The Sri Lankan High Commission in Australia has been busy attempting to compel the University of Monash to withdraw its publishing support for a new book that sheds lights on events that occurred during the final phases of the war in Sri Lanka.
According to the Tamil Refugee Council, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe had met with the university administration and its Vice-Chancellor on two occasions – September 8 and 26 in an attempt to get the university to withdraw their support for the book titled ‘Sri Lanka’s Secrets: How the Rajapaksa regime gets away with murder’ authored by veteran Australian journalist Trevor Grant.
Monash University Publisher Dr. Nathan Hollier has confirmed these meetings, adding that Samarasinghe even met with University Vice Chancellor Professor Magaret Gardner during which he had questioned the university’s selection approval processes for books chosen to be published. It is reported that he had even asked for an official apology from the University for allowing the book to be published.
Prior to the meetings however, the Deputy VC of the University Professor Abid Khan had written to Samarasinghe, rejecting his calls for censorship, pointing out that authors are free to publish their work through the Monash University without fear from institutional discipline and had added that the book however does not represent the University’s official stance.
Samarasinghe however had been asked to write a response to the book on the university website, as it would provide a chance to shed light on any errors or misinterpretations, which he in turn had rejected.
Sylvia Haik / November 17, 2014
Australians are a courageous lot. Even Mrs.Thatcher failed to stop them publishing “Spycatcher” as it contained UK’s espionage secrets she wanted kept secret. MaRa and his cohorts have no chance of censoring “Sri Lanka’s Secrets” in Australia. Only place he might succeed is Sri Lanka because of thuggish reprisals from members of this government’s Rent-a-Mob.
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Amarasiri / November 19, 2014
SL High Commissioner In Australia Tries To Block The Book “Sri Lanka’s Secrets”
Great. Let the facts be known.
“The Sri Lankan High Commission in Australia has been busy attempting to compel the University of Monash to withdraw its publishing support for a new book that sheds lights on events that occurred during the final phases of the war in Sri Lanka.”
Dear Australians, can you produce a Common sense pamphlet for Sri Lanka…. Looks like the Sri Lankan writers are not interested…that is the standard of literacy and literature in Sri Lanka. After all what can you expect from a country whose average i. Q, is 79?
Common Sense (pamphlet)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Sense_(pamphlet)
Common Sense[1] is a pamphlet written by Thomas Paine in 1775–76 that inspired people in the Thirteen Colonies to declare and fight for independence from Great Britain in the summer of 1776. In clear, simple language it explained the advantages of and the need for immediate independence. It was published anonymously on January 10, 1776, at the beginning of the American Revolution and became an immediate sensation. It was sold and distributed widely and read aloud at taverns and meeting places. Washington had it read to all his troops, which at the time had surrounded the British army in Boston. In proportion to the population of the colonies at that time (2.5 million), it had the largest sale and circulation of any book published in American history.[2]
Common Sense presented the American colonists with an argument for freedom from British rule at a time when the question of whether or not to seek independence was the central issue of the day. Paine wrote and reasoned in a style that common people understood. Forgoing the philosophical and Latin references used by Enlightenment era writers, he structured Common Sense as if it were a sermon, and relied on Biblical references to make his case to the people.[3] He connected independence with common dissenting Protestant beliefs as a means to present a distinctly American political identity.[4] Historian Gordon S. Wood described Common Sense as “the most incendiary and popular pamphlet of the entire revolutionary era”.[5]
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Rupathy / November 17, 2014
By trying to block the book they are making it more popular. If someone try to make a movie out they will block it as well. Then the movie will well.
Civilized world has “Freedom of Speech”. Sri Lanka has “Rajapaksa Speech”
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Piranha / November 18, 2014
Is Thisara Samarasinghe’s involvement in the war crimes revealed in the book? Was he the commander of the Sri Lankan navy during the war that shelled the trapped civilians in the so called ‘no fire zones’?
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sach / November 23, 2014
how does a navy shell a ground target idiot?
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Piranha / November 18, 2014
Excellent cover photo of the Pol Pot of Sri Lanka!
His face shows the evil deeds that he is capable of.
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CHANAKYAN / November 18, 2014
The so called head who presided over naval ratings had obviously not moved with intellectuals and much less associated himself with the likes of a Vice Chancellor. Little does he know that intellectual freedom is the bedrock of a university. He refuses to understand even after the Deputy VC instructs him.
It is a disgrace to the country and the polity he represents for his gumption to call for an apology from a University. It is the University that should call for an apology in a stubborn defence of its academic freedom. Freedom of thought, speech and of publication are never to be compromised before anyone of little learning.
It is the HC who owes an apology for willful and intemperate foray into unfamiliar territory. It is clear that the HC is completely at sea in academic circles.
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j.thavarajah / November 18, 2014
CHANAKYAN.
Admirals are in general at sea.On Terra Firma they lose their balance and invariably put their foot in the mouth!
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The Professional / November 19, 2014
Books are means for authors to have a dialogue with the readers, who have the right to agree or disagree with the content. When the publisher is an internationally well recognized university, the peer review should vet it prior to publication. It would be prudent for the High Commissioner to study the previous publications of the same university to find out whether the book has been approved with subtle malice.
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Jazzy / November 19, 2014
Maybe the Admiral thought he could persuade the vice Chancellor by threatening him with the white van. He forgot he was in a developed country that respects
freedom of speech among other things and not in a Banana Republic!!To become an “Admiral” you should be “admired” and not be the pimp to your boss. Have some guts to say No! sometimes the people will respect you for it.
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MirakRajBanda / November 19, 2014
I have already ordered the book through Amazon.com.
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Upasiri de Silva / November 20, 2014
It is very unfortunate that Sri Lankan High Commissioner in Australia, Admral Tisara Samarasinghe without checking how independently Australian Universities operate in publishing reports, has got into an unwanted dog fight with a University in Victoria. As Tisara never discussed this problem with the Sri Lankan Academics in that University, to get a feed back but in Sri Lankan style thought he can bulldoze the Uni and stop the publication. If it was a car rear Diplomat, he should have taken a very different approach and should have got better results than what happened to Tisara.
Political appointees like Tisara and others in various countries should have to learn about the country they serve better than what Tisara thought to be.
Most probably Tisara should have got a direct order from Gotabaya to stop this publication as it is going against him and Tisara without checking how Australian Universities work has now created a big noice and a very bad reputation for SL, as every one including myself is now aware that what is in this publication may be the actual truth.
Tisara and his former boss GOTABAYA has created a very serious situation for the Sri Lankan students studying in Australian Universities as well as for the Academics who is teaching in other Univerities to hide their faces from the Australian students and other Academics. This is a very good chance for Tisara to learn about how Australian Democracy works, without following the Rajapaksa orders.
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sach / November 23, 2014
trevor grant is an uneducated fellow who write things without doing much research. He once made personal insults at SLn cricketers. trying to block this man’s book kinda gives publicity to the book
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