PTA – A License for Prolonged Detention of Innocents
Mr. Nadesu Kuganathan surrendered to the army in the last phase of the war in 2009 and released after rehabilitation in 2013 after four years. But after three months, he was re-arrested…
Colombo
COVID-19: Facing the Shifting Policy Priorities
Sri Lanka is emerging from another wave of COVID-19 and there is a sense of uncertainty that surrounds us. While Sri Lanka’s notable success of vaccinating its population at record speed with…
A Stake Through the Ideological Heart
Hours after losing the presidency, Mahinda Rajapaksa climbed on to a windowsill in his ancestral home and informed a crowd of grieving supporters, “We must remember they got their majority vote from…
Rivers Sustain a Fragile Planet
World Rivers Day is celebrated on last Sunday in the month of September. Rivers provides us many goods and services. Yet the value of rivers has been ignored by both people and…
Pandemic and Beyond: Replacing the Old Normal
Before the current lockdown, the Sri Lankan government asked its employees to come back to work in early August but the escalation of the pandemic and a new lockdown put a halt…
Failing to Defend the Indefensible in Geneva
Currently as the UN General Assembly (UNGA) sessions proceed in New York, the real action is at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, where the conduct of the Sri Lankan…
Adhering to Human Rights – The Time for Words is Over
When a government contravenes the rule of law, crushes human rights, reneges on its responsibility of protecting its own citizens and begins attacking them instead, the international community will step in. It…
Adding Fuel to the Fire: The Dramatic Rise in Domestic Violence During COVID-19
A global rise in the cases of domestic violence (DV) has been observed during the COVID-19 pandemic and sustained periods of lockdown owing to the pandemic. Several factors including tension created by…
The Sordid Tale of the Captive Elephant Industry and Legitimation of Wildlife Crime
Not long after the dust had settled following the government’s long war with Tamil separatism and terror, news filtered in of the kidnapping of baby elephants from the wild. Some dry zone national parks…
Reform or Perish – Urgent Action Vital to Save Ravaged Economy
The Sri Lankan economy faces a historical crisis. The root causes are the twin deficits. First, the persistent fiscal deficit – the gap between government expenditure and income. Second, the external current…
Using Covid-19 to Crush Dissent
Citizens participate in the democratic process by electing their representatives but in the five or so years between elections, peaceful protests serve as a tool to ensure that these representatives remain accountable.…
Sri Lanka in Quicksand at UN Human Rights Council
As the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC) meets for its 48th session, the dire situation in Sri Lanka is under international scrutiny. Amidst ongoing concerns, work has begun on holding the…
Democratic Deficit or Divergent Democracies?
The staunchest adherents to democracy and democratic standards are those who have been its harshest critics. This is in itself the panacea and problem of democracy as it constitutes two sides of…
Beating the Rice Mafia with Competition Law
Rice has played a vital role in Sri Lanka for many centuries not only because it is the staple diet but also because paddy cultivation has been the main source of livelihood…
Who Wants the Death Penalty?
In 2018 the former President of Sri Lanka, influenced by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s ‘war on drugs’ policy, attempted to resume executions for people convicted of drug trafficking. The President’s move reignited…
