Drones in National Parks: For Whose Benefit?
For many years the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) has been criticised for its lack of intent in upholding the principles of conservation. There are times, however, when the DWC does act…
Politics and Governance
The Tragedy and Power of a Single Story
I am sick and tired of people not taking a stand on Palestine because they fear it is a “complex” issue; they don’t know enough of the history, they are neither Israeli…
From the River to the Sea: Sri Lanka and Palestine
Sri Lankans are overwhelmingly standing with Palestine and with much of the Global South, which voted for a recent UN resolution, introduced by Russia, condemning Israeli atrocities in the Gaza Strip. There…
Sanitizing Israeli Horror and Demonizing Palestinian Resistance
Hamas’ coordinated rocket attack on Israel, which killed hundreds of Israeli citizens and brought a new Palestine-Israel War, is another chapter in the history and expansion of the Zionist settler state. To…
What Can We Learn from Sri Lanka’s Debt Default?
At Independence in 1948, Sri Lanka was second to Japan on most socio-economic indicators and ahead of South Korea on per capita income in 1960; it has since slipped behind most Asian…
Nation Building is Possible with Full Implementation of 13th Amendment Part 4
Thirty five years after its enactment, full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the constitution remains as controversial as it was at the beginning. The amendment faced opposition from both the South…
The Voice Referendum in Australia: Correcting Past Wrongs
Australia and Sri Lanka share a complex history of colonisation, which has deeply impacted their Indigenous populations. Both countries, members of the Commonwealth of Nations[i], grapple with the repercussions of their colonial…
Reflections on the Israel-Hamas War
Israel’s Western allies, the US in particular, believe that any investigation into Israeli war crimes in the Gaza Strip will “exacerbate tensions” and “undercut efforts to advance a negotiated two-state solution.” I…
Sutharsan’s Journey: When Leaving Does Not Take Away the Pain
What is home to you? Is it a place, a person, a vocation, or something else? Most immigrants, including myself, struggle with this question. Is home the place we were born or…
Nation Building is Possible with Full Implementation of 13th Amendment Part 3
The 13th Amendment to the constitution is a product of Indo-Sri Lanka Peace Accord signed in July 1987, which acknowledged “The imperative need of resolving the ethnic problem of Sri Lanka, and…
Batticaloa Dairy Farmers Face Violence and Threats over Grazing Land
Batticaloa cattle farmers protesting against the encroachment of outsiders into their grazing land have faced physical attacks and threats as tensions escalated. Their cows have been killed and land set on fire….
Plight of Blue Whales in Sri Lankan Waters
Sri Lanka has had multiple reports of threats posed to the lives of blue whales off its southern coast, with incidents having increased in frequency in the recent past. Reports indicate that…
The President Versus the Hegemonic West
President Ranil Wickremesinghe has a way with interviewers, and I don’t mean that as a compliment. Be it a local or a foreigner, his distaste or contempt for them comes out. His…
UK and Sri Lanka: A Comparison of Two Online Safety Bills
On September 18, the government gazetted a Bill titled Online Safety to establish the Online Safety Commission and to regulate certain contents from the online spaces. Amid the heightened attention, discourse and…
Sandya Ekneligoda: 5,000 Days of Struggle for Truth and Justice
On October 4 it is 5,000 days since disappearance of cartoonist, journalist and human rights defender Prageeth Ekneligoda. It is also nearly 5,000 days since I first met his wife Sandya Ekneligoda…
