Archive for the ‘Human Rights’

Citizen’s Commission: Expulsion of the Northern Muslims by the LTTE in October 1990

Sri Lanka has been increasingly the scene of much ethnic violence. The Northern Muslims are the victims of the earliest large scale act of ethnic cleansing in our history. Close to 80,000 persons, constituting the entire Muslim population of the five Northern Districts of Jaffna, Mannar, Vavuniya, Mullaithivu and Kilinochchi were summarily expelled from the province by the LTTE on one fateful day in October 1990 at a few hours notice. The details of the constraints imposed on the victims varied from location to location depending on the degree of brutality of the local LTTE leadership, but nowhere were those evicted able to sell, transfer or otherwise secure or dispose of their property or to take with them cash or other moveable possessions. The operation was carried out so quickly and with such ruthless efficiency that there was little or no resistance. The state failed to intervene. Sadly, the protests of the national leadership, Tamil and non-Tamil, and of the…

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Dear Mr. President

Dear Mr. President, I’d like to congratulate you in advance for your impending victory of the Presidential election in the following days to come. With the SLFP consolidating their power through the provincial council polls in the aftermath of the war, a presidential re-election and another term with you as President seems inevitable. The potential in Sri Lanka knows no bounds; therefore boundaries must be clearly drawn so that this potential is not exploited by a few for themselves and for their kith and kin. This has undoubtedly taken place in Sri Lanka time and again, with every administration that has governed the country. This needs to be addressed by the authorities and checks need to come into play. For example, it is not only unlawful but also very ugly to see policemen being transferred for obeying the rule of the law and for cleaning up the visual pollution that has plagued our country during the time of this election campaign….

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From Politics of Fear to Politics of Hope

“The passion to be reckoned upon is fear.” Thomas Hobbes “The very act of voting is a joyful statement that we are not under a tyrant. And there may be happy victories. But the best government we get is a foreshadowing. Peace and justice are approximated now.” John Piper I admit to being a political junkie. I get my news from multiple papers, news sites and web blogs. I react to reports on our nation’s politics with hope or rage, despondence or encouragement, based on media reports. The “package of promises” presented by our two Presidential candidates continues to expand at lightning speed, and has come to include the settlement or relocation of IDPs, bail for journalist Tissaiyanagam, reopening A-9, International air port in Jaffna, equality between men and women, exposure of the killers of journalists, abolition of the executive presidency, speedy implementation of parity between languages, freedom for 700 child soldiers, and so on. At the same time both…

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  • 12 Jan, 2010
  • 11 Comments
  • Human Rights,
    Human Security

Reflections on Human Rights (Part I): The Promises of Universalism and Tyrannies of Relativism?

[Authors note: I invite the readers of my article to suggest creative and strategic ways to reconcile the universal and culturally relative rights in Sri Lankan context.] “Men do not differ much about what things they will call evils; but they differ enormously about what evils they will call excusable.” — G. K. Chesterton Though Sri Lankans have not been passive victims, our progress toward equal rights is being frustrated by ceaseless international allegations of human rights abuses. The state is preoccupied with defending itself against these charges, and vilifies its accusers as traitors. The two Presidential candidates attribute abuses to each other, and their claims are remarkably similar to the charges of abuses levied against the state.  These controversies over human rights in Sri Lanka have brought the legitimacy of all stakeholders, governmental and non-governmental, into question, and result from the normative, interpretive, and practical limits of the idea of universal human rights: stakeholders have failed to successfully negotiate…

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Christmas 2008 to Christmas 2009 in Sri Lanka

Last Christmas, together with few friends, we prayed desperately, hoping a bloodbath would be avoided This Christmas, we prayed and lit candles for the thousands killed and missing during the war, the ones who doesn’t have a grave as their family members had to run over the dead (and sometimes dyeing) bodies to save their own lives. Last Christmas, we prayed for a stop to political killings, disappearances, forced recruitments, unjust arrests and torture. And for families of those detained, disappeared, killed. This Christmas, we did the same. Last Christmas, we prayed for easing of government restrictions on food, medicine, shelter and access for aid agencies to help the people affected by war. This Christmas, we prayed for those injured & sick – as they were denied access to food and medicine and were also denied the opportunity to get help from those who wanted to help. Last Christmas, there were prayers for a military victory during the Christmas mass…

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THE (IR)RELEVANCE OF A ‘HUMAN RIGHTS DAY’: Some critical problems facing human rights protection in Sri Lanka

