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…
Mannar
Uncovering the Secrets of Sri Lanka’s Gravesites
The Vavuniya High Court has upheld the rights of families of the missing and disappeared to be legally represented and participate in the investigation into the suspected gravesite at the Mannar Sathosa…
Waiting for Godot: A Story of 600 Acres in Mullikulam
Three years ago, the villagers of Mullikulam in the Mannar district left behind their brick homes with water, toilets and beds to camp out in tents on the land they called home.…
Braving Harsh Repression, Human Rights Defenders in the North Soldier On
The sentiments are unanimous. Under President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidency and government, Sri Lanka’s human rights defenders in the north are being threatened, harassed and intimidated on a scale never experienced before. Interviews…
Voices from Musali: The real story behind the ‘Save Wilpattu’ Campaign
The adhan call resonates. The residents of Marichchukkaddi in Musali stop speaking and bow their heads in prayer. For five minutes, peace prevails. The only sound is that from the green banners…
SAMPUR: Documentary trailer
Thousands of individuals from across Sri Lanka have been displaced for years, some multiple times. For over a decade, the Centre for Policy Alternatives (the institutional home of ) has documented issues…
Disappearances in Sri Lanka and the visit of the UN Working Group on Disappearances
Picture from ICMP In the 35 year history of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (“WGEID”), Sri Lanka ranks number two, shamefully, in the numbers of disappearance cases…
Enforced Disappearance: A Tamil Perspective
Picture courtesy RepublicSquare Members of the families of those forcibly disappeared, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank the organising committee for the invitation to deliver this speech on…
Sabiya Mahal: Commemmorating 25 years of the Northern Muslim eviction
Picture courtesy SriLankaBrief I am worried and mad at my Mum. Why is she doing this? Is she insane or greedy? She says it is foolish to keep something that will be…
#icanChangeSL & #wecanChangeSL: Shaping a new Sri Lanka
Engage with this campaign in Tamil (புதிய இலங்கையை வடிவமைப்போம்…) or Sinhala (ශ්රී ලංකාවේ අනාගතය හැඩගැස්වීම සදහා…) too! ### The Presidential poll of 8 January 2015 inspired the largest number of voters in Sri Lanka’s…
Revisiting Sampur: How Long Will it Take to Return Home?
By Bhavani Fonseka and Mirak Raheem The election of a new President has unleashed high expectations of change for the better. Although for some the expectations relate to macro issues of constitutional…
Will there be “Maithree” and “Yahapalanaya” for Navy occupied Mullikulam?
Last week, I went to Mullikulam, a beautiful and resourceful village in the Mannar district, which has been illegally occupied by the Navy for more than 7 years. It was my first…
Bishop of Mannar’s letter to Presidential Commission on Missing Persons
Photo courtesy Tamilnet. Download this letter from here. It can also be viewed online – Page 1 and Page 2. ### The Chairman and Commissioners, Presidential Commission on Missing Persons Dear Commissioners,…
Mullikulam: Restrictions on fishing, cultivation, access to the church and school continue
The continuous appeals and campaigns carried out by the people of Mullikulam, the Bishop of Mannar, Rt. Rev. Dr. Rayappu Joseph and members of the clergy and civil society seems to have…
Grievances of Muslims in the North
“It is not only inhumane to be expected to live under such terrible conditions, but these conditions are also a breeding ground for mosquitoes and the spread of other communicable diseases. If…
