JVP’s Unmistakable Turn
Amid the buzz surrounding the presidential race this year, the visit of the JVP-led National People’s Party (NPP) to India has raised much attention. As Sri Lanka plunged into a historic economic…
Politics and Governance
Middle East Madness and Militias
US President Joe Biden ordered more than 85 targets at seven facilities, four in Syria and three in Iraq, which were suspected to be habitats of Iranian backed militias to be bombed,…
The Rise of the Panopticon State
“Hence the major effect of the Panopticon: to induce in the inmate a state of conscious and permanent visibility that assures the automatic functioning of power.” Michel Foucault Although now contested, news…
National People’s Power’s Indian Visit: A Boost to Its Status?
A National People’s Power (NPP) delegation led by its leader comrade Anura Kumara Dissanayake was invited to India for talks with India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, the National Security Adviser…
Proposed Wind Farm in Mannar is a Death Trap for Migratory Birds
Mannar is one of the oldest cities in Sri Lanka dating back to the maritime Silk Road and the trade routes between India and Sri Lanka. It also has some of the…
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…
Documenting and Understanding a People’s Uprising
During four months in 2022, from March to July, Sri Lanka witnessed events unprecedented in its history. Driven to despair at the state of their nation, hundreds of thousands of citizens converged…
A Bleak Future for Sri Lanka
Since being granted independence in 1948, Sri Lanka has been run by three family dynasties whose unaccountable, corrupt and incompetent regimes have led the country into various crises: economic, political and social…
Did Independence Result in Freedom for the Many?
As we mark another independence day celebrating the transfer of power from the British colonial government to Ceylonese rulers, it is important to reflect on the situation that existed before, the impact…
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…
Breaking the Glass Ceiling for Women in Politics
Women in Sri Lanka face serious barriers to political representation and the country ranks among the lowest in the world for the percentage of women in national legislatures. After the parliamentary elections…
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…
The Online Safety Bill: A Trojan Horse
On September 18, 2023, the Government of Sri Lanka published a Bill titled “Online Safety” and this was subsequently tabled in parliament on October 3. The Bill aims to establish an Online…