Aragalaya, Tsunami and the New Year Dividend
On this Boxing Day, eighteenth anniversary of the Tsunami I write about the year in which the Aragalaya swept up and dispatched the ruler of the ruling family. He fled first to…
Human Rights
Jungle and the Sea: A Tale of Courage, Hope and Survival
Following the runaway success of his first play, Counting and Cracking, writer and director S. Shakthidharan has produced a new play called Jungle and the Sea, which has received enthusiastic reviews since…
I Am More Than I Was Told I Was
I think it’s time we changed the conversation in our society from what a woman’s role in society should be – from dutiful mother and wife – to whoever it is she…
Delivering Economic Recovery with Humane and Equitable Development
Sri Lanka plunged into a dystopian economic reality in 2022. Even in the present global downturn few countries match it in the stunning speed and severity of its collapse. The economy has…
Transitional Justice, Refugees and IDPs in Post War in Sri Lanka
Following three decades of bloody and protracted civil war between government forces and the LTTE, the group was dismantled in May 2009. As reported by the U.N. panel formed by Secretary General…
Protecting Children Through the Convention on the Rights of the Child
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) adopted in 1989, which Sri Lanka ratified on 1991, recognizes the economic, social and cultural rights of children. It is the most ratified…
The Long Journey To an United and Democratic Sri Lanka
As the world marks another Human Rights Day, Sri Lanka is sinking deeper and deeper into an authoritarian regime where human rights are routinely flouted and international criticism is regularly ignored. The…
Bogaswewa: The Story of a Sorry Settlement
“This is the most shameless and ill thought out settlement of people in the history of this country,” says Anura Chandrasekara. He is a farmer, originally from Anuradhapura. He now speaks to…
President’s Anti Freedom Crackdown Undermines Trust
As Sri Lankans continue to suffer the effects of the economic crisis and varied human rights abuses, President Ranil Wickremesinghe has made clear his willingness to use force against people who protest…
Mainstreaming Education for Children with Disabilities
Despite having a high literacy rate, free education and good humanitarian development indicators, Sri Lankan society’s attitudes towards the disabled are still mired in the past although the country has 1.4 million…
Love for Saree or Fear of Change?
A statement made by a teachers trade union has opened up another social debate. This is about the female teachers’ school attire. The union points out that just like in any other…
Abandoned to Their Fate, Northern Villagers Battle to Survive
They are a small, tight knit community held together by their shared suffering and insurmountable difficulties. Ever since the start of the 1983 civil war, their lives have been marked by tragedy…
Does Sri Lanka Need a Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism?
In the lead up to the September session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) the Government of Sri Lanka floated the proposal of establishing a truth and reconciliation mechanism (TRC).…
Ending the Violence And Silence
There has been a positive change in Sri Lanka in the past 5 to 10 years in the recognition of the rights of women and children. This is the result of the…
The Enduring Cost of a Long and Brutal War
Human rights defenders, journalists, families of the disappeared and people remembering their dead are continually being harassed and monitored by intelligence services, military and police in the North. Although the war ended…