Courting the Chinese - Mahinda Rajapaksa meets with China’s Vice Minister

by Rukshana
Jun 28, 2024

Ahead of Sri Lanka’s upcoming elections, the island’s former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has embarked on a four-day tour of China and met with the country’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sun Weidong.

Rajapaksa, who was forced to resign from his post as Prime Minister amidst mass protests in May 2022, was welcomed warmed by Chinese officials. During his meeting with Minister Weidong, the Minister recalled the Chinese premier’s visit to Sri Lanka in 2014, under Mahinda Rajapaksa’s administration.

Beijing formed strong connections with the Rajapaksa clan during their Belt and Road Initiative in 2013. During Rajapaksa’s 2015campaign, at least $7.6 million went directly from a majority state-owned Chinese corporation to the Rajapaksa’s campaign expenditure. Hundreds of thousands of dollars went to pay for “gifts” to supporters of the Rajapaksa and the Chinese ambassador at the time openly campaigned on behalf of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Despite his forced resignation, the former Sri Lankan president has returned to play a leading role in his party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and is reported to be handpicking a candidate for the party to run during the election.

During the discussions, Rajapaksa showered the Chinese with praise stating:

“China's growth rate is setting a benchmark for developing countries such as Sri Lanka. We are impressed by the role that China is playing today in strengthening the economies of countries in Africa. We also follow with interest the leading role that China is now playing in facing up to the challenges of climate change and protection of the environment".

He further claimed that relations between China and Sri Lanka are at the highest levels of friendship and understanding.

China is Sri Lanka's largest bilateral lender owning 52 per cent of the $40 billion external debt when Sri Lanka announced its sovereign default in 2022. China has also played an active role in shielding Sri Lanka from international criticism over its dire human rights record as evidenced by repeated rejections of the United Nations Human Right Council’s resolution.

Rajapaksa is expected to participate in the conference marking the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang.

 

Read more here and here

 

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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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