Sellamma returns home after Army occupation
We first met 83 year old grandmother Sellamma when she was part of a protest fast outside the Puthukudiyiruppu Divisional Secretariat. At that time, her land and house across the road had…
Transitional Justice
Spiraling incidents of military intimidation in the North: Ruki Fernando
There have been increased incidents of military intimidation in the last couple of weeks in areas like Pilakudiyirippu (near Keppapulavu), Paravipaanchan in Kilinochchi, and Puthukkudiyiruppu – former military held lands which have…
“His name is Kamaleswaran”
Justice Denied to Survivors of the Kumarapuram Massacre Featured image courtesy Shehan Peruma “Shoot me but, please don’t kill my children,” pleaded Kanthappoody Kamaladevi with her arms outstretched over her head, just…
On Keppapulavu
February 9 marks the tenth day of protests in Keppapulavu, a village in Mullaitivu, where residents are demanding the return of their land. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is meeting with representatives…
Forecast for 2017: Ruki Fernando
This is the fifth in a series of video interviews forecasting what 2017 will have in store across different sectors, including women’s rights, economics, and human rights. Activist Ruki Fernando speaks about…
A historic moment: Breaking down the CTF report
Sri Lankans do not want to experience war again. This is true across all ethnic groups when the Consultation Task Force for Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTF) held public consultations across the country, between…
Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s “lack of confidence” in the CTF: Revengeful and racist
Justice and Buddhasasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has declared that he has “no confidence” in the government-appointed Consultation Task Force (CTF) on Reconciliation Mechanisms (, 07 January 2017, p.1). Minister Rajapakshe’s decision to…
Interview: Deconstructing the CTF Report
View a short video with key quotes here, or below: Q: What do you think are the most important points that people should focus on in the recently released Consultation Task Force…
Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka: Lessons So Far and the Long Road Ahead
Photo courtesy The new year in Sri Lanka commenced with some noise around aspects of transitional justice, largely due to the release of the report by the Consultation Task Force (CTF). The…
Human Rights Day, Transitional Justice and the Reform Agenda in Sri Lanka: What Next?
10th December marks international human rights day. While we should respect, promote and protect human rights regardless of a special day, 10th December ideally should be when we revisit and reflect on…
Transitional justice without justice? A way out
AFP PHOTO/LAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHILAKRUWAN WANNIARACHCHI/AFP/Getty Images via ICMP As Sri Lanka approaches two years of Yahapalanaya, those concerned with issues of accountability and redress for mass atrocity crimes face a new and diverse…
ACHIEVING DURABLE REFORM IN SRI LANKA
Image courtesy Tamil Canadian Time and again, countries that have experienced repression and armed conflict have an opportunity to transition to a better future. Yet, only a minority succeeds. The challenges may…
Remembering the Krishanthi Kumaraswamy case
Featured image courtesy UK Tamil News On the 7th of September 1996, around six in the morning, a girl in her late teens stood in front of the portrait of Goddess Saraswathie that…
Searching for Answers: The Road to the OMP
Featured image courtesy VikalpaSL August 30 is the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. This year has seen the passage of legislation to enable the set-up of an Office of…
SUBMISSION ON LGBTIQ PERSONS AND TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE MECHANISMS
Photo courtesy TO THE ZONAL TASK FORCE AND THE CONSULTATION TASK FORCE FOR RECONCILIATION MECHANISMS Introduction We present this submission as individuals self-identifying as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex, and Queer (LGBTIQ),…
