Michael Roberts The ethnographic ‘nugget’ from Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama recorded by Professor Chandre Dharma-wardana in 2013 has set off a hornet’s nest.[1] In pursuing further inquiries, I have reached the tentative conclusion that Bogollagama has not presented a total fib.[2] He is probably referring to the entry of an US recce team rather than […]

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Michael Roberts, courtesy of Colombo Telegraph, 19 December 2015, where it appears under a different title.   Note that the images deployed here are not found in the CT version, where the  Bibliography is also less expansive. Do also attend to the reasons why I have expanded the Bibliography: viz., a desire to elaborate the concept of sacrificial devotion” ……. ……. […]

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Thoughts” – by Michael Roberts From Daily Mirror Item dec 2014  This is actually from an old news item in the Daily Mirror in late 2014 –perhaps one that was buried in the course of election fever during the Presidential contest. There is an ironic twist here: the astrological wisdom that led His Lordship, Mahinda […]

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Michael Roberts  A latrine built by Sewalanka in Jaffna and a model of the sort that was not adopted by the INGOs who built plywood toilets at Manik Farm (see below) A recent news item, reproduced in full below, brings into our consciousness the defecation practices of the Sri Lankan populace, our people that is. […]

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Michael Roberts, courtesy of Groundviews, where the title is slightly different. The original essay was presented at the 9th International Convention of Asian Scholars held in Adelaide from 5-9th July 2015 and was therefore designed as a 15-minute presentation. Hyperlinks, maps, citations and bibliographical references have been inserted in this version, while pictorial illustrations, with […]

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Michael Roberts As indicated in a previous note within this domain, I keep finding new empirical data on the last phase of Eelam War IV even though I have addressed the topic for over five years. The series of items from SinhaRaja Tammita-Delgoda included in THUPPAHI this week, as well as the biographical note that […]

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Michael Roberts, courtesy of Groundviews, where the title differs and where readers will find critical comments  A scene showing displaced Tamils in makeshift encampments in late 2008(?) or early 2009 as they faced multiple displacements in step with LTTE demands Summarising previous essays (see bibliography below) this article proceeds in point-form with an eye on greater […]

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Michael Roberts, courtesy of Groundviews where it appeared on 7th Nov. 2014.  This Memorandum was sent to Geneva on 14th November and again later and its receipt was acknowledged. The reproduction here contains additional hyperlinks – that is more than the original Memo/GV version. It is also embellished with specific cartographical and pictorial illustrations at […]

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Michael Roberts During the course of my regular visits to Sri Lanka in the 2000s for familial and research purposes I happened to see a television programme that focused on the armed services of Sri Lanka in a captivating manner so as to encourage recruitment. That short burst of pictures and text surprised me. Api […]

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