The separatist conflict in Sri Lanka

Sample

Pamela G. Price

In a cultural history which considers the transformation of south Indian institutions under British colonial rule in the nineteenth century, Pamela Price focuses on the two former 'little kingdoms' of Ramnad and Sivagangai which came under colonial governance as revenue estates. She demonstrates how rivalries among the royal families and major zamindari temples, and the disintegration of indigenous institutions of rule, contributed to the development of nationalist ideologies and new political identities among the people of southern Tamil country. The author also shows how religious symbols and practices going back to the seventeenth century were reformulated and acquired a new significance in the colonial context. Arguing for a reappraisal of the relationship of Hinduism to politics, Price finds that these symbols and practices continue to inform popular expectation of political leadership today.

Sample

Paul Hainsworth & Stephen McCloskey

"Originally colonized by the Portuguese, East Timor was brutally invaded and occupied by Indonesian military forces in 1975. According to the UN, this resulted in the death of about a third of the population through massacres, starvation and disease. Subsequent events in Indonesia, however, have given rise to expectations of a fundamental change in its position on East Timor. Considering the potential for change against a backdrop of growing popular and political support for the Timorese cause, this book addresses its emergence as an issue of global importance. The authors set out to show how local, grassroots, individual, organizational and campaign initiatives have contributed to this state of affairs, in the context of an increased international-relations emphasis on ethics, international morality and human rights."--Bloomsbury Publishing.

Sample

John Martinkus

Australian journalist John Martinkus first went to East Timor in 1994, determined to report what was really happening as indonesia brutally suppressed the country's independence movemnet-- creating the highest per capita death toll of any conflict in the 20th century.

Sample

Patrick Day

"Who owned the first newspapers in New Zealand and how did they get started? What were the logistics of such an enterprise? What sort of readership did they attract? What exactly was the role of the newspaper in colonial society? Patrick Day gives a comprehensive account of the evolving forms and functions of newspapers in this crucial period. He describes those changes which saw newspapers shift from being political discussion forums for higher status politicians to profit oriented businesses concerned with advertising and newsgiving. Offering a revealing picture of how power was organised through a nascent press, this book is a significant contribution to our understanding of the forces that shaped journalism." -- Back cover.