By Nadir Ali Wani* SRINAGAR, India (IDN) – Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet. Which of them would be the first to completely lose its separate and independent identity under the watch of the expansionist Chinese president, Xi Jinping? Critics say while the world pays more attention to Taiwan and Hong Kong and the Ladakh stand-off against […]
China Continues ‘Hanization’ Violating the Freedom of Ethnic Minorities
By Nadir Ali Wani* SRINAGAR, India (IDN) – China claims, as in a 2019 white paper, “Seeking Happiness for People: 70 Years of Progress on Human Rights in China”, that it fully protects the freedom of ethnic minorities to use and develop their spoken and written languages and that the state protects by law the […]
Sri Lanka Bans Cow Slaughter, But Has Yet to Pass Animal Welfare Bill
By Kalinga Seneviratne This article is the 44th in a series of joint productions of Lotus News Features and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship agency of the Non-profit International Press Syndicate. Click here for previous reports. SINGAPORE (IDN) – The Sri Lankan government will be amending the Animal Act after the Cabinet approved a proposal by Prime Minister […]
New Caledonia Votes to Remain a French Colony, But Indigenous Kanakas Smell Independence of the South Pacific Islands
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) – Voters in the South Pacific Islands French colony of New Caledonia have narrowly voted to remain with French rule, but indigenous Kanaks have been celebrating the outcome of October 5 vote as taking a step closer to independence. A third referendum needs to be held in two years’ time […]
Colonialism Is Not Dead, it has Acquired A New Face
Sri Lankan Author of a New Book Warns By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) – In the 19th century, European powers came to Asia and used gunboats and gunpowder along with doublespeak to intimidate and coerce local rulers to accede their land for the European mercantile elites to establish plantations. Sri Lankan born American sociology professor […]
Ladakh Buddhist Monk Leads A Campaign for Peaceful Resolution of Border Conflict
By Kalinga Seneviratne This article is the 43rd in a series of joint productions of Lotus News Features and IDN-InDepthNews, flagship agency of the Non-profit International Press Syndicate. Click here for previous reports. SINGAPORE (IDN) – When India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met on the sidelines of the Shanghai […]
Distinguished Diplomat Kohona Tipped to be Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to China
By Radwan Jakeem NEW YORK | COLOMBO (IDN) – A major overhaul of the heads of Sri Lankan diplomatic missions abroad will come into effect in the next 30 days and new ambassadors have already been handpicked to key embassies abroad. These include New Delhi, Washington DC, Chennai, Tokyo, Beijing and Ottawa, reports Sunday Times. […]
One Nation, Six Governments – COVID-19 Battle Uncovers Australian Federalism
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) – China may have one nation and two systems, but in Australia, it looks like there is one nation and six systems. As the second wave of coronavirus spreads across the continent, the State Premiers have taken unilateral decisions to close borders to travellers from other states to the dismay […]
Powerful Rajapaksa Brothers’ Landslide in Sri Lanka Election Should Get “Liberals” Thinking
By Kalinga Seneviratne SINGAPORE (IDN) – The landslide victory of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP – Sri Lanka Peoples’ Front) led by the Rajapaksa brothers throws a challenge to so-called “liberals” everywhere whose ideology may not be in sync when a huge portion of the electorate vote for a “strong” government rather than a […]
Australia’s COVID-19 Second Wave Blamed on Insecure Jobs
By Kalinga Seneviratne SYDNEY (IDN) – As a serious second wave of COVID-19 with higher daily rates of infections than in March has infected Australia, where some five million people in Melbourne are under lockdown, the Premier of the worst affected Victoria State, Daniel Andrews, has blamed the situation on insecure jobs. Andrews told a […]