A Story of Pitipana Fishermen and the Quest for Fairness
In the bustling heart of Colombo amid the cacophony of urban life, a group of fishermen from Pitipana, Negombo, have taken a bold stand against what they perceive as injustice. Their protest,…
justice
World Social Forum: Uniting Activists to Fight Injustice and Oppression
The prospect of a full ground invasion in Rafah, Gaza, and the potential of the forcible transfer of more than 1.5 million people looms large like a dark and sinister cloud. Images…
Sex Education and Stronger Justice System Can Prevent Child Rape
In 2023, 1,502 girl children were raped in Sri Lanka and of them 167 became pregnant. These figures were disclosed by Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police and head of the Bureau…
The Reluctant Activists: Being the Change They Want to See
They gather every Sunday at 4.30 opposite the Healthguard pharmacy on Thimbirigasyaya Road come rain or shine, a band of diehards who have bonded since April 7, 2022 by coming out of…
The Anti-Terrorism Law: A Draconian Legacy
The Minister of Justice recently presented to parliament the Anti-Terrorism Bill, and its first reading took place on January 10, 2024. While this Bill is fraught with problems, two main issues with…
Further Rights Violations Draw International Scrutiny
People suspected of using illegal drugs are among the latest Sri Lankans to find their rights under attack from the regime. So are those sharing news and views online that might suddenly…
Anti-War Protests: A Missing Dimension
“Hey, hey LBJ, how many kids you killed today?” was a line from a popular song written by Bill Fredericks and sung by a group of school children in US, soon after…
News Without Terror
The reporter gives us news and despite the agony in details: shrapnel killing kids, hospitals, schools and mosques bombed with two thousand pound projectiles, almost two million people displaced, hounded, on…
TRC – A Sophisticated Get Out of Jail Free Card?
Sri Lanka has published a bill to establish a Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation. Although the bill superficially appears to tick several boxes for the international community, a close examination reveals…
A Note to (and on) the West
As the International Court of Justice prepares to deliver its verdict on South Africa’s case against Israel, now is an opportune moment to reflect on what it means for the West, the…
South Africa Challenges Israel’s Final Solution for Palestine
“Israel, like South Africa, is an apartheid state after taking Palestine from the Arabs who had lived there for a thousand years.” (Hendrik Verwoerd) “The people of South Africa will never forget…
The Commission For Truth, Unity and Reconciliation: A Damp Squib for Human Rights Archives and Records
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, October 21, 2003 The Bill on the Commission for Truth, Unity and Reconciliation (CTUR) in Sri Lanka was finally issued in the Gazette on January 1, 2024 after months…
Protecting the Rights of the Adivasi Community
It has been 16 years since the UN General Assembly adopted the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) in September 2007. However, Sri Lanka has not formulated a legal or…
Emigration or Death: US-Israeli Offer to Gazans
“ Chaim Weizman After 75 years of the founding of Israel, Weizman’s camel is well and truly inside the tent and in the process of chasing out its original occupants. US Republican…
Fate of Refugees and Asylum Seekers Hangs in the Balance
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHRC) and UN country team in Sri Lanka must do their utmost to ensure that refugees and asylum seekers don’t end up being stateless or compelled…
