The Tamil In The Room At The War’s End
On May 19th 2009 the last shots in the nearly three decade long war between the Sri Lankan state and the LTTE were fired. The end came in the form of the…
Reconciliation
A slumbering LLRC: The image of reconciliation in Sri Lanka?
The Editors of were emailed the following story on a website called Athirvu.com. The photo is self-explanatory, and shows a commissioner of Sri Lanka’s Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) falling asleep…
Reconciling Sri Lanka
Due to Sri Lanka’s geographically strategic location coupled with its natural and economic resources the absence of war will give us a chance to move in the direction of a vibrant South…
Governance, Rights and Reconciliation: The National Anthem and Other Disturbing News from Sri Lanka
Original photo from The headline story of the was to be maintained. At a time when the principal challenge facing the country is to move beyond a post –war situation to a…
Is the Tamil version of our national anthem a joke?
Recent media coverage in Sri Lanka has focussed on the confusion over the ban of the Tamil version of Sri Lanka’s national anthem. In media reports that need to be read in…
Interview with Michael Roberts
Prof. Michael Roberts, in addition to his academic writing and research, is well-known political commentator in Sri Lanka. He is also a regular contributor to this site. In the incredibly violent days…
On Anthems and the State of the Union
I have been stirred and moved even to tears by both the Tamil and Sinhala versions of the Ceylon, now Sri Lanka,anthem. I think I owe this emotional tie to birth on…
THE LLRC AND COMPLAINTS OF DISAPPEARANCES OF PERSONS
It was reported in the newspapers a few days ago that nearly a thousand individuals had come forward to make representations to the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission during its sessions in …
Response to S. L. Gunasekara’s article titled ‘Cardinal Errors’
‘Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent about things that matter’ -Â Dr Martin Luther King I feel compelled to defend the blasphemy committed through the article titled ‘Cardinal Errors’…
The Jaffna priest and the policeman who turned IGP
“I am speaking from the sacred Keeramalai Naguleswaram temple, home of Lord Naguleswarar and goddess Nagulumpika. I thank you for asking me to talk about the temple. Earlier, Mahinda Balasuriya, he was…
LLRC: Interim report to Government
Though there have been a few reports anchored to this report, we do not know of any place it was published in full. Unsurprisingly, this document looks more at long-term systemic change…
Jaffna and the North of Sri Lanka today: Post war realities, challenges and opportunities
[Editors note: Also  see interview with Dr. Muttukrishna Sarvananthan here, along with one other from a leading rights activist in Jaffna. From the psycho-social trauma and destruction of the social fabric in…
Prospects For Post Conflict Reconciliation And Development In Sri Lanka: Can Singapore Be Used As A Model?
Introductory Remarks and Acknowledgements Before turning to the question the title of this “conversation” poses, I want to express my appreciation for the privilege it is to be living in Singapore, and…
Reconciliation through ‘Rehabilitation’ & ‘Reintegration’ of Ex-LTTE members in Sri Lanka: Separating Fact from Fiction
Photo courtesy Northern Provincial Council Once in a while you may have seen local media reports about persons referred to as former combatants or members of the LTTE. These reports were probably…
LLRC: Submission by Manik de Silva, President of the Editors Guild
Manik de Silva is the most senior and longest-serving Editor of an English newspaper in Sri Lanka. Presently the Editor of the and is currently the President of the Editors Guild. Manik’s…