.”

via: http://storiesofthewind.tumblr.com/post/109775449441/sri-lankas-rainbow-revolution

“Beyond Ganfhi and King: The Secret History of South Asian and African American Solidarity” by blackdesisecrethistory.org

Though anti-black racism is widespread amongst people of South Asian descent and though Gandhi was through and through racist and casteist, this narrative needs to be taken into account too and forms part of a complex history of anti-colonialism and white supremacy:
“South Asians and African Americans have been standing up for each other for over a century. These are the secret histories we were never taught.”

via: http://blackdesisecrethistory.org/