Archive for the ‘Human Rights’

“We need a revolution in Sri Lanka!” – A brief chat with Sam de Silva

Photo credit: Nazreen Sansoni “on one level, Sri Lanka needs a revolution to really change what’s going on here. There is such a domination by the powers that be… there needs to be a real uprising. How to actually get an “enlightened uprising”, to use a term from the film, is the tricky part.” I caught up with Sam de Silva of Circles of Violence fame, before he headed back to Australia tonight. Sam’s film, shown to a few of us in Colombo last week, has already generated some interesting responses and is the most recent attempt to explore through film Sri Lanka’s tryst with peace in the midst of rising violence. Sam began by stating that for him what was most interesting about the premiere of the film a week ago at Barefoot was the discussion on what it is to be a Sri Lankan and what (and how) we define a Sri Lankan identity. Comfortable with his Australian…

Continue reading »

Prices Improve In Jaffna

Jaffna people are a little happy now. All the essential item prices are down a little bit and things are available at pavement shops. Still the prices are double or triple the market price but reduced two to three times from the January market price. Whats not easily bought are medicine and baby items. Rice reduced from Rs170.00 to Rs70.00, soap Rs150.00 to Rs50.00, shampoo Rs35.00 to Rs5.00, matches box Rs30.00 to Rs5.00, cocunut oil Rs 1200.00 to Rs300.00. Kerosene is buffer stock. But baby items are still in shortage. A young father said he can’t survive in Jaffna with his babies. “I have a three years old and three months old babies all the baby things are not available in Jaffna, what do I do. Baby milk powder and baby infant is not available in Jaffna, Baby cologne and baby powder also shortage even feeding bottle and baby brush also not available in the market.” In this situation how…

Continue reading »

The advent of terror politics

Amidst shackles – Notes of a citizen journalist Sunanda Deshapriya’s article in Sinhala explores the recent statements of Champika Ranawaka, Minister for Environment and Natural Resources in the Rajapaksa government and a highly placed and trusted advisor to the President. With excerpts from MP Ranawana’s writings and his recent statement to Ravaya, Sunanda explores the disturbing growth of hate speech at the highest levels of governments, and the resulting erosion of space for civil society initiatives for peace and democracy in Sri Lanka. The full article (as a PDF in Sinhala) is available here.

Continue reading »

The politics of hate and harm

Most readers in Colombo would have seen the posters of the National Movement Against Terrorism (NMAT) calling for the peace, media and leftist ‘Tigers’ to be identified and destroyed. This columnist was asked to comment on the poster by a newspaper and he along with other colleagues condemned the message conveyed by it. Following this our photographs appeared on the organisation’s website with an English translation of the poster. It has also been learnt that the call was repeated at a public meeting and that Minister Champika Ranawaka condoned and supported these sentiments in a comment to the newspaper. He has subsequently denied this. Questions A number of questions arise with regard to this. There can be no dispute surely that messages such as this plastered on the walls of the capital are incitements to murder; they go beyond the routine invective of hate speech. They are intended to have a chilling effect on the freedom of speech and association….

Continue reading »

Students Missing In Jaffna

- More Information Added Feb 28 – Two students are missing in Vadamaradchi. P.Yaseetharan and K.Sivaruban, who are Uduppidy American Mission students, are missing since Sunday afternoon. Their parents have made a complaint at the Human Rights Commission Jaffna branch. Both of them went to private tuition by motorbike and so far they didn’t come back to their homes, their parents said. The information available is that 584 persons went missing in Jaffna last year. 158 persons under the security forces custody. There is no information about the other 416 persons. So far 62 people have surrendered at the Human Rights Commission Jaffna branch due to death threats. Another example is Subramaniam Ramachandran the Thinakkural and Valampuri newspaper Correspondent in Vadamaradchi who was kidnapped on the 14th of this month. So far he has not been released. Ramachandran is a good investigative journalist. He wrote some stories regarding the illegal soil business in Vadamaradchi with the help of forces. He…

Continue reading »

What Is The Future Of The Eastern University?

