How they Exacerbate Ethnic Tension

by Samir Pasha and Naga Kandiah, Jurist

Much controversy surrounds the use of the flags associated with the Sri Lankan peoples, mainly because they are loaded with ethnic symbolism in a country recovering from a generation-long civil war along ethno-nationalist lines. The flags of concern here all feature big cats as central to their designs.

Big cats, wherever they occur, have been objects of reverence. Even where they are not native, their sheer power, grace, agility, ferocity and strength have enabled them to establish a place in the mythos and heraldry of many nations. Of interest to the Sri Lankan story are three species of big cat: the leopard, the lion and the tiger. We will briefly examine them in that order.

Of the three species, only one is currently resident in Sri Lanka—the Sri Lankan leopard (Panthera pardus kotiya). Strangely, it does not feature in the ethnic heraldry of the country anywhere near as much as its relatives do. As the subspecies name suggests, the Sinhala word for leopard is kotiya, a word which is also commonly (although not entirely accurately) used to denote the tiger—especially as a derogatory term directed at Tamils. The leopard is significant in Hinduism, however, as the animal from which the god Shiva's garments are made, and the god is frequently depicted meditating upon a leopard's skin.

Anti-authoritarian Voices in Uprising against the Dictatorship

by Bill Weinberg, Fifth Estate

The former Soviet republic of Belarus exploded into angry protests last August in the wake of contested presidential elections that resulted in a totally implausible landslide victory for long-ruling strongman Alexander Lukashenko. Police, riot squads and army troops unleashed harsh repression, using rubber bullets, flash-bang grenades and water-hoses against demonstrators in the capital Minsk and other cities.

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, was challenged in the Aug. 9 election by opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya—a surprise replacement for her husband Sergei, a popular blogger who was arrested after he attempted to launch a presidential campaign. She held large rallies in Minsk and other cities, riding a groundswell of popular discontent with Lukashenko. After the vote, Tikhanovskaya was expelled by the Belarusian KGB to Lithuania, as spontaneous protests broke out. From exile, Tikhanovskaya issued a call for continued protests to force Lukashenko from power.

by Anne Bloomberg, Jurist

On March 12, the Biden Administration designated Myanmar for Temporary Protective Status (TPS). Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro  Mayorkas said, "Due to the military coup and security forces’ brutal violence against civilians, the people of Burma are suffering a complex and deteriorating humanitarian crisis in many parts of the country." A few days earlier, Venezuela was designated for Temporary Protective Status. The Secretary cited the fact that Venezuela is "a country in turmoil, unable to protect its own citizens."

Haiti is currently experiencing a constitutional crisis. Haitian judges, lawyers, and civil society largely agree that President Jovenel Moїse's term legally ended in February of 2021. Moїse argues that he has one more year due to a delay in his taking office caused by a rerun of the election. Postponement of the 2019 elections, arguably due to the government's mismanagement, means there is no functioning parliament and Moїse is ruling by decree. The United Nations has expressed concern over declining judicial independence. Moїse is calling for a vote on constitutional reforms that will shift the balance between the executive and legislative branches. A referendum on the changes is scheduled for June.