International Reader Research Articles

Legal Consequences of the Judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Case C-432/21

This article synthetically discusses the judgment of the Court of Justice of the European Union of 2 March 2023 in case C-432/21. It aims to familiarise international readers with this issue, which might be a contribution to an academic, international discussion in this field, significant in the era of climate change. The author first indicates the role of forests in climate policy and considers the socio-economic conditions of the current situation of forests in Poland. Then, the international reader will be introduced to the most critical issues related to the judgment that concern the Polish legal order, i.e., forest management and the code of good practices in forests. In the next part, she moves on to the essential elements of the legal basis for the complaint filed by the European Commission against Poland and shows grounds of action and the operative part of the judgment. Then, the most important points of the parties’ arguments were briefly presented. In addition, reference will be made to the legal consequences of issuing the judgment in question.

Shatila as a Campscape: The Transformation of Bare Lives into “Agent Lives” in Shatila Stories

Shatila camp in Beirut was founded in 1949 and now houses up to 40,000 refugees. In 2017, the Peirene Press publisher Meike Ziervogel and London-based Syrian editor Suhir Hedal travelled to the camp to hold a three-day creative writing workshop in which nine Syrian and Palestinian refugees participated. The result is Shatila Stories (2018), a brilliant piece of collaborative fiction translated from Arabic to English by Naswa Gowanlock. It is a hybrid between a novel and a short story collection, in which refugee voices are given the chance to speak up, share their stories, and negotiate their identities. This article examines Shatila Stories (2018) as a book that highlights Shatila as a campscape (Diana Martín). These stories show that the camp, as Adam Ramadan argues, is not empty of law and political life, but rather it is a meaningful space produced by who and what is in it, and how they interrelate and interact. Shatila Stories is, indeed, an effective platform that allows readers to understand how refugees’ conflicts and thoughts are processed and the ways in which refugees in Shatila accept and embody the camp’s liminality and their border subject identity to gain agency and resist the restrained passivity to which they are often relegated. Ultimately, my analysis pays attention to how these stories encourage the renegotiation of the refugees’ selfhood and counter Agamben’s perception of refugees as “bare lives” by portraying them as autonomous, active and humanized individuals in the eyes of the international reader.

نظرية التلقي وإشكالية السياق الغائب: ترجمة الأدب ومعضلة الفراغات النصية

Translating literature is an issue that has both positive and negative outcomes, the positive is exhibited in introducing national literature to the world and allowing the reader to have an access to other national literature. The negative outcome is related to several arguments that claim the untranslatability of certain literary elements, therefore the literary experience of reading a literary work differ among international readers as a result of jeopardizing the original work's thoughts and style. However, reading literary works requires an understanding and an interpretation in order to enjoy. This paper argues that the international reader, a reader who read literature through translation, have a very different aesthetic experience that we could call incomplete or misguided. In attempt to demonstrate that, this article aims to highlight some problematic aspects in Reception Theory, using Jauss' model as a main focus on this paper, specifically when dealing with literature in translation. Translations from, or to, Arabic are presented for the purpose of this study.

An International Non-Inferiority Study for the Benchmarking of AI for Routine Radiology Cases: Chest X-ray, Fluorography and Mammography.

An international reader study was conducted to gauge an average diagnostic accuracy of radiologists interpreting chest X-ray images, including those from fluorography and mammography, and establish requirements for stand-alone radiological artificial intelligence (AI) models. The retrospective studies in the datasets were labelled as containing or not containing target pathological findings based on a consensus of two experienced radiologists, and the results of a laboratory test and follow-up examination, where applicable. A total of 204 radiologists from 11 countries with various experience performed an assessment of the dataset with a 5-point Likert scale via a web platform. Eight commercial radiological AI models analyzed the same dataset. The AI AUROC was 0.87 (95% CI:0.83-0.9) versus 0.96 (95% CI 0.94-0.97) for radiologists. The sensitivity and specificity of AI versus radiologists were 0.71 (95% CI 0.64-0.78) versus 0.91 (95% CI 0.86-0.95) and 0.93 (95% CI 0.89-0.96) versus 0.9 (95% CI 0.85-0.94) for AI. The overall diagnostic accuracy of radiologists was superior to AI for chest X-ray and mammography. However, the accuracy of AI was noninferior to the least experienced radiologists for mammography and fluorography, and to all radiologists for chest X-ray. Therefore, an AI-based first reading could be recommended to reduce the workload burden of radiologists for the most common radiological studies such as chest X-ray and mammography.

