The HOPE in Sri Lanka after war
“Where is the hope?” is a question that the writer encountered quite a few times when she asked people to pose with the HOPE board. The culture of impunity prevalent in post-war…
Year: 2009
Happy International Peace Day
Click for larger image. When I took these pictures last year, I knew I was standing in front of what would be a perverse chapter in history. Then again, a few perverse…
Delusions of (power) devolution: Searching post–Prapa possibilities
The elite based political debate in Sri Lanka once again appears to gravitate around the primordial issue of deciding the best mode of power-sharing between the centre and the periphery, primarily between…
Let Them Drink Rice Wine: Withholding Water as Punishment on the East Coast?
If you look at Batticaloa District on a map, you’ll see that in a sense there are two Districts. The first is the coastal strip, where you find Batti, Kattankudy, Valachchenai, and…
The Internment – A Collective Punishment?
The widespread indifference to the continuing misery of 280,000 interned IDPs, most of them already unlawfully detained for about four months without any charges, is a sad reflection on the moral values…
A botched Tsunami Early Warning test – Lessons for the future
The following is an except from a letter I wrote about the recent Tsunami Early Warning Test last week. I hope the readers of find it interesting. I have to preface this…
Groundviews now on Yahoo! Meme
Select content is now available through Yahoo’s new micro-blogging platform, Meme. Yahoo! Meme allows for in-line videos, photos and audio as well as more detailed updates per post in comparison to Twitter….
Pitfalls of Sri Lanka going nuclear – Opening the public debate
Sri Lanka on the nuclear map Recently Sri Lanka has shown increased interest in using nuclear energy for future power generation. The Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) of Sri Lanka is in the…
Salute to Tissaranee, Sara and Jehan
As I scanned the Sunday newspapers today, I saw the ‘wanted’ faces of Sara and Jehan and the bold article by Tissaranee who are but a few brave patriots in our country…
The sentencing J.S Tissainayagam: Not in my name!
I am Sandun Ratnaweera, a 59 year old Sri Lankan Sinhalese from the Galle District. I attended Richmond College, and I have a government job. Sinhalese is the language that my family…
Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka on history of power-sharing in Sri Lanka and the 13th Amendment
The Centre for Policy Alternatives recently launched , a compendium of important constitutional proposals and political ideas that have featured in debates about power-sharing and the constitutional form of the Sri Lankan…
Sri Lanka can Lead the way for us to Win at the Game of Climate Change
It was almost a decade since I had been involved with climate change activities, so I was happy when I was invited to a capacity building session held in Kathmandu in July…
Sri Lanka Unites: Our vision and work
[Editors note: This is a response to] Dear E Pluribus Unum, Thank you for taking the time to write. We were informed of your post, but as it was soon after our…
Sri Lanka on a collision course with the West
Why on earth is the Rajapakse regime on a collision course with the West? Â Okay, we are being bullied by the West, but haven’t we asked for it mainly on account of…
On Sri Lanka’s accession to the ICCPR Optional Protocol
Terrorism poses a significant challenge to the promotion and protection of human rights. Many countries have faced problems, and many others continue to face problems, when trying to strike that balance which…
