Making History in Scotland -  Sean Connery

"..My politics come from a simple belief: that my country, Scotland, should have equal status with the nearly 200 other independent countries around the world." more

Sanmugam Sabesan writes from Australia தமிழீழ மக்களின் அழிவுக்குச் சம்பந்தப்பட்ட மேற்குலகமே காரணம்  [also in Real Audio]"தமிழர்களுக்கு உதவி செய்கின்றோம் என்று நிதி வழங்குகின்ற மேற்குலகம், மறுபக்கத்தில் சிறிலங்கா அரசிற்கு ஆயுதங்களையும் இராணுவ உதவிகளையும் வழங்கிக் கொண்டிருப்பது அடிப்படையில் முரண்பாடான விடயமாகும்" more

2. Maritime Balance of Power in the Asia-Pacific: Sam Bateman, Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies, Singapore "...India’s maritime influence is extending eastwards... This is essentially part of its effort to counter any advancement of Chinese naval power in the Indian Ocean. India is also actively developing its strategic relationship with the US and by doing so has further boosted its role in the region. ...unless managed carefully, there are serious long term implications of India’s apparent desire to demonstrate a capability to operate East of Singapore, and China’s similar intentions to operate into the Indian Ocean...” more

3. Strategic Importance of the Indian Ocean for  Australia and Stirling, Cockburn Sound, West Australia

2. Praveen Kumar, Info Edge India Ltd

1. Alfred Thayer Mahan - The Influence of Sea Power upon History, 1660-1783 From a Review by  Harold Y. Grooms at Amazon.com "...Mahan's book has had a tremendous impact on history.  Students trying to ascertain why leaders of those nations acted as they did should read this work.  The elements of sea power are the same today as in 1900 when this book was first published. With a world economy as interdependent as today's, Mahan's principles are as valid as they were in the 1600's and 1700's, perhaps even more so. German war philosopher, Carl von Clausewitz's classic treatise, "On War," is considered a must read for every Army officer. Mahan's work is to the sea-battle as von Clausewitz's is to the land. Historians, military strategists, and architects of America's foreign, economic and national security policies should read this important work to gain insights on the necessity of protecting vital and vulnerable sea lines of communications worldwide. " more

2.Lawrence Paterson - Hitler's Grey Wolves: U-Boats in the Indian Ocean " ...Next to nothing has been written about the U-boat war in the Indian Ocean. This is the story of a forgotten campaign. The battle began in August 1943, when a German submarine arrived in the Malaysian harbour of Georgetown. In total, nearly fourty U-boats were assigned to penetrate the Indian Ocean, serving alongside troops of the occupying Imperial Japanese forces..." more

1. The Rt Revd Kumara Illangasinghe Bishop of Kurunagala & The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera Bishop of Colombo write  to TamilNet 22 May 2007

2. Comment by tamilnation.org, 23 May 2007 "That the Archbishop of Canterbury should be concerned to limit the damage and pain caused by his remarks on 10 May 2007 is understandable - and in some ways welcome. But the letter by the Rt Revd Kumara Illangasinghe Bishop of Kurunagala & The Rt Revd Duleep de Chickera Bishop of Colombo raise additional concerns. They are  right to point out that the Archbishop's statement  must be placed in context..." more

2. Sanumgam Sabesan writes from Melbourne Australia - மகாவம்சம் - சில செய்திகள்

3. Dr.Brian Senewiratne writes from Brisbane, Australia: An Open Letter to Rt Rev Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury on his Comments about  Sri Lanka's 'surgical military action'  "If the physical assault on our people in the North and East is not enough, we now have to put up with the support given to the brutal regime in Colombo from the Head of the Anglican Church, Archbishop Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. He just ‘dropped in’ or, to use his words ‘making a passing visit”. Speaking with the Press, and describing what the GOSL is doing, this is what he said,

“It is undoubtedly inevitable that what you might call surgical military action against terrorism should take place”.