The Portuguese Rainbow: LGBTQI+ Rights and Experiences

Portugal has made a remarkable progress in promoting the rights of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer and Intersex (LGBTQI+) people since the turn of the century. However, the knowledge produced in social science on the experiences of LGBTQI+ people in Portugal demonstrate the shortcomings and challenges of the transition from legal rights to lived experience. This issue is built around the rights as they relate to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression and sexual characteristics and to the experiences of LGBTQI+ people in Portugal, contextualized at the European and international level. The issue includes articles that, taken as a whole, provide domestic and international reader’s critical knowledge about the LGBTQI+ community and lives in Portugal by the hand of some of the country’s leading scholars in this area.

Performing «Polishness»

This article is a review of Dariusz Kosiński’s Performing Poland: Rethinking Histories and Theatres (Aberystwyth 2019). The author points out that the book is an attempt at introducing several centuries of Polish theatre and performance to an international reader. It is divided into five sections which overlap chronologically, altogether creating a comprehensive presentation of Polish theatre. These sections are: theatre of festivities, theatre of fundamental questions, national theatre, political theatre, and theatre of the cultural metropolis. The author, however, draws attention to a problematic issue in Kosiński’s approach. Throughout the book he emphasizes the role of theatre and performance in asserting Polish national identity while ignoring the complex, multi-faceted character of any national identity.

Less but Better? Teaching Maths in Further Education and Collateral Growth

The paper presents and explores the experience of maths students studying in a context shaped by a core concept maths curriculum. The three vignettes that illuminate experience are drawn from a larger research project that worked with five teachers and 630 learners aged 16–18 in Further Education classrooms in England. Analysis involved distinguishing different understandings of being good at maths, different views of a good maths curriculum and identifying enablers and barriers to being a ‘successful’ maths student. Dewey’s ideas about focused experience and collateral learning were used to deepen this analysis. The paper reports a surprising finding. In some cases, students recognize the positive impact learning maths had on developing their wider human capabilities. Maths teachers in England, working in the context of ‘new public management’, may find reasons to take heart from the accounts of teaching and learning presented. For the international reader who is grappling with the challenge of reengaging maths students, the accounts of what matters to students could spur a reconsideration of priorities and practice.

The Adolescent Exotic: Reading New Zealand in David Hair’s “Aotearoa series” (2009–2014)

ABSTRACTNew Zealand adolescent fiction faces problems when it enters the global literary market, but not just predictable problems of uncertain comprehension when national borders are crossed. Cultural difference attracts the attention of the international reader, but raises anxieties about commodification of the text and its culture. David Hair’s “Aotearoa series” is anchored in a New Zealand past, largely revising history in line with Māori myths. In this modified fantasy, Aotearoa becomes an imaginary, secondary world to which the protagonist switches to discover something of himself, his Māori heritage, and the colonial enterprise in New Zealand. Hair’s novels display the glamour of their cultural difference, offering an international reader the lure of the foreign – an instance of the postcolonial exotic – which may improve their chances of selling in the overcrowded, global market for adolescent fiction, but perhaps at the cost of damaging, ideological confusion.

Forensic psychiatry and mental health in Australia: an overview.

This article reviews the development of forensic psychiatry and mental health services in Australia for the international reader. It covers the legacy of a series of colonial systems that have contributed to a modern health service that interacts with justice systems. The development of relevant legislation, hospitals, prison services, community, and courts services is reviewed. The training and academic development of professionals is covered. Gaps in service delivery and future directions are considered.

