Photo courtesy ConstitutionNet We wish to present the following proposals for the Constitution Nature of the State The Sri Lankan Constitution should provide the basis for a strong constitutional commitment to plural democracy,…
Featured image courtesy Mathrubhumi News Many of our Parliamentarians ought to be told that it is far wiser to keep their traps shut and be thought of as fools, rather than open…
Photography courtesy The active politician is a creator, an initiator: but he is neither creates from nothing nor does he move in the turbid void of his own desires and dreams….
Recently, featured those who are trying to reshape Jaffna, post-war, using the arts. While there are spaces opening up for expression, the question remains: how far have the people of Jaffna progressed…
Image courtesy IRIN “The regime has changed, but the system remains the same; how can we expect justice from them?,” asked a Tamil nun who survived the brutal conflict between the Sri…
Since 2009, Jaffna has become host to hordes of curious tourists, visiting to see what a city ravaged by war looks like. For the residents, there are many bitter memories. It is…
Read Part 1 here. There have been diverse responses to the singing of our National Anthem in both our national languages; some sensible, some stupid; some patriotic, some racist. Among the questions…
Photo courtesy Understanding the Age of Transitional Justice In a recent article, Ram Manikkalingam – a member of the Sri Lankan President’s Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) – argues that…
Image courtesy Narenthiran I read Prof. Carlo Fonseka’s article under the caption ‘Accolades for President and Prime Minister‘ in 10 Feb. with much interest and appreciation. Listening to the singing of the…
Photography courtesy Huffington Post The great electoral victory won by democratic forces on 8th January 2015 against the anti-democratic, corrupt, murderous, and authoritarian family rule is in jeopardy. The Rajapaksa family and…
Photo courtesy Reuters, via CFR This week, the UN’s top human rights official, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein – the High Commissioner for Human Rights – is visiting Sri Lanka. He will see…
Featured image courtesy Reuters The essence of statesmanship is not a rigid adherence to the past, but a prudent and probing concern for the future. –Hubert H. Humphrey ‘A Small Island of…
Featured image courtesy The Hindu R, Sampanthan, Leader of TNA and ITAK – www.seithy.com / 2015 December 23 “Thamil Makkal Peravai” (TMP) prompted this essay on Christmas Day. I checked up on…
Picture from ICMP In the 35 year history of the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances (“WGEID”), Sri Lanka ranks number two, shamefully, in the numbers of disappearance cases…
Picture courtesy RepublicSquare Members of the families of those forcibly disappeared, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank the organising committee for the invitation to deliver this speech on…
