Unsettled Account
I am not surprised by the new leadership’s decision to ban the playing of the anthem in Tamil at Independence Day celebrations. Key members of this government ran the show when the…
Year: 2020
10 Years After the War: A Reminiscence
Although the war ended a decade ago, the ethno-political and social fractures from violent conflict endure. On no other day are they more apparent than on May 18. Often, what we see,…
Ekneligoda disappearance – 10 years struggle for truth and justice
Photo by Ishara S.KODIKARA/AFP via Today, 10th January 2020, is 10 years since the disappearance of journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda. It also marks 10 years of struggle for truth and justice…
Be still and nourish freedom: A Reflection
With Freedom (Independence) Day in sight we should be reflecting on how best our freedom gained, is to be consolidated and what new freedoms are to be secured. As change occurs, our…
Killing Elephants in Sri Lanka
Photo courtesy Killing elephants with shotguns is very inefficient. The clusters of tiny, iron pellets rarely kill such large animals instantly. Instead, pellets lodge in tissue and cartilage, causing wounds that ooze…
Constitutional amendments: A blast from the past
Photo courtesy The current constitution of Sri Lanka is commonly referred to as the “JR Constitution” due to the nature of its inception. Its birth and enactment have a long and convoluted…
Academics, researchers & practitioners condemn the Government’s attempts to remove the Director General of the National Archives
23rd December 2019 Colombo, Sri Lanka TO: His Excellency Gotabaya Rajapaksa President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Presidential Secretariat, Galle Face Colombo 01 CC: Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksa Minister of…
The work begins
Photo by AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena via Yahoo! News “If we lift the hideous rags of History, we find this: hierarchy versus equality and order versus liberty.” – Éric Vuillard (The Order Of…
In memoriam – My editor Lasantha Wickrematunge
Photo courtesy A not-so-young man walked into the room of Lasantha Wickrematunge two decades ago. The man had nothing but a recommendation from his own father when he asked Lasantha for a…
10 Years After the War: Violence in a Time of Peace
Although the war ended a decade ago, the ethno-political and social fractures from conflict endure. On no other day are they more apparent than on May 18. Often, what we see, read…
The Legacy of a Justice
Photo courtesy Justice Prasanna Jayawardene is no more. The immediate expressions of shock, grief and a deep sense of loss by those who knew him in person or by his reputation is…