Hong Kong: A Recommended Reading List

TO CURATE A reading list of ten to fifteen Hong Kong books that will inspire the international reader of literature is no easy task. For one thing, ten to fifteen is an arbitrary range, and for someone who has devoted so much time and her writing to her birth city, I am keenly aware there are many other titles that could and even should be on this list. But to curate is a curious task, and what I’ve selected might be best defined by this OED example: We are conscious of the debt we owe to those who built what we are now privileged to curate (1985, M. Diamond). A brief word on selection and presentation criteria: only four of the fifteen titles are translations of Chinese literature. Hong Kong’s literature has a short history, and translations of literary work are sadly lacking . At this time, Chinese is still not quite the global language that English is, and in time, we can only hope that this translation oversight will be rectified. Likewise, only four titles are poetry; the rest are prose. It is worth noting that there are significantly more volumes of poetry than literary prose works, and a list of only poetry titles would be a worthwhile one for a poet to curate. Generally , I have chosen work that best showcases the true character of the city through perspectives that are local/global. Some titles are not necessarily the most well-known Hong Kong books in the genre. However, anglophone publishing has favored books by foreigners that are often exoticized depictions , more genre than literary. The list is chronologically arranged by English-language publication date and begins in the mid-twentieth century, which is when, I feel, a truly Hong Kong literature first began to emerge, although the earliest books are by Chinese foreigners who were temporary residents. For obvious reasons, I did not include any of my own titles. Han Suyin A Many Splendored Thing (1952) Fiction – Novel This story of an interracial adulterous affair is one of the least sentimental portraits of postwar Hong Kong. Based on the author’s actual experience (she was a Eurasian medical doctor), it is also a feminist view of the modern Chinese woman. C. Y. Lee The Virgin Market (1965) Fiction – Novel This surprising novel by the Chinese author of the better-known Flower Drum Song is a rare and insightful look at an out-ofwedlock Eurasian red-haired girl raised in Hong Kong’s fishing folk boat community. Leung Ping-kwan City at the End of Time Trans. Gordon T. Osing with the author (1992 / 2012) Poetry If Hong Kong has a poet laureate, it would be the late “PK” or “Ya Se” as he was known. His work is canonical. He honors the Cantonese language and investigates the city from many angles. Nury Vittachi Only in Hong Kong (1993) Nonfiction – Satire This Sri Lankan comic author is a longtime resident who chronicles the comedy of bilingualism, colonialism, and Hong Kong’s mercantile character. Simon Elegant A Chinese Wedding (1994) Fiction – Novel Of the myriad novels by journalists, sinologists , foreign residents, and visitors—some Hong Kong A Recommended Reading List by Xu Xi COVER FEATURE HONG KONG 74 WLT SPRING 2019 good, many indifferent, and the majority dreadful—this one stands out as one of the most sympathetic explorations of an EastWest marriage, primarily from the foreign woman’s point of view. It is also an excellent portrayal of the complexity of being a “typical” Hong Kong Chinese man who is westernized but not. Plus, it beautifully details Cantonese food culture in the wedding banquet. Xi Xi My City: A Hong Kong Story Trans. Eva Hung (1994) Fiction – Novel No book celebrates the city the way My City does. Surreal, fantastical, wry, and deliciously detailed, no writer gets inside Hong Kong’s head and heart quite the way Xi Xi can. Ackbar Abbas Hong Kong: Culture and the Politics of Disappearance (1997) Nonfiction – Cultural Studies Twenty-two years later, this book remains the most prescient and incisive commentary on the cultural and political reality of Hong Kong. Louise Ho New Ends Old Beginnings (1997) Poetry To date, this...

