Reconciliation via sports?
In a bizarre twist and undoubtedly some Sri Lankan "spin" here:
Quote:
Former Tamil Tiger snipers have been selected to represent Sri Lanka in shooting sports at national level. They are among 16 picked at a talent-spotting camp held for ex-fighters last month. Others will represent Sri Lanka in swimming, athletics and cricket.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18831958
R2P by the UN: not here thank you!
A BBC report on an issue that appears to have been swept off the agenda:
Quote:
The United Nations failed in its mandate to protect civilians in the last months of Sri Lanka's bloody civil war, a leaked draft of a highly critical internal UN report says. "Events in Sri Lanka mark a grave failure of the UN," it concludes. The government and Tamil rebels are accused of war crimes in the brutal conflict which ended in May 2009.
Link:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20308610
Interesting tactic by the Sri Lankan state:
Quote:
It also points to the Sri Lankan government's "stratagem of intimidation", including "control of visas to sanction staff critical of the state". The result was a UN system dominated by "a culture of trade-offs" - UN staff chose not to speak out against the government in an effort to try to improve humanitarian access.
Certainly not unique.
Looking back to Sri Lanka's war
Just discovered an old, 2013 review of 'Total Destruction of the Tamil Tigers: The Rare Victory of Sri Lanka's Long War' by Paul Moorcraft; it was in The Spectator, but the only complete online review is elsewhere and is an exact copy:http://sangam.org/review-total-destruction-tigers/
Amazon USA:https://www.amazon.com/Total-Destruc...0%99s+Long+War
Amazon UK:https://www.amazon.co.uk/Total-Destr...paul+moorcraft
Two quotes from the review:
Quote:
The simmering idea that permeates this book, that ultra-violence is a way, albeit a bloody one, effectively to conquer insurgency, is therefore predicated on a false idea that the Tamil issue is now resolved.
Then a list of the 'Colombo's approach' from an Indian expert:
Quote:
Political will
Go to hell (Ignore domestic and international criticism)
But keep important neighbours in the loop
No negotiations
Control the media
No ceasefire
Complete operational freedom
Promote young and able commanders