Recently, the world celebrated the ‘Human Rights Day’, on 10 December. It comes to us, every year. It is a day that commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Various events, seminars and workshops are held, various programmes launched, on that day. There are advocacy programmes, awareness programmes, lectures and such kind. Nice stickers, well drafted pamphlets, are distributed. It is considered to be a special day. But from the citizen’s perspective, all these things are of secondary importance. For the citizen, what matters, principally, is whether his/her rights are effectively protected; whether violations of his/her rights can be effectively investigated; whether the government is seen to be taking, and ultimately takes, action to improve the human rights protection standards in the country. In short, for the citizen, a ‘Human Rights Day’ is of relevance only if there are signs that concrete action is being taken to put things right in the human rights…

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On Lasantha Wickremetunge, media freedom and human rights in Sri Lanka: Interview with Dilrukshi Handunnetti

“Governments usually don’t take notice of silent majorities” says well known investigative and environmental journalism Dilrukshi Handunnetti in this video interview with Groundviews. To commemorate Human Rights Day 2009 (falling on 10 December) Groundviews interviewed a number of leading activists in Sri Lanka to find out their perspectives on current challenges facing human rights in post-war Sri Lanka. In general, activists featured were asked to comment on the Sri Lankan State’s protection of human rights, the nexus between human rights and human dignity and opportunities for greater human rights protection over the coming years. Dilrukshi is a lawyer by training having specialized in international law. A journalist for over 17 years, she has extensively covered the areas of politics, conflict, environment, culture, and history and gender issues. The interview focussed on media freedom and the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka. Dilrukshi flagged the use of the reprehensible Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) post-war and against independent media through the…

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Youth activists on human rights in Sri Lanka

To commemorate Human Rights Day 2009 (falling on 10 December) Groundviews interviewed a number of leading activists in Sri Lanka to find out their perspectives on current challenges facing human rights in post-war Sri Lanka. In general, activists featured were asked to comment on the Sri Lankan State’s protection of human rights, the nexus between human rights and human dignity and opportunities for greater human rights protection over the coming years. This video features two well known youth activists. K. Guruparan, who has also appeared earlier on Groundviews is associated with Beyond Borders and was one of the founders of the Sri Lankan Youth Parliament. Jovita Arulanantham, also a youth activist, is a student at the University of Colombo. Amongst other issues, both speak of the ignorance and apathy of society towards human rights, and the incompatibility of Emergency Rule and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) with fundamental rights, especially in post-war Sri Lanka. Guruparan points to the incident involving…

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Prospects for post-war human rights in Sri Lanka: Interview with Sunila Abeysekera

To commemorate Human Rights Day 2009 (falling on 10 December) Groundviews interviewed a number of leading activists in Sri Lanka to find out their perspectives on current challenges facing human rights in post-war Sri Lanka. In general, activists featured were asked to comment on the Sri Lankan State’s protection of human rights, the nexus between human rights and human dignity and opportunities for greater human rights protection over the coming years. This video features Sunila Abeysekara, an award winning Sri Lankan human rights activist. The interview was conducted over a Skype video call. Sunila talks about, amongst a number of other vital issues, the current state of media freedom and the freedom of expression, a fundamental difference between human dignity and human rights protection plus prospects for a greater emphasis on human rights in post-war Sri Lanka. Also see: Human Rights in Post-War Sri Lanka: Challenges and opportunities The rights of the disabled in Sri Lanka: Marginal or mainstream?

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The Travelling Circus on video: Looking at war and IDPs through theatre

Obligingly recorded by Young Asia Television at the request of Groundviews, we are pleased to present a full-length video recording of a technical rehearsal / run-through of The Travelling Circus, produced by Mind Adventures, directed by Tracy Holsinger and recently staged in Colombo. An in-depth review of the production is published on Groundviews here. Total playing time is 52 minutes. The production divided opinion, with some liking it and others, with equal passion, disliking it. This full-length video of the production (even though it is a technical rehearsal) records for posterity one of the first theatre productions in post-war Sri Lanka interrogating vital yet often marginalized issues such as psycho-social trauma and human displacement due to war. Those who missed the production in Colombo, including those in the diaspora, are strongly encouraged to watch this video and leave their comments. We were also told that some at the edge of the audience couldn’t hear what was said on stage due to poor…

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  • 11 Dec, 2009
  • 2 Comments
  • Colombo,
    Disabilities,
    Human Rights

The rights of the disabled in Sri Lanka: Marginal or mainstream?

