Top Russian security official and Sri Lankan president discuss 'extremism, terrorism and cyber threats'

by Biranavan
Nov 22, 2021

Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation, Nikolai Patrushev arrived in Sri Lanka today for a three-day visit where he is set to have high profiled discussions with the President and senior Sri Lankan military officials.

The secretary was warmly greeted at the airport by the Secretary of Defence, Kamal Gunaratne and Commander of the Army Shavendra Silva, both of whom stand credibly accused of committing war crimes towards the end of the armed conflict which saw tens of thousands of Tamils killed. The secretary who led a Russian delegation then called on Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The President expressed gratitude for Russia's support of Sri Lanka at UN Humans Rights Council sessions. Gotabaya went on to note that "Sri Lanka is ready to deepen bilateral cooperation in addressing extremism, terrorism, and cyber threats, including sharing of intelligence information and countering terrorist financing". The delegation is set to hold discussions on deepening bilateral security relations between the two countries. Bilateral relations between the two countries have included extensive arms sales from Russia to Sri Lanka, the Sri Lankan military has been purchasing Mi-17 helicopters since at least 1993, according to a military website, with the helicopters regularly having been deployed in military offensives that have killed civilians.

In one such massacre, the Navaly church bombing of 1995 that killed over 140 Tamil civilians, survivors recalled hearing “eight explosions ring out as the helicopters flew past” on the day of the attack.

Read more:  ‘Bombs rolling in the air’ - Remembering the Navaly church massacre

The President then thanked Patrushev for providing 5,000 doses of Sputnik COIVD-19 vaccines and for promoting tourism to the country which saw over 49,000 Russian tourists visit the island. The discussions then turned to trade where the Sri Lankan President had expressed his interest in expanding the country's export range under the Russian GSP scheme. Russian investment into the Colombo Port City and key industries such as the energy, pharmaceutical, ICT, agriculture, Infrastructure, oil and gas exploration and logistics sectors was also called for by the President. In recent months Sri Lankan government officials have explored the possibility of gas and oil exploration in the Mannar basin, as a means of financing debt repayments. 

Russian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Yury Materiy, Deputy Secretaries of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Aleksander Venediktov and Oleg Khramov, Secretary to the President P.B. Jayasundera, Principal Advisor to the President Lalith Weeratunga, Foreign Secretary Admiral Prof. Jayanath Colombage and a team of Russian diplomats were also present at the meeting.

Read more at Army.lk and NewsInAsia.

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Tamil asylum seekers in Australia mark 100 days of continuous protests for permanent visas

Over 200 refugees and supporters marked a significant milestone by marching 10 kilometers from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s office to the Immigration Minister’s office this week, commemorating 100 days of continuous protest.

This demonstration, which culminated in a rally and speeches in Punchbowl, highlighted the plight of refugees denied permanent visas for over 12 years. Speakers at the event shed light on the profound impact of the current system, including barriers to higher education, employment, and access to essential services.

The protest has now entered its 100th day, with Tamil asylum seekers and their supporters continuing their relentless demand for permanent protection. For 38 days, they camped outside Australia’s Minister for Home Affairs, Tony Burke’s office in Sydney, calling on the government to end the visa limbo that has left many without basic rights and stability. Tamil asylum seekers have been in Australia for over a decade, living on short-term visas that must be renewed regularly. Without permanent residency, they are excluded from Medicare—Australia’s universal health insurance scheme—and are denied the right to work, study, travel, or access essential services. Many are also required to report to visa offices weekly.

The crisis is compounded by the controversial 'Fast Track' system introduced in 2014 by the Abbott government. According to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, this system has resulted in the rejection of around 8,500 asylum seekers' cases. It specifically targets individuals who sought asylum by sea and arrived in Australia between August 13, 2012, and December 31, 2013. Tamil asylum seekers, stuck in visa limbo for years, have launched protests nationwide, with 24-hour encampments in Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.

Amaran - Problematic propaganda

amaran

The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

 

 

 

The patriotic military films of Tamil cinema had taken a back seat for a while. The subject matter is now seldom a prominent theme of a film, instead lurking in the shadows peeking through such as via the heroes in the works of Nelson Dilipkumar. The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

The film follows the tale of Major Mukund Varadarajan (Sivakarthikeyan) and his partner Indhu Rebecca Varghese (Sai Pallavi), who meet at college and soon become lovers. Indhu grapples with her lover’s life ambition of becoming a soldier for the Indian army, admiring his courage and more than willing to become his doting wife at home. We then watch as Mukund is stationed in Kashmir and follow along with his various missions in the volatile area. The film’s depiction of the Indian army is one solely made up of heroes rescuing civilians and looking out for the public’s interests. It is not necessary to delve too much into why this is an oversimplified and problematic portrayal.

The central performances by Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi carry the almost three hour film adequately. Despite moments where Sivakarthikeyan lacks the intensity to land highly emotional scenes, the pair deftly share the screen between them, with Pallavi picking up any slack. Another notable performance comes from Geetha Kailasam, a character actor who has featured in many films recently in the role of ‘the mother.’ ‘Amaran’ gives her another opportunity to showcase her own humorous brand of motherhood.

Technically, the film runs smoothly. The film is decently shot and edited. Other than a few overly melodramatic moments, the screenplay is solid, albeit a little superficial. GV Prakash Kumar continues his trend of matching the quality of the film with the quality of his music. The track ‘Hey Minnale’ is an earworm, but the rest of the score and soundtrack does not shine through.

Overall, ‘Amaran’ is a straightforward piece of propaganda. A shot in ‘Amaran’ depicts a soldier of the Indian army blocking a closing door with his rifle. On the other side of the door is a Kashmiri child. To appease the child, the soldier sneaks a chocolate bar through the gap in the doorway. The reverse of this tactic is what director Rajkumar Periasamy employs to hook his audience in: the sweetness of the Penelope-Odysseus relationship between Mukund and Indhu hides the intrusion of the weapon of jingoist ideology. 

Krishna's rating: 2.5 stars

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Official trailer for film below.

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