Still Looking for Independence after 75 years
The media have been replete with the pronouncements that the president of Sri Lanka was going to resolve the ethnic issue by taking some rapid action measures. However, scepticism was inevitable when…
Author: Lionel Bopage
July 1983 Pogrom: the Black Week that Impacted Sri Lanka Forever
The political leadership of Sri Lanka has yet again demonstrated that even in the midst of the worst socio economic and political crisis the country has faced since independence, they do not…
Sri Lanka: Constitution-making – Opportunities and Pitfalls
In a divided and polarised society like Sri Lanka, constitution-making presents unique challenges and opportunities of its own. These opportunities are more likely to be realised if the constitution-making processes are inclusive,…
Bridging the Generational Divide to Prevent Future Conflict
The youth of a country are the forerunners of social progress; notwithstanding this historical fact, we cannot underestimate the role other social strata play in the social development of a nation. Youth…
Sri Lanka: Rising Autocracy and Historical Experiences
S. P. Huntington has presciently warned that democratic transitions are vulnerable and reversible if ruling elites do not show genuine commitment to democratic values. He argues: “When they are out of power,…
The Best and The Worst – 2020 General Elections
Photo courtesy of The Diplomat The general elections on 5 August turned out to be an outstanding victory for the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), the Rajapaksa Family and the Sinhala Buddhist nationalists…
Sri Lanka And The US: A Pogrom And A Black Death At The Hands Of A White Policeman: Salutary Lessons
The Scene The morning of July the 25th 1983 is etched in my brain. I saw a group of people running or walking very fast away from the environs of Colombo. On…
The Spectre of an Authoritarian Regime Based on a Putschist Model
Photo by AP Photo/Eranga Jayawardena, via Living in challenging times can be a blessing if changes during that time move one’s country towards a fair and progressive era. Otherwise its society will…
Our Departed Colleague, Saman Wagaarachchi – My Recollections
Comrade Saman Wagaarachchi had joined the JVP in early 1977 while we were still being held incarcerated for our role in the April 1971 uprising. Later I heard that he had supported…
Sri Lanka: Past Experiences and Current Trends
Image courtesy Dear Friends, First let me thank the Darebin Ethnic Communities Council and Darebin Intercultural Centre for inviting me to speak at this . The biography , which Michael Colin Cooke…
Good Governance and Corruption
Featured image courtesy Al Jazeera Good Governance is a key challenge Sri Lanka has faced and spectacularly failed to deliver for most of its modern history. This challenge is not only about…
Yester-Years: The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and The Cuban Revolution
In the 1950s, Cuban revolutionaries launched their July 26 Movement () to get rid of foreign domination and economic injustice. In 1952, Fulgencio Batista launched a coup d’etat, which made the Cuban…
A Reflection on Conflicts in Sri Lanka
Photography courtesy Dev Policy We acknowledge the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we make this reflection, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects, to…
Somawansa Amarasinghe – Some Recollections from Our Political Journeys
Comrade Somawansa Amarasinghe since joining the JVP in 1969, had been committed at that time to the political line of the JVP. I understand that while he was held in custody in…
It’s time to rethink the feminist agenda!
Photo courtesy Hispanichorizons, via SoundCloud Today is the International Women’s Day. It is 41 years since this day came out as a result of an event the Socialist Party of America organized.…