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 […]
Jaffna people are now paying a higher price for essential things than when they were taken through the land route and taxed by the LTTE. Now essential items are taken to Jaffna by ship and sold through the MPCS (Multipurpose Cooperative Society) for ration. The prices are higher than the marketprice when they were taxed […]
This from the FMM today: Internet facilities and 8,000 telephones cut off in Jaffna Peninsula The Free Media Movement (FMM) is deeply disturbed to learn that basic communications facilities to the Jaffna Peninsula have been blocked from 28th January 2007. Internet facilities and around 8,000 landline telephones of Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) are dysfunctional to […]
My recent visits to the coastal village of Nalarua in the district of Kalutara, about 5 kilometres from Kalutara town, got me thinking about life in the south. 450 families live in that village. I spoke to eight men and seven women on a Tuesday morning. Religion-wise 97% of them were Buddhist, 2% Catholic and […]
42 people have surrended at the Human Rights Commission Jaffna office so far. They were facing death threats. HRC officials produced them before Jaffna Magistrate and the Magistrate ordered that they be sent to prison for their saftey. Some of them said that escaped while gunmen tried to kidnap them, while others gave statements that […]
I don’t know much about Burma, or Myanmar as it’s now known… but according to today’s Daily Mirror: The Myanmar (Burmese) government yesterday assured its support to Sri Lanka in the fight against terrorism and reaffirmed it would never allow any group or individual to use its territory to engage in any hostile activities against […]
From Morning Leader – 10th January 2007 Last week this column ended with the statement that there was a lot to be learnt and unlearnt in 2007. The new year is now with us and with it the unfolding of an endgame. As to who will be left standing and how and as to how […]
An article, in Sinhala, on the bombing of Mannar and the general decline of human rights in Sri Lanka. Read the full article here.
An article, in Sinhala, based on the findings of Social Indicator’s Peace Confidence Index, first published in Mawbima on 7th January 2007. Read the full article here.
Got this in my email today – paints a bleak picture of the North and East of Sri Lanka. Don’t know to whom this situation update goes to, but I’m sure there must be many like it that collaborate the findings noted in this report. Security situation is tense and the level of threat is […]
An email from Ammu Joseph, circulated through SAJA‘s email list, pointed to two articles that explore the situation in the North and East of Sri Lanka at present. Hi! Here’s a recent piece on the current situation in Jaffna that I wrote for Himal Southasian, published from Nepal. *LIFE IN AN OPEN PRISON* http://www.himalmag.com/2007/january/report1.htm I’d […]
9 students who sat for Law College entrance examination in academic year 2006/2007-appeal case at Srilankan appeal court today with demanding of to reduce cut off marks from 173 to 160. One of the complainer (H.M.Rifan) spoke to me. “We are fighting for all Tamil medium Students. Every year only one or two Tamil medium […]
I would like to throw out a few ideas for those who come from a peacebuilding paradigm for discussion if possible. My recent chat with a long-time supporter of the JVP, now aged about 50, driver of a three-wheeler who had two children, helped me see more clearly his point of view. After working at […]
Inspired in part by Sanjana’s speech in early December, I wrote a column for Ravaya on human rights in Sri Lanka, from the perspective of a citizen. This article is in Sinhala and is available by clicking on A Citizens Notes.
Every time I look at an OCHA map of Sri Lanka, the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis is made really clear. For here, we have entire regions, districts of Sri Lanka suffering under multiple humanitarian crises. There are swathes of land without access, thousands of families without adequate food, water, shelter. The OCHA map also […]