Hong Kong: A Recommended Reading List

TO CURATE A reading list of ten to fifteen Hong Kong books that will inspire the international reader of literature is no easy task. For one thing, ten to fifteen is an arbitrary range, and for someone who has devoted so much time and her writing to her birth city, I am keenly aware there are many other titles that could and even should be on this list. But to curate is a curious task, and what I’ve selected might be best defined by this OED example: We are conscious of the debt we owe to those who built what we are now privileged to curate (1985, M. Diamond). A brief word on selection and presentation criteria: only four of the fifteen titles are translations of Chinese literature. Hong Kong’s literature has a short history, and translations of literary work are sadly lacking . At this time, Chinese is still not quite the global language that English is, and in time, we can only hope that this translation oversight will be rectified. Likewise, only four titles are poetry; the rest are prose. It is worth noting that there are significantly more volumes of poetry than literary prose works, and a list of only poetry titles would be a worthwhile one for a poet to curate. Generally , I have chosen work that best showcases the true character of the city through perspectives that are local/global. Some titles are not necessarily the most well-known Hong Kong books in the genre. However, anglophone publishing has favored books by foreigners that are often exoticized depictions , more genre than literary. The list is chronologically arranged by English-language publication date and begins in the mid-twentieth century, which is when, I feel, a truly Hong Kong literature first began to emerge, although the earliest books are by Chinese foreigners who were temporary residents. For obvious reasons, I did not include any of my own titles. Han Suyin A Many Splendored Thing (1952) Fiction – Novel This story of an interracial adulterous affair is one of the least sentimental portraits of postwar Hong Kong. Based on the author’s actual experience (she was a Eurasian medical doctor), it is also a feminist view of the modern Chinese woman. C. Y. Lee The Virgin Market (1965) Fiction – Novel This surprising novel by the Chinese author of the better-known Flower Drum Song is a rare and insightful look at an out-ofwedlock Eurasian red-haired girl raised in Hong Kong’s fishing folk boat community. Leung Ping-kwan City at the End of Time Trans. Gordon T. Osing with the author (1992 / 2012) Poetry If Hong Kong has a poet laureate, it would be the late “PK” or “Ya Se” as he was known. His work is canonical. He honors the Cantonese language and investigates the city from many angles. Nury Vittachi Only in Hong Kong (1993) Nonfiction – Satire This Sri Lankan comic author is a longtime resident who chronicles the comedy of bilingualism, colonialism, and Hong Kong’s mercantile character. Simon Elegant A Chinese Wedding (1994) Fiction – Novel Of the myriad novels by journalists, sinologists , foreign residents, and visitors—some Hong Kong A Recommended Reading List by Xu Xi COVER FEATURE HONG KONG 74 WLT SPRING 2019 good, many indifferent, and the majority dreadful—this one stands out as one of the most sympathetic explorations of an EastWest marriage, primarily from the foreign woman’s point of view. It is also an excellent portrayal of the complexity of being a “typical” Hong Kong Chinese man who is westernized but not. Plus, it beautifully details Cantonese food culture in the wedding banquet. Xi Xi My City: A Hong Kong Story Trans. Eva Hung (1994) Fiction – Novel No book celebrates the city the way My City does. Surreal, fantastical, wry, and deliciously detailed, no writer gets inside Hong Kong’s head and heart quite the way Xi Xi can. Ackbar Abbas Hong Kong: Culture and the Politics of Disappearance (1997) Nonfiction – Cultural Studies Twenty-two years later, this book remains the most prescient and incisive commentary on the cultural and political reality of Hong Kong. Louise Ho New Ends Old Beginnings (1997) Poetry To date, this...

Sustainable Companies: Possibilities and Barriers in Norwegian Company Law

Climate change is a case in point for the necessity of working towards a sustainable development; towards achieving economic development and social justice within the non-negotiable limits of our planet, as is the biodiversity crisis. Norway, home of Gro Harlem Brundtland, chair of the UN-appointed Commission that through its report “Our Common Future” put sustainable development on the global agenda, prides itself on being an environmentally-friendly nation. Although Norway does have a good international repute, its oil-based economy makes the challenge of achieving a smooth transition to a sustainable economy (in the environmental and social sense as well as the economic) no less for Norway than for other countries. In such a transition, business will inevitably need to play an important role. The vast impact that the operations of companies today, on an aggregated level, have on the global economy, on society in general and on the biosphere and the atmosphere, means that a critical analysis of the purpose of companies and the regulatory framework within which they operate is crucial to a deeper understanding of the correlation between society and sustainable development. The company is the most important private legal vehicle to gather capital, generate profits and redistribute income in the world. Companies are also the main contributors to anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through their choices concerning research and development, their use of resources, their production and transportation, and their – and the end users' – use and recycling or discharge of products. In other words, companies are a major contributor to the problem. They can also become a key factor in finding the solution. The discussion of how to resolve this should rise above and go beyond the corporate social responsibility (CSR) debate. As a part of the work in the Oslo-based research project Sustainable Companies, this paper therefore maps the possibilities and barriers in the Norwegian legal framework for companies for promoting sustainable companies in the environmental sense. The aim of the project is to find out how to better integrate environmental concerns into the decision-making in companies. The core focus of the papers, as of the project itself, is the hither-to to a great extent ignored area of company law. This first section of the paper goes on to set out the backdrop: the Norwegian corporate scene and the legal sources and their inherent methodological challenges, for the guidance of the international reader. Section 2 analyses core company law issues relevant to the integration of environmental concerns in companies, including the purpose of the company and the company interest, and the competences of the various company organs. Section 3 analyses the important supportive area of reporting, accounting and auditing, which is the current compromise solution for those wishing companies to act more responsibly. Section 4 discusses liability and enforcement related to these rules and other means of promoting environmental sustainability in companies, while Section 5 briefly assesses other potential incentives and disincentives. Section 6 and 7 assesses the potential barriers and possibilities in the Norwegian regulation of groups of companies, while Section 8 concludes.