As part of our video series for human rights day 2009 (falling on 10 December), Groundviews interviewed Sunethra Bandaranaike, Chairperson of the Sunera Foundation. With the interrogation of human rights in Sri Lanka often solely focussing on violations of political rights, Groundviews sought to focus attention on disability and the rights of the disabled in our country. Sunethra speaks on legal and institutional challenges impeding the protection of the rights of the disabled, as well as our myopic perception of the disabled, with resulting policies and practices that do not recognise or value their special needs and rights. Sunethra also comes out very strongly in support of youth and young people championing human rights and standing up against continuing violations. Also watch Finally, disabled friendly buildings in Sri Lanka! for Sunethra’s take on the recent Supreme Court ruling which ordered all public buildings to be constructed in the future to be easily accessible to disabled persons. The Court further ordered…

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Human Rights in Post-War Sri Lanka: Challenges and opportunities

To commemorate Human Rights Day, falling today, Groundviews interviewed a number of leading activists in Sri Lanka to find out their perspectives on current challenges facing human rights in post-war Sri Lanka. This is the first video in a series we will publish over the coming week. After asking each of them to define human rights as they saw and understood it, Groundviews asked the activists to comment on the Sri Lankan State’s protection of human rights, the nexus between human rights and human dignity and opportunities for greater human rights protection over the coming years. Featured in this video are: Deshamanya Bradman Weerakoon Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu J.C. Weliamuna Dr. Devanesan Nesiah Mirak Raheem

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The Relevance of Human Rights – A Lankan Perspective

[Editors Note: Prof. Rajan Hoole, co-founder of UTHR (J) and co-author of the Broken Palmyra, presents this piece exclusively to Groundviews for Human Rights Day 2009]. One important indicator of Human Rights protection in modern society is successful enforcement of the rule of law. Human Rights activism in Lanka came about as a response to special challenges arising from progressive deterioration of the rule of law. The law is technical in its workings. Good laws and good law enforcement advance human rights, and their opposites lead to conflict and crisis. The strengthening of institutional aspects of human rights, the promotion of a human rights culture and the ambient political mores in which these operate, interact with and influence one another. Deterioration of one will undermine the others. Sinhala Only was bad in law and was a reflection of the changing political culture. It resulted in communal violence in 1956 and 1958. Law enforcement did not go so far as to…

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100 days in hard labour and counting: The plight of J.S. Tissainayagam

Today is Human Rights Day, which honours the UN’s adoption and proclamation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on 10 December 1948, the first global enunciation of human rights. Today is also the one hundredth day Tamil journalist J.S. Tissanaiyagam will spend imprisoned doing hard labour. He has already spent over six hundred days in prison. On 31 August 2009, Tissa was sentenced by the High Court in Colombo to an incredible twenty years of rigorous imprisonment under the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Nimalka Fernando, a leading human rights activist, called the judgement a travesty of justice, a position Groundviews unequivocally endorsed and associates itself with. As the eminent International Commission of Jurists noted, Tissa’s case, “…raises a number of concerns regarding fair trial standards, including the judge’s interlocutory decision to allow into evidence what counsel for Mr Tissainayagam described as a forced confession, and subsequent denial of the accused’s right to appeal this decision. The [ICJ]…

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Lazy Academics and a Diaspora Without Direction

The recent Amnesty International sponsored forum “Sri Lanka: Human Rights Issues and Media Representation” held last week in Melbourne was a missed opportunity. The forum could have signposted the strategies needed to pressure the Australian Government to do more to improve human rights and freedom of expression issues, and to bring the Sri Lankan Government to account on its horrific human rights record. Instead, the forum ended up painting an ‘us versus them’ picture and pitting the Tamil diaspora against its Sinhala counterpart.  This could have been avoided if the presenters were more mature and more informed about the situation in Sri Lanka. The majority of the people in the room were from the Tamil diaspora, who along with others concerned about human rights and equality, were probably expecting some guidance from ‘expert’ presenters on how to respond not only to what was happening in Sri Lanka, but also the meanness of the Australian Government. Damien Kingsbury focused his talk…

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About Groundviews

Located at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Groundviews is a citizen journalism website that uses a range of genres and media to highlight critical perspectives on governance, reconciliation, human rights, the arts and literature, democracy and other issues. The site has won two international awards, including the prestigious Manthan Award South Asia in 2009. The grand jury's evaluation of the site noted, "What no media dares to report, Groundviews publicly exposes. It's a new age media for a new Sri Lanka... Free media at it's very best!"

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