The Absent Minded Opposition
At a time when everyone is taking a stand on everything, abstentions only show that you don’t want to take a stand on anything. The SJB, the country’s main opposition, chose to…
Politics and Governance
Will Sri Lanka Decriminalize Same-Sex Relations?
In 2022 parliamentarian and lawyer Premanath C. Dolawatte presented to parliament a Private Member’s Bill to amend Sections 365 and 365A of the Penal Code of Sri Lanka with the aim of…
Beyond May Day
The connection between May Day and labour rights began in the United States. During the 19th century, at the height of the industrial revolution, thousands of men, women and children were dying…
An Analysis of Freedom of Expression in Sri Lanka and Myanmar
Sri Lanka and Myanmar were both once colonized by the British and gained independence in the same year, 1948. That is not the only similarity these two countries share; both enjoy strong…
Countering Terrorism While Ensuring Rights: A Sisyphean Task?
A much discussed and debated topic is the Anti-Terrorism Bill (ATA) of 2023, which was introduced as a mending patch for the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) (Temporary Provisions) Act, No. 48…
Don’t Blame the Monkeys
Animal rights activists and conservationists are up in arms about a plan to send 100,000 toque macaque monkeys to China on the request of a private Chinese firm. The government says the…
Wind Farms : The Death of Mannar
How can the most ambitious renewable power project in Sri Lanka have this many detrimental impacts on the environment and the local communities of Mannar? Thambapawani, a derivation of the name after…
From the Ashes, a New Generation Dares to Transform Their Nations
Prashan De Visser opens his maiden book with a stark question: “Does the state of the world overwhelm you and a better world seem improbable?” He then reflects on what seems to…
The Smell of Terror
In Sri Lanka terror means Tamil or Muslim. When the J.R. Jayewardene government responded to the ethnic problem not with the promised political reforms but with repression and the PTA was born,…
Making the IMF Work for Sri Lankans: Part 2
March 20, when the IMF Board approved an Extended Fund Facility for Sri Lanka, now seems a long time ago. For many people this felt like a major step toward the resolution…
Remembering the Easter Sunday Attacks Four Years Later
There are many things that I remember today, April 21, 2023 in relation to Easter Sunday attacks four years ago. Images of damage to the churches and hotels is among the vivid images…
A.K. Dissanayake Leads in Potential Presidential Election Race
In the first release of results from IHP’s Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) tracking of presidential election voting intent, A.K. Dissanayake, NPP/JVP leader, leads with 48% of likely voters in March…
NPP/JVP Well Ahead in General Election Voting Intentions
Despite the IMF deal reached to rescue Sri Lanka from the brink of economic collapse and the slight recovery in investor confidence, the general election voting intentions of the public have not…
Unpacking Two Core Shortcomings of the ATA
For forty years, human rights activists have demanded repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of 1979, which the state has used to terrorize minorities with impunity. Ultimately the threat of…
The Dire Straits of Colombo’s Working Class Poor
The World Bank The impact of the economic crisis on the working class poor of Colombo over the past year cannot be overstated. Many of these households were already affected by the pandemic…