Basin structures and sediment accumulation in the Baikal Rift Zone: Implications for Cenozoic intracontinental processes in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

In this paper we present a review of sedimentological, geomorphological, lithological, geochronological and geophysical data from major, minor and satellite basins of the Baikal Rift Zone (BRZ) and discuss various aspects of its evolution. Previously, the most detailed sedimentological data have been obtained from the basins of the central BRZ, e.g., Baikal, Tunka and Barguzin, and have been used by many scientists worldwide. We add new information about the peripheral part and make an attempt to provide a more comprehensive view on BRZ sedimentation stages and environments and their relations to local and regional tectonic events. A huge body of sedimentological data was obtained many years ago by Soviet geologists and therefore is hardly accessible for an international reader. We pay tribute to their efforts to the extent as the format of a journal paper permits. We discuss structural and facial features of BRZ sedimentary sequences for the better understanding of their sedimentation environments. In addition, we review tectono-sedimentation stages, neotectonic features and volcanism of the region. Finally, we consider the key questions of the BRZ evolution from the sedimentological point of view, in particular, correlation of Mesozoic and Cenozoic basins, bilateral growth of the Baikal rift, Miocene sedimentation environment and events at the Miocene/Pliocene boundary, Pliocene and Pleistocene tectonic deformations and sedimentation rates. The data from deep boreholes and surface occurrences of pre-Quaternary sediments, the distribution of the Pleistocene sediments, and the data from the Baikal and Hovsgol lakes sediments showed that 1) BRZ basins do not fit the Mesozoic extensional structures and therefore hardly inherited them; 2) the Miocene stage of sedimentation was characterized by low topography and weak tectonic processes; 3) the rifting mode shifted from slow to fast at ca. 7–5Ma; 4) the late Pleistocene high sedimentation rates reflect the fast subsidence of basin bottoms.

Editorial: Past, Present, and Future of Science, Mathematics, Engineering, and Technology Education Research and Practice in South Korea

This Special Issue of Eruasia Journal of Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education offers ten articles addressing issues that are currently emerging in Korea and that will be a continued focus for teacher educators and researchers in the years to come. The papers in this issue represent the efforts of 31 researchers, from four different countries and more than 18 universities and research institutes. The papers were selected to offer the international reader perspectives on a broad range of educational issues in Korea. These works highlight current trends in research in different STEM related disciplines, issues in teacher education and professional development, and they provide a socio-historical context for making sense of Korean students’ achievement in math and science on international comparative exams and on national assessments. Finally, this issue includes a special focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Education, Arts, and Mathematics) education.

