Sri Lanka’s Quiet Heroes
Photo courtesy MSF Like many countries, Sri Lanka is a nation struggling with a lot of problems. The prevailing negative trends on the island are well-documented and irrefutable. People talk about national…
Author: Gibson Bateman
Lady in Green
I am travelling from Colombo to the United States. Who doesn’t like a change of pace? There will also be additional passport stamps. While I consider myself a pretty well-stamped man, one…
Another US Resolution on Sri Lanka: The Road to Nowhere?
Photo courtesy JDS So it looks like the US will bring another resolution on Sri Lanka at the next session of the UN’s Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva this March. Quite…
On Dengue Fever and Other Observations
Colombo 2012 Mosquitoes, bites, blood, pain, even death. I take absolutely no precautions when it comes to Dengue fever, except that I try to surround myself with air conditioning whenever possible. I’ve…
For the Blink of an Eye
Image courtesy Virtual Tourist I almost always enjoy my time in Jaffna. Riding on the AC-bus to Jaffna is a no-brainer for me. It’s a long ride; the extra 450 rupees is…
American Foreign Policy and the HRC Resolution on Sri Lanka
Image courtesy Onlanka News The Obama administration did fight to get a seat on the Human Rights Council (HRC) in 2009; something that George W. Bush probably did not even contemplate. And,…
Immigration Anxiety and Ruminations on Thought Police
I have always loved international travel, but I have always hated the “immigration” process, except for the part where I get my passport stamped. I realize what I have just written is…
A Realistic Look at the Draft Resolution by the US on Sri Lanka at the UN HRC
Placard in Sinhala reads ‘Barack, you’re a burden for us’. Photo courtesy Priyantha Wickremarachchi/Ceylon Today The US recently tabled a draft resolution against Sri Lanka is so incredibly weak that President Mahinda…
Examining Sri Lanka’s Diplomacy Machine
Photo courtesy JDS As promised, the Sri Lankan government made the final report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) public last month. It has also recently released its “National Action…
The LLRC report and ‘accountability’ in Sri Lanka
Readers will find no big surprises after reading the final report of Sri Lanka’s . It is very much what most people were expecting. A document that looks to the future, exonerates the…