If Only the Trees Could Speak Justice Could be Served
Sachithanandam Padmaranjani has been waiting for 14 years to hear news about her husband whom she handed over to the army in May 2009. Padmaranjani, who fled into the army controlled area…
Author: Selvaraja Rajasegar
A Promising Poet Silenced by the PTA
Ahnaf Jazeem is a 27 year old Muslim poet from the remote village of Chilawathurai in the Mannar District. Ahnaf was arrested on May 16, 2020 by the Counter Terrorism Investigation Division…
Released at 71: the Story of Selvarathinam
The scorching heat beats down on the field. A herd of cows shelter under the trees that are scattered across the field. I went in search of Mr. Selvarathinam. His wife told…
Tortured Under the PTA, the Scars Will Never Heal
Pranavan (name changed), a former militant, was arrested in Vavuniya in April 2009 by people dressed in civilian clothes. Neither he nor his family were given prior warning of his arrest, which…
The Luggage of Pain
“Son, this bag belonged to my daughter. I use her bag to try and find her. This bag contains all the documents. It’s now very old and has started to tear in…
Yogarasa Kanagaranjani’s Journey for Justice
“March 25, 2009. I remember that day very well. How can I forget it? That was the day I saw my son for the last time. That was the day I last…
The Brother Who Never Came Back: 15 Years Since the Disappearance of Subramaniam Ramachandran
“Even today I believe he will return but if he doesn’t, let him remain missing. If you want to report that he disappeared on the 15th, you can do that. We would…
MMDA: Psychological Impact on Children (Documentary)
The Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) has been under discussion by various groups, commissions and governments for the last six decades. Although recommendations have been made for amendments to the Act,…
The Plight of Up Country Tamils in the North
Ever since they were brought to Sri Lanka from South India by the British colonists to work on the coffee, tea and rubber plantations Malayaha Tamils, more commonly known as Hill Country Tamils, Up…
“I live with his memory”: A Documentary on the Easter Sunday Attacks
The voices on the walkie-talkie sound alarming. The eyes of security officers in uniform search for unknown faces. They stand 500 meters away from the church and closely monitor the situation. Those…
Sandya Eknaligoda’s Journey for Justice
Her husband, who usually comes home after work, did not return. He always informs his wife by telephone if he hasurgent work that would delay him. But no such call came that…
The Sathurukondan Massacre: Witnesses Speak
September 9, 1990, 5.30 pm. Armed men clad in military uniform and civilian clothes instruct people from Sathurukondan, Kokkuvil, Pachchaiyadi and Pillayaradi to come out to the road. They are taken to…
From Seeing Her Son to Surrendering Him (Video)
On 18 May 2009, this mother traveled to the army-controlled area via Mullivaikkal Vattuvakal. There she handed over her 33-year-old son to the army. He had refused to come with her, afraid…
One Question, Two People, A Shared Pain
One question. I needed an answer to one question. Despite being used to meeting people and talking about difficult issues, it was not easy to ask this question. I had to make…
RTI reveals annual trade union membership fees collected from plantation workers
On October 12th 2018, filed a Right to Information request with the Labour Department for information on subscription fees for six trade unions that represent plantation workers, requesting the following: According to…