Konzernrecht: An Overview of the German Regulation of Corporate Groups and Resulting Liability Issues

More than half a century ago German law acted as a pioneer by introducing a comprehensive codification on corporate groups. In several ways this set of rules, known as Konzernrecht, differs significantly from the regulation of groups in other jurisdictions and has, over the course of time, faced a number of challenges. The article introduces the international reader to German Konzernrecht and its liability rules as well as recent contentious issues. A basic knowledge of these rules is relevant not only for lawyers who encounter German subsidiaries in international groups, but some peculiarities of German law should also be taken into account by future European legislation. The article portrays the German law on groups by using the two most relevant constellations as examples: At first, the rules that apply in case a German stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft – AG) is used as an affiliate are examined. Subsequently the focus shifts to German limited liability companies (Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung – GmbH) as subsidiaries. In the process, particular emphasis is given to the most distinctive feature of German Konzernrecht, the division into contract-based groups and non-contractual de facto groups. It is demonstrated that the legal consequences vary considerably depending on whether the relationship between parent and subsidiary is governed by a contract or not. This is true not only regarding the protection of the subsidiary’s minority shareholders and creditors but also with respect to the management regime. While the rules concerning stock corporations as subsidiaries can be found in statutory law, the situation is almost the opposite regarding subsidiary GmbHs. The article shows how, in the absence of statutory regulations, judicial decisions have shaped the law in this area. The article concludes by highlighting potential areas of conflict between German Konzernrecht and proposed European legislation regarding related party transactions.

Arthur Ransome and Dmitri Mitrokhin: Translating the Russian Folktale

This paper focuses on Arthur Ransome’s and Dmitri Mitrokhin’ s collaboration in translating the Russian folktales. Old Peter’s Russian Tales (1916), Ransome’ s first serious (and sustained) success, was the translation product of his early sojourns in Russia, illustrated by Dmitri Mitrokhin. The aims of the research are threefold: (1) to explore the cooperation between the British translator and the Russian artist in translating Russian folktales as an insight into the intense British-Russian dialogues of the time; (2) to examine the interaction of the translated texts and the images in terms of the translation strategy employed, as well as the influences of the contemporaneous tastes and trends; (3) to gain a better understanding of the translator’s agency and human interaction in building an important link between the cultures and the countries. The research has required close reading of primary and secondary sources, including archival materials, as well as the textual analysis of the translated stories, the translator’s correspondence and other papers pertaining to his micro-history. These latter are used to explore the interplay of the translated text and the pictures against the background of personal, as well as wider British-Russian cultural interaction at the turn of the twentieth century.Ransome’s book of over three hundred pages was illustrated with Mitrokhin’s seven full-page coloured pictures and twenty nine black and white head-pieces and end-pieces, which the author found admirable and his publishers were pleased with, though later editions would be illustrated by the other artists as well. Ransome’s translation strategy in retelling the Russian tales to his young reader at home was largely domesticating; however, he was careful to convey their culturally specific character, which was enhanced by Mitrokhin’s effort to acquaint the foreign reader with the Russian peasant world. The main result achieved is that the examination of the interplay between the text and the picture shows the specific relevance of aesthetically and emotionally powerful images in rendering the culturally distinct character of folktales. This is, therefore, a case study of the intercultural dialogue between the translator and the artist which produced an interesting interpretation of Russian folklore for the international reader and made an important contribution to the cultural links between the countries.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS (PPPs) AND CONCESSIONS OF PUBLIC SERVICES IN BRAZIL

This paper examines the current regulation of public-private partnerships (PPPs) and concessions of public services inBrazil. Under the Brazilian Constitution, certain public utility services and infrastructure works must be provided or built either directly by the government or through a government franchise. Such franchise takes the form of either concessions or PPPs. The difference between the two is based on the form of government contribution. PPPs are concessions in which part or all of the concessionaire’s compensation is paid by the government and does not come directly from the revenue gained through the service or work at issue. These contractual arrangements are available and actually employed throughout all government levels inBrazil. Most of the government activity in these areas in the past 20 years has adopted a concession or PPP format. By analyzing the main features of the Brazilian concession and PPP system, this paper aims to offer the international reader an introductory view of the legal framework behind most large-scale investments in Brazilian infrastructure.

Proof of foreign law before Icelandic courts: a change of course?