The Eastern University Muslim students are trying to get transfers to other universities for security reasons following the claymore attack by the LTTE on January 31st 2007. Students outside of Batticaloa district are fearful after the incident and some have little experience of such incidents. What I could see after talking to the students was that they were very fearful after the experience and there were internal politics between the Vanni – Betti armed groups. When I spoke to a student out of the North and East who is studying at the university, she said “on that day a few students ran around the university compound making a barking sound. I think it was a signal or warning to some students to expect an attack. Actually we were in the dark regarding this signal. Thereafter gunmen entered the hostel, where there were only female students, and they warned us to lay down and opened fire towards the sky twice. I…

Continue reading »
  • 13 Feb, 2007
  • 1 Comment
  • Human Rights,
    Human Security,
    IDPs and Refugees,
    Peace and Conflict,
    Trincomalee

“We are not willing to go back to our village, till a permanent solution for the Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka”

Interview was taken from: Mrs. Gopalakrishnan Kalaivani, 33 years. On 31st of January 2007 Displaced from: Manalchenai, Muthur Trincomalee Place – Welfare Centre (Cultural Hall Refugee’s Camp, Trincomalee) On the day, when a suicide attack was attempt in Colombo Army Head Quarters (on chief Army Officer), there were a terrible Artillery Shelling and Multi Barrel attack were done, to our village, and suburb villages. In these attacks some houses were damaged, some people were died, and many injured. Our villagers and suburb villagers ran through the forests, with our children, to save our and children lives. Attacks continue more and more people killed some people who came by running with us. We buried some bodies, and left in the same position, the others. Without food or water we walked several miles with small children, elders and sick persons in the forest. Finally we reached to Kilivetti village, from there; we were brought to the St. Joseph’s College Refugee Camp by…

Continue reading »

Media and Violence

Editors note: A Sinhala version of this article, in the form of a PDF, can be found here. Armed struggle and media freedom Night of fifth of this month, was a sleepless night for us. Reason being that former journalist Lalith Seneviratne was abducted from his residence. That night, all of us tried our best in every possible manner to save his life. The next night, the sixth, was once again a sleepless night. This time it was due to the news that said the “Akuna” media staff including Lalith Seneviratne had accepted they have in collaboration with the LTTE, resorted to violent acts in the ‘South’. This created a serious confusion that night, as to what stand we could now take on this matter. Lalith Seneviratne, Sisira Priyankara and Nihal Serasinghe, all activists of the Railway Union Federation’s bi-monthly publication “Akuna”, were abducted on the night of 05th February. Abductions are plainly a violation of the law, in a…

Continue reading »

Notes of a Citizen Journalist

Personal vignettes, in Sinhala, aimed at stimulating our thinking on social justice, peace, political and economic issues. In this issue, I talk about the many sleepless nights as a media activist in a violent country and some observations on media freedom and the growing culture of abductions under the present regime. Download my full article as a Sinhala PDF here.

Continue reading »

The Sham of Independence Without Human Rights Protection

Two days before our independence tamasha, an event with deep significance and bearing for the independence, integrity and unity of this country took place.  It is unfortunately a part of a series of connected incidents. On Friday 2 February, Mudiyapu Remedias, Attorney at Law and Legal Advisor to the National Human Rights Commission, (HRC) Jaffna office, lodged a complaint with the Commanding Officer, Jaffna that he was badly assaulted by a group of Sri Lankan army soldiers that morning .   Mr Surenthirajah, the Coordinating Officer of the National Human Rights Commission, Jaffna office has already complained to the Jaffna Police of death threats.  In the Remedias case, the assault took place after Mr Remedias presented his HRC credentials to the soldiers and in the Surenthirajah case, Mr Surenthirajah states in his complaint that a member of a “political party” made armed threats against him.  Two other Coordinating Officers of the Jaffna HRC office have sought asylum in Canada on account…

