Digana: Two years later
5th of March 2018 marked the beginning of a series of violent mob attacks against the Muslims in the central parts of the country, perpetrated by the ethno-nationalist Sinhala Buddhists. A personal…
Human Security
On loss and bereavement
Photo courtesy ‘This is how we felt after the tsunami, stunned, bewildered.’ So many friends in Sri Lanka said this to me in days following the Easter Sunday suicide bombings this year.…
2019: A Recap
Photo courtesy The last year of this decade, 2019 is possibly a turning point in Sri Lankan history. When looking back on the year that passed, what looms above all else is…
Where are we now? Reflections on the International Human Rights Day 2019
The focus of 2019’s International Human Rights Day is on a celebration of “the courage, clarity, and principle of women, men, and young people who are rising up peacefully to create greater…
Of a Disciplined Society
Photo courtesy Lesley Barnes On the day that marks a week since a new era of Sri Lankan politics dawned, the country that voted for a hinted at during the Mahinda Rajapaksa…
Rehabilitation
The outgoing president of my former country just pardoned Jude Jayamaha, murderer of the young Yvonne Jonsson, who had dual Sri Lankan and Swedish nationality, bludgeoned to death in an apartment at…
Sri Lanka resumes deportation of asylum seekers
Photograph courtesy “Please save my family, please” was the message I received from a Pakistani friend last weekend. It was about her family of seven, including 3 children, who had fled Pakistan…
Is the Deep State Involved? Reflections on the PSC Findings & Implications for the Future
Photograph courtesy We are presently witnessing a whirlwind of activities in the lead up to Presidential Elections due on 16th November with an unprecedented number of candidates and election hype. It was…
“What is the Question?” The Matter of Surrendees and Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s Response
Meera Srinivasan, the Hindu correspondent in Sri Lanka, at the first press conference with Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa asked him what happened to the LTTE cadres and others who surrendered to the…
Traces of War on Their Bodies
These are the stories of people whose daily struggles come from witnessing and being trapped in the middle of a war that lasted three decades, who think that it would have been…
Counterterrorism and the Rule of Law
Whenever the topic of counterterrorism is raised my mind goes back to the 2012 film ‘The Gatekeepers’, directed by Israeli filmmaker Dror Moheh. The documentary was shortlisted for an academic award. The…
Thicker Than Water
On April 21, 2019, the doctors working at the National Blood Transfusion Services woke to chilling news. A series of suicide bomb blasts had occurred across the island. As of June 11,…
Digital Battlefield: Launch of Digital Security Wiki
In the year 2018, the divide between online and offline worlds has become increasingly blurred. Behaviour seen in digital spaces and the language used in the dissemination of content mirrors offline practice…
Remembering, Nine Years On
May 18, 2009 is a day that showcases division. To some, it is a day of mourning. To others, cause for celebration. Families in the North and East who commemorate their family…
Untold Stories from Kandy
“This is the money that my daughter and I collected every day in a till. It used to be on the cabinet. The notes can no longer be found. The coins were…
