Bitter Sugar, Poisoned Oil
Photo courtesy of The Morning The recent scandals involving sugar and coconut oil should point the country to the dangers of private sector mafias and rent seekers. These are not your typical…
Corruption
Geneva and Other Fateful Trysts
Image courtesy of Films for Action “There will be no investigation in the country…because I will oppose it…. Whether it is United Nations or any other country [sic] we are, I am…
A Statement on the PCoI on Political Victimisation
Image Courtesy of News First I am going to explain about the Commission on Political Victimisation established by President Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The Commission was set up to investigate acts of political…
Sri Lanka: Government Suffocating Dissent and Obstructing Justice for Historic Crimes
Image courtesy of Amnesty International Amnesty International Press Release: The Sri Lankan Government has launched a renewed crackdown on dissent that is severely curtailing civil society freedom and obstructing efforts to deliver…
Pattani Razeek’s Abduction and Killing – An 11 Year Wait for Justice
Image Courtesy of Sri Lanka Brief On 11 February 2010, Pattani Razeek, a former Grama Niladhari (Village Official), a former Managing Trustee of the Community Trust Fund (CTF) and an Executive Committee…
The MiG Deal: Why My Father Had To Die
Photo courtesy of Asia News Twelve years ago today The Sunday Leader Editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge, was brutally murdered in broad daylight within a high security zone. His killers have never been punished….
Reform the Proposed 20th Amendment to Strengthen, Not Weaken, Transparency and Public Oversight
Photo Courtesy of AP News Following parliamentary elections, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa wasted no time in obtaining cabinet approval and thereafter gazetting the proposed 20th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka. …
Stopping the Landslide
Photo Courtesy of Feminism in India “We have learnt from many political parties in the world. The best two are the BJP and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party).” Basil Rajapaksa (Daily FT…
A week that will shake Sri Lanka’s future
Photo by Buddhika Weerasinghe via PRI Who is winning? This seems to be the question many people these days are keen to find an answer to. Whenever this question is put to…
INFOGRAPHIC: What Can Rs. 17 Billion Buy?
Featured image by NewsFirst The Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the operations of Sri Lankan and Mihin airlines has revealed corruption, malpractice and political interference. Pulling no punches, the Commission in its…
Police Harassment in Sri Lanka: Fines, Bribes and Batons
Featured image courtesy ArabNews If you live as a foreigner in Sri Lanka, police hassle is likely part of your reality. Indeed, the majority of those who drive their own vehicle have…
Sri Lanka’s political system: A Failure of Governance
Editor’s Note: The following is an excerpt from a booklet, launched by Advocata Institute at the Asia Liberty Forum on March 1, 2019 This essay examines failures of governance in Sri Lanka….
The Gravest Crisis
President Sirisena’s actions in dissolving Parliament on the night of November 9 is yet another blatant violation of an explicit provision of the constitution. If the President violates the constitution so frequently…
Taking A Stand
On November 4, 2018, a group of people gathered at the Liberty roundabout in Kollupitiya. For some, it was their fifth day of standing in protest. Following news that President Maithripala Sirisena…
Is Bribery A Fact of Life in Sri Lanka?
Is bribery a fact of life in Sri Lanka? The following video captures perceptions on bribery and corruption across five cities, and in English, Sinhala and Tamil. The issue of corruption has…