This article looks at the rules on proof of foreign law before Icelandic courts. It provides a detailed discussion on the methods available to ascertain foreign law in civil proceedings, as well as a concise comparison to several relevant jurisdictions. The methods, consisting of party and witness testimony, assessment reports and documents and other visible evidence, are not equally suitable for the intended purpose. As fairly obvious, a party testimony is of little use in this respect. On the contrary, and perhaps less obvious for the international reader, Icelandic law does not allow for expert witness testimony on foreign law, unless the expert has been summoned by court to provide an assessment report on the issue. However, recent judgments show that Icelandic courts have begun giving consideration to unilaterally obtained legal opinions, contrary to accepted practise. This, whether down to inconsistency or a deliberate change of course, represents a more flexible approach then previously acknowledged.

Book Review: From evidence to outcomes in child welfare: An international reader

Book Review: From evidence to outcomes in child welfare: An international reader

Terror and Reconciliation: Sri Lankan Anglophone Literature, 1983–2009 by Maryse Jayasuriya (review)

Maryse Jayasuriya. Terror and Reconciliation: Sri Lankan Anglophone Literature, 1983-2009. Plymouth: Lexington, 2012. Pp. x, 183. $82.04 CDN. Maryse Jayasuriya's Terror and Reconciliation: Sri Lankan Anglophone Literature, 1983-2009, published relatively soon after Sri Lanka's separatist war ended in 2009, presents a deeply engaging account of twenty-seven-year conflict through literature of local and diasporic Sri Lankan writers. Stating that her study illustrates and examines capacity of literature respond what might seem be unimaginable circumstances, and imagine alternatives and a future beyond them (26), Jayasuriya synthesizes literary analysis, historical narrative, and political commentary with intent of exploring possibilities for reconciliation. In her introduction, Jayasuriya addresses production, reception, and possible impact of English creative writing in Sri Lanka, expressing her desire bring this literature to attention of Western academy but also attention of a Sri Lankan audience (17). implied international reader, she provides context, such as country's ethnic mix--which comprises seventy-four percent Sinhalese, eighteen percent Tamil, and eight percent Muslim--and its 1972 name change from Ceylon Sri Lanka, when Sinhalese was declared official language and Buddhism religion of state, predicating ethnic unrest mainly due language barrier for Tamils. (1) Moreover, Jayasuriya contextualizes literature through significant markers in history of ethnic conflict, such as riots of 1953, eruptions of violence in 1983 and 1988, intervention of Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF) in 1987 and their subsequent departure, intensified attacks and suicide bombings by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Norway ceasefire (2002-08), and final overthrow of LTTE in 2009. Jayasuriya states that sufferings of Sri Lankans have gone unnoticed by world due Sri Lanka being a small country and conflict not being on a major scale. Nevertheless, she mentions that the LTTE was proscribed as a terrorist organization by United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada, and most recently, European Union (15). (2) Since her book's publication, however, several events have drawn widespread attention Sri Lanka's politics. These include arrival of 449 Tamil migrants Canada in August 2010; Canadian Liberal Minister of Parliament Bob Rae flying Sri Lanka on a fact-finding mission in June 2009 and being turned back at Katunayake airport by Sri Lankan authorities; Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper boycotting 2013 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo, Sri Lanka, followed by deliberations by other leaders; and a United Nations resolution in 2013 calling for an investigation into human rights violations by Sri Lankan government during last stages of conflict--conducted by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay. For healing and reconciliation be possible, Jayasuriya writes, the wounds of all sides in conflict must be acknowledged (40). In chapter Mourning Terror: Memorials Conflict in Poetry and Film, she holds out hope that [t]he capacity of Sri Lankan Anglophone writing cut across ethnic lines has provided an important opportunity for Sri Lanka's ethnic communities mourn together (66). To that end, she reveals suffering and grief through poetry of local writers Jean Arasanayagam, Kamala Wijeratne, Anne Ranasinghe, Sivamohan Sumathy, Vivimarie Vanderpoorten, and Richard de Zoysa as well as short fiction of Neil Fernandopulle, Nihal de Silva, and Arasanayagam. Jayasuriya asks, Is there any healing possible for a people so inured--and perhaps so immune violence? (54). In her exploration of numerous works that communicate effects of trauma, she calls attention those that convey guilt, not only of perpetrators of violence, but also of silent and passive bystanders who look on, paralyzed by an internalized helplessness or fear of reprisal if they intervene. …