The New Disappeared
NEW YORK – From the military juntas that ruled Argentina and Chile in the 1970s and 1980s to Joseph Stalin’s iron-fisted regime in the Soviet Union, dictatorships have a long history of…
Human Rights
#FreeShahidulAlam: On protests and press freedom
Shahidul Alam is no stranger to Sri Lanka. In January 2005, the renowned photojournalist and activist documented damage wrought by the tsunami. His blog titled ‘Boxing Day blues’ shows a letter sent…
The Right to Know
“I’m not worried about them. I want to know what happened to the one that has gone missing.” 70 year old Yogaradhi says she cannot remember when her grandson, Alfred Thinu, went…
Sri Lanka Should Take Up the Challenge on LGBT Rights
The Indian Supreme Court’s landmark ruling sweeping a colonial-era law that criminalised same-sex sexual behavior into the dustbin of Indian history has made worldwide headlines. The credit must go, of course, first…
Abortion – Where is Sri Lanka On The Spectrum?
“If you are not in favour of legal abortion, then you are in favour of illegal abortion” Prof. Arulkumaran On October 28, 2012, Savita Halappanavar, a young Indian dentist, died in Ireland…
On Capital Punishment
The diverse profusion of contributions on this subject reminds me of an apocryphal story of a man of Abrahamic faith (Christian/Muslim/Jewish), ship- wrecked on a land unknown to him. He kept wandering,…
Fragile Hope, Firm Resolve
A puff of wind shifts the piece of cardboard dangling from the tent. ‘541’ it reads. Over one year later, the tent housing the families of the disappeared in Vavuniya has become…
Remembering To Rebuild
Another July has passed. A month filled with dark associations, thanks to “Black July”, a month that only escalated events leading to a three-decade war and a whole host of other ill…
Hidden Costs: The Impact of Foreign Debt on Sri Lankan Citizens
It is estimated that Sri Lanka’s debt servicing cost will be USD 4.2 billion next year. From 2000 to 2009, Sri Lanka’s foreign debt doubled, from USD 9 billion in 2000 to…
Behind Bars
On August 13, 20 female inmates climbed onto the roof of Welikada Prison and began a protest. There were various reasons attributed to the prisoner’s motivations, many of which are outlined in…
The Agony and Ecstasy of a Pogrom: July 1983
Two Survivors Not all Tamils in Sri Lanka are Tamils. A few who have been born and bred in the South-Western parts of the island have been de-Tamilicised. They know very little…
Deep Impact: Emmerson’s Report Reveals Lasting Legacy of PTA
On July 23, former UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights, Ben Emmerson released a report following on from his visit to Sri Lanka in 2017. Emmerson pulled no punches in…
A Forgotten Community: Remembering Black July
Writer S Karunakaran reflects on Black July from the perspective of a marginalised and often forgotten community – the Malaiyagha Tamils – and specifically those who tried to resettle in the North…
The Impact of Violence: Remembering Black July
“When we talk of the 1983 unrest, the word ‘riot’ is used very often,” M Mayuran of the Mass Movement for Social Justice says. “But that word is quite complicated. A riot…
On Collective Humanity: Remembering Black July
“If the majority thinks that a minority community is posing a threat to them or are developing in a manner that creates fear among them, then it is a problem for the…