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Groundviews

Author: Sunanda Deshapriya

Year
Month
Human Rights, International, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance

Facing a Murderous Military, Myanmar’s Peaceful Protesters Beg for International Help

I started the day by calling my colleagues and friends to see where and when we are going to gather. We need to check every morning if there are any unknown people…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 03/15/2021
Colombo, Politics and Governance

The Bitter Truth About the President’s Address to the Nation

You take a step back as the ball bounces at breakneck speed and play defence. It is too early to lose your wicket, so one better learn the defence. This is what…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 11/24/202011/24/2020
Colombo, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Politics and Governance

Sri Lanka: 10 Political mistakes that shouldn’t have been committed during the pandemic

President Rajapaksa  dissolved the Parliament on 2nd March 2020– six months before the due date,  amidst the growing danger of COVID-19 pandemic. By this time, the uncertainty relating to the possibility of…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 05/30/202006/06/2020
Issues, Politics and Governance, Presidential Election 2015

The Emerging Political Vacuum in Sri Lanka: Is JVP the Answer?

If there is one question that troubles many rights activists in Sri Lanka today, it is the current political instability within the coalition Government led by Ranil Wickremesinghe and Maithripala Sirisena government…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 06/25/201806/25/2018
Jaffna, Media and Communications, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance

Media Freedom: Perspective from Jaffna

Photograph by Dushiyanthini Kanagasabapathipillai We call him Prem. The editor of the largest selling Jaffna daily, Thevanayagam Premanath, is sitting at a large table with his usual smile. The wall behind him…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 10/05/201710/06/2017
International Relations, Issues, Politics and Governance, Reconciliation, Transitional Justice

Ongoing UNHRC session: What’s in store for Sri Lanka?

The term ‘painfully slow progress’ has become a standard descriptor for Sri Lanka’s overall pace of implementation of UNHRC resolution A/HRC/30/1  in Geneva. It has been two years since Sri Lanka cosponsored…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 09/25/201709/25/2017
Colombo, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance

Rajapaksa onslaught and options for Sirisena – Ranil government

Photography via It was some half a century ago that we marched crying the slogan “We are going to – Galle Face; Come with us to – Galle Face.” My elder brother…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 05/09/201705/09/2017
Colombo, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Reconciliation

A letter to President Rajapakse from Nelson Mandela

Dear Mahinda Rajapakse, At the outset , I would like to tell you one thing. I regret very much that we have never met and not had the opportunity to share our…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 12/16/201312/16/2013
Colombo, Identity, Media and Communications, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Politics and Governance, Religion and faith

The Fashion Bug case: A turning point for Muslim rights in Sri Lanka

The judicial case related to the violent attack on Muslim owned Fashion Bug head office and warehouse in Pepiliyana, 10 km away from Colombo, is destined to be a turning point in Muslim…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 04/09/201304/08/2013
Colombo, Human Rights, International, International Relations, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Reconciliation

Interview with Nimalka Fernando: The UN HRC resolution and beyond

Nimalka, now we’ve seen that the council voted for the resolution on Sri Lanka. What is your initial impression? It’s a serious voting pattern. Because if you look at the resolution, the…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 03/25/2013
Colombo, Features, Human Rights, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War, Reconciliation

“Building the base”: An interview with Sunila Abeysekara about post-war Sri Lanka

Sunila, how do you look at Sri Lanka today?  There are different interpretations ranging from a constitutional dictatorship to clan- run ‘deep state’? And you have decades of human rights activism behind…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 02/14/2013
Colombo, Features, Human Security, Media and Communications, Peace and Conflict

Black January: Ceaseless media suppression in Sri Lanka, with total impunity

Image via RNW The month of January is coming to an end and yet again it has been filled with a number of major attacks on media freedom in Sri Lanka. For…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 01/28/201301/29/2013
Colombo, Constitutional Reform, Features, Politics and Governance, Politics and Governance

Destiny of a Weerawansa referendum (Abolishing the 13th Amendment)

Photo courtesy Business Today Minister Wimal Weerawansa, nicknamed as the ‘, during the 2010 presidential election campaign, came up with a rather serious proposal some two months back: To have a referendum…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 11/29/2012
Colombo, Features, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance

Borella turned into Pudumathalan and the re-appearance of Niemöller

Photo courtesy CNN The photos of prisoners, like thugs, holding a few machine guns on the roof of Welikada Prison, challenging a government which is capable of terrorizing an entire country, what…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 11/20/201211/19/2012
Colombo, Diaspora, Foreign Relations, International, International Relations, Peace and Conflict, Politics and Governance, Post-War

The political meaning of the retreat in London

Image courtesy ITV News DBS Jeyaraj[1] DBS Jeyaraj is not a representative of the Tamil diaspora that has set out to wage war against the government of Sri Lanka. He is a…

Sunanda Deshapriya Sunanda Deshapriya on 06/19/201206/19/2012

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