Continue reading »

After Today’s BMICH Explosion

I was with some Tamil students, as a training course was winding down for the day, when news of the explosion at the BMICH reached us. The details of the incident were sketchy at first. Being Muslim, while I felt worried when I heard the news, and the BMICH being close to where we were, I didn’t panic. But I noticed a marked difference in the reaction of the Tamil students. “Oh god what happened,” one of the male students wailed. “We have to go home quickly,” another said. “What will happen to me on the way back home,” another student said with deep worry. They started calling their homes. They even left without telling me. What I could see was that they felt deeply afraid after such incidents. They were not afraid of the average person on the street. They were afraid of security forces and what they might do to them. When I see this kind of thing…

Continue reading »

Popular Activist in Oddamavadi Targeted

A family man, and popular activist in Oddamavadi Aboobacker Ilyas (25) was targeted and fired upon by an unidentified gunman on Boundry Road, Oddamavadi. This incident happened around 5.15 am on 4th February. The gunmen used T56 weapon; 5 rounds were fired, and luckily A.B. Ilyas escaped from this attack. This is not the first time he has been targeted and this is causing a lot of tension in Oddamavadi at the moment. People in the area suspect that the LTTE is behind this because Ilyas is involved in media and may have been seen as a threat to the LTTE.

Continue reading »

Denial and polarisation

Originally published in Himal Southasian, February 2007. The undeclared Eelam War IV in Sri Lanka shows no signs of abating. The Ceasefire Agreement, whatever is left of it, is enervated and made more irrelevant daily. Violence in the north and the east increased dramatically in 2006. Thousands continue to be displaced – unable to return to their homes, starving, without access to basic human necessities or redress against repeated human-rights violations. Many more have fled Sri Lanka to South India, bringing back memories of the exodus of refugees in the late 1980s. In Colombo, a draconian government with scant regard for human rights uses the continuing intransigence of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as an excuse to clamp down on civil society, NGOs and the media. Legislation enacted in 2006, most notably the anti-terrorism regulations, has stifled democratic rights and civil liberties. Many peace rallies around the country have been routed by thugs and goons affiliated to current members…

Continue reading »

Brotherhood Bloodshed Again?

The TMVP has given a request to the government to conduct eastern provincial council elections and before that to setup an interim council. Because most of the eastern province is now under the control of the government this becomes an important matter. The statement of TMVP that they are the only representatives of the Tamil people in the east has worried other Tamil political parties. Due to this they fear “brotherhood bloodshed”, something that happened in the past with the LTTE. Also if the government doesn’t agree with their request will they resort to violence? Do they want a federal system of devolution or will they even ask for a separate state if their requests are not met? They have not clarified on this matter. Such suspicions and questions are now important in the eastern ground situation. Regarding this, when I spoke with a number of political parties there seems to be major differences in points of view. Speaking with…

Continue reading »

Blast Outside Eastern University Batticaloa

Regarding the blast right outside the Eastern University in Batticaloa Vantharumoolai at around 11.30am yesterday, about 15 km north of Batticaloa town, the information I have heard is that there were around 200 students inside the University when the blast occurred. The rest of the students, around 1100 had returned to their home districts such as Jaffna, Vavuniya and other areas after exams. The blast killed 11 including 1 student, while 4 students were injured. Sometimes the army opens fire into surrounding areas in such instances. One reason is that they want to secure the area for those who are involved in rescue and attending to wounded and defend against the enemy. Sometimes the LTTE can detonate one claymore and then wait and detonate a second one to target rescue groups. Occasionally some soldiers might also fire with revenge in mind. No one was injured in shooting yesterday. I have not received any information to the effect that there was…

Continue reading »
Page 25 of 26« First...10...2223242526

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!"

cezarneaga.eu
canakkale canakkale canakkale balik tutma search canakkale vergi mevzuati bagimsiz denetim vergi mevzuati ozurlu engelliler