War Never Ends
This anniversary marks a stage, a pause in the fighting, does not a lasting peace reflect( especially when celebrated as if one party won). But dictates of reason, and…
Politics and Governance
Remembrance and Reconciliation: One Can’t Happen Without the Other
“How are we supposed to heal when we can’t even remember our loved ones in peace?” asked Vinitha (name changed), a Tamil social worker who grew up during the most violent times…
Fighting for Rights in a Repressive State
Piyath Nikeshala, a prominent social media activist, was attacked with machetes in broad daylight by former deputy mayor of Kaduwela Municipal Council, SLPP member Chandika Abeyrathne and his supporters. And then Piyath,…
Enabling Systematic Torture in Sri Lanka
The recent economic crisis in Sri Lanka exposed the police as an authoritarian institution. Protestors were arbitrarily arrested by officers in plain clothing without warrants and with complete disregard to due process…
Betrayal of Trust: Child Abuse by Buddhist Monks
Buddhism has been a part of Sri Lanka’s culture for centuries and the ordination of young boys as novice monks is a well established tradition. It is a practice that is meant…
Remains of the Day: 9.5.22
On this day, one year ago, I was alone in my studio working intensely on some paintings totally unaware of the chaos emerging and gathering momentum in my city, where government supporters…
The Case of Admiral Karannagoda: A Stark Reminder of a Grim Legacy
On human rights grounds, the US government has banned Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, the most senior officer in Sri Lanka’s navy from 2005 to 2009 and now a provincial governor, from entering the…
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…
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…