Did he actually say this? I had several emails to say that he did not, and that what he did say was twisted by the Media. These emails included one from a senior Tamil, yes Tamil, Anglican clergyman. What these and other apologists were not aware of was that I actually heard the Archbishop over the BBC Sinhala service..." more

2. Amnesty International on Counter-terrorism and the Rule of Law in the EU "The international community has found it very hard in the past to come up with a consensus on what exactly is meant by "terrorism" due to ideological clashes between states... In a climate where identification as a "terrorist" has such serious implications for the enjoyment of rights (in particular on the right to freedom of assembly and association, freedom of expression, the right to respect for private and family life, the right to basic public services and on the right to liberty and the right to a fair trial) it is crucial that such identification must be based on clear evidence that is capable of being challenged... Amnesty International is concerned that the requirement of legal certainty is not met by the EU Framework Decision on combating terrorism ...." more

2."..Where there is no justice, there will be violence. We decry the need to resort to violence. Those responsible for violence are not those who must resort to it as a last resort. The responsibility of violence rests upon those who deny justice. The resort to arms is justified, but only as a last resort, only after an appeal to reason is no longer available. But when a resort to arms becomes necessary, it should be done with pride and not with shame; it should be used with compassion and not with uncontrolled hate; it must be taken up always with a clear understanding that it is justified only for the sake of liberation of our people and not for the purpose of revenge or suppression of another person's right to life and liberty and self-determination " World Council of Indigenous Peoples, 1984 quoted in Jeff Sluka on National Liberation Movements in Global Perspective, 1996

3. "We are not chauvinists. Neither are we lovers of violence enchanted with war. We do not regard the Sinhala people as our opponents or as our enemies. We recognise the Sinhala nation. We accord a place of dignity  for the culture and heritage of the Sinhala people. We have no desire to interfere in any way with the national life of the Sinhala people or with their freedom and independence. We, the Tamil people, desire to live in our own historic homeland as an independent nation, in peace, in freedom and with dignity." - Velupilllai Pirabaharan, Leader of Tamil Eelam

Sanmugam Sabesan writes from Australia வலியப்போய் ஏமாறுபவர்களும், துணிந்து வந்து ஏமாற்றுபவர்களும் " சமாதானம் என்பது தமிழர்களின் அடிப்படைப் பிரச்சனைகளைத் தீர்க்கா விட்டாலும் பரவாயில்லை, தமிழர்கள் அதில் ஏமாறுகின்ற அளவிற்கு இருந்தால் போதும - என்பதே மேற்குலகின் நிலைப்பாடாக இருக்கின்றது."

 ""The international commmunity is concerned to secure a peace in the island of Sri Lanka which will advance their own political, economic and strategic interests. .. The international community seeks a peace, which even though it does not resolve the basic issues of the Tamil struggle, is sufficient to deceive the Tamil people into thinking that it has - this is the position of the international community..." more

"The most problematic issue relating to terrorism and armed conflict is distinguishing terrorists from lawful combatants" - Terrorism and Human Rights -  Final Report of UN Special Rapporteur, Kalliopi K. Koufa, 25 June 2004

1. Oru Paper on  Sleepless in Colombo

2. Sanmugam Sabesan writes from Australia on இயற்கையின் சீற்றமும், செயற்கையின் சீற்றமும் "..சிறிலங்கா அரசு மீது சில அழுத்தங்களை மேற் கொள்ளுகின்ற மேற்குலகம், அதே வேளை, விடுதலையைக் கோரி நிற்கின்ற தமிழர் தரப்புமீதும் சில அழுத்தங்களை பிரயோகித்து வருகின்றது. .. சிங்கள அரசும் தமிழீழ விடுதலைப்புலிகளும் பேச்சு வார்த்தைகளில் ஈடுபட வேண்டும் என்ற கருத்தை உலக நாடுகள் தொடர்ந்தும் வலியுறுத்தியே வருகின்றன. சிங்களவர்கள் விடுதலைப்புலிகளோடு பேசுவதில் தடை இல்லையென்றால், தமிழர்கள் விடுதலைப் புலிகளோடு பேசுவதில் என்ன தவறு இருக்க முடியும்? " more

2. On the View from Colombo - Wakely Paul from USA