18 May 2009
Stories from 18 May 2009
Sri Lanka: Bloggers react to the death of the LTTE leader
The government of Sril Lanka announced via state media and SMS today (Monday, May 18, 2009) afternoon that the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Vellupillai Prabhakaran, is dead. Obituaries of Prabhakaran note that he was a hero to some and a ruthless killer to others. Sri Lankan Bloggers lament on the legacy of this war lord and what his demise means for the future of the Tamil people and Sri Lanka.
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Caribbean: Bloggers React to Walcott's Withdrawal
St. Lucian-born Derek Walcott is truly a West Indian man. He has been embraced by literature lovers of countless other regional territories who identify with his writing and see the nuances of the Caribbean come alive in his work. Which was why his Nobel Prize win for Literature in 1992 seemed like a regional victory - and why his withdrawal from the tight race for the coveted position of Oxford Professor of Poetry has left a bad taste in many bloggers' mouths.
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Myanmar: 150th Anniversary of the Founding of Mandalay City
Mandalay, the last royal capital of Myanmar, celebrated its 150th anniversary with a three-day festival event from May 14 to May 16. GV Author TAN translates a few posts written by bloggers from Myanmar who had witnessed the event.
Uruguay: The Passing of Writer Mario Benedetti
Uruguayan writer and poet Mario Benedetti passed away on May 17 at the age of 88. Benedetti is extremely important to Uruguayan society, especially because of his history as an exile and as an outspoken critic during the military dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s. However, his works transcend borders and he was beloved all across the region. Bloggers remember the man and what his writings meant to them personally and to the region.
I do not support capital punishment, in this instance there have no other alternative. What these killers have done is...