Uda Walawe Is Dying!
On World Wildlife Day, it is important to remember both the triumphs and the tragedies of conservation in Sri Lanka. One of these is the Uda Walawe National Park, which was established…
Politics and Governance
Donald Lu’s Comeback Story
More than a year after he visited Sri Lanka, US Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu went on record calling Sri Lanka the…
Youth Quota for Local Government: Band Aid or Stepping Stone?
Verité Research Local elections in Sri Lanka have been conspicuously absent since 2018, marking a significant hiatus in the democratic process. Initially slated for 2022, the elections faced successive postponements, first to…
The Sri Lankan State in a Changing Global Context
The focus of my recent writings has been the state formation of Sri Lanka. The starting point of this work is to see the state as a product of history that is…
Misconceptions About the 1983 Riots
Island A recent statement attributed to Prasanna Ranatunga, the Urban Development and Housing Minister of Sri Lanka, blaming the JVP for the July 1983 riots and posted on the A5 News Facebook…
An Uva Uprising: Farmers Fight for Land and Legacy
Our journey began with a seven hour drive from Colombo. As we travelled, the scenery transformed from verdant mountains to emerald plains bordering the Uva province. We reached the solitary stretch between…
NPP/JVP Maintains Lead in Voting Intentions
The latest estimates from Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) revised SLOTS MRP model show no substantial change in general election voting intentions in January 2024 compared to the previous month. NPP/JVP continues…
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,…
All Party Leaders Are Unpopular with the People
In the Institute for Health Policy (IHP) SLOTS polling in January 2024, all major party leaders continued to have negative favourability ratings. The net favourability rating of NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake increased…
If the Economy Has Stabilised, Why Do So Many Feel Poor?
Economists tell us that Sri Lanka’s economy has stabilised but what does this mean if so many are struggling? To economists stability means that the imbalances in the economy have been resolved.…
Vedukkunaari Hill; A Cross Section of Failing Cultural Rights
High atop Vedukkunaari Hill in the Vavuniya district, an ancient temple stands at the precipice of a religious and legal storm. Revered by the local Tamil community as the Vedukkunaari Aathi Lingeswarar…
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…
Doorway 2024
The news barely made the news. Defence secretary (retired) General Kamal Gunaratne and Army Commander General Vikum Liyanage were ordered by the Parliamentary Privileges Committee to apologise to parliamentarian Chandima Weerakkody. Last…
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…
Greenpeace: Giving Voice to the Earth for 53 Years
In 1971, a group of activists set sail from Canada in an old fishing boat to protest against the underground nuclear testing by the US military at Amchitka, an island off Alaska.…
