Trapped, Still
May 2024 marked the 15th anniversary of the ending of the long Eelam War. Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardana presided over the annual “war heroes” commemoration. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa was among the…
Colombo
The Unseen Ordeal: What Happens After a Child Speaks Up About Sexual Abuse
When a child speaks up about sexual abuse, the world often reacts to the story only at its most tragic endpoint – when it’s too late. But what I need the public…
Ragging and Sadism in Sri Lanka
The Rajagiriya police arrested Sathsara Nimesh and publicly humiliated him by removing his trousers. At Sabaragamuwa University, seniors tortured Charith Dilshan to death for wearing shorts. Dilshi Amshika, who was sexually abused…
Breaches Of Fiduciary Trust And Duty Of Care
The tragic loss of a young girl called Amshi in recent weeks has caused a great deal of grief and anger in the community. But will this lead to changes in law…
A Missing Path Towards Unity and Reconciliation
May is a month of deep reflection and complex emotions in Sri Lanka. It marks two significant and contrasting commemorations: Mullivaikal Remembrance Day on May and Sri Lanka’s Victory Day on May…
Sixteen Years On, it’s Time for Reflection, Not Only Celebration
Since the end of the 26 year armed conflict in May 2009, whether it should be celebrated as a victory or allowed to be mourned by the war victims has been a…
An Examination of Local Government Election Outcomes
The local government elections have sparked widespread political debate, and rightly so. These elections mark a turning point in the country’s grassroots political landscape. But as the dust settles, it is crucial…
Economic Toll of Urban Sanitation Failures
In the throes of a historic economic crisis, Sri Lanka is confronting a less visible but equally devastating public emergency – the widespread failure of urban sanitation infrastructure. A study released by…
Not Enough: Zero Tolerance and Ragging
How do we end ragging at our universities? It is a question that never goes away and one that re-appears every time a student is killed. Charith Dilshan took his own life,…
Opportunity Costs: Identity Politics and Sri Lankan Diaspora Writing
The Asian Literary Society (ALS) facilitated a forum at the National Library in Colombo where the convenors invited a range of academics, scholars, journalists and creative writers to discuss a timely and…
Motherhood and Manufactured Consent: The Hegemony of the Good Mother
Every year on the second Sunday of May Mother’s Day rolls around complete with soft focus advertisements, heartfelt social media tributes and the ceremonial gifting of flowers and breakfast in bed. At…
Power Without Principle: The NPP’s Progressive Illusion
“I want to reaffirm Sri Lanka’s commitment to upholding human rights, gender equality, and social justice…our foremost priority is to ensure that no one is left behind – especially women, children, marginalized…
Sri Lanka, the West and Arabs on Palestine
When the entire Global North led by a sociopath US president whose cognitive capacity is under media scrutiny, has thrown its unreserved support behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s IDF to cleanse…
The End of the Honeymoon: Sentiments on NPP and AKD after the Local Government Election
Writing in March after studying 2,000 comments against President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s (AKD’s) consequential budget speech, I observed there was “a growing public sentiment (bordering on embryonic disenchantment) around the government’s inability to…
Sivaram: A Reflection 20 Years After His Murder
Among the many human rights violations that have occurred in the country in recent decades, the abduction and killing of Dharmaratnam Sivaram, also known as Taraki, stands out. Investigating this case and…
