Buddhism and its impact on governance
Image from Travel Blog Today, Wesak is the most revered day in the Buddhist calendar. Unfortunately, in Sri Lanka, the celebration is led by a small group of apparently sanctimonious humbugs followed…
War Crimes
Reconciliation without Truth in Sri Lanka?
South Africa had a Truth and Reconciliation commission presided over by Desmond Tutu. Human Rights activists who looked forward to Reconciliation and peace at the end of the civil war in 2009,…
Seminar on defeating terrorism: Sharing Sri Lanka’s experience
Original image from AFP | The Sydney Morning Herald The Sri Lanka defense establishment is organizing a counter-insurgency seminar from the 31st of May to 2nd of June 2011. It has invited over…
How will Delhi listen to Jayalalithaa calling Rajapaksa a ‘war criminal’?
“Declare Rajapakse a war criminal: Jayalalithaa tells Centre” was a banner headline on 13 Friday in the “Indian Express”, following AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa’s march to victory, at the Tamil Nadu assembly elections…
Opposition to the UN Panel report: Any method to this madness?
There is obviously much confusion in official circles on what to do with the report of the panel appointed by the UN Secretary General to look into issues of accountability in Sri…
Anti-UN sentiment in Jaffna: Fact or fiction?
The reveals that bereft of any public support, the minister and his goons are now ostensibly forcing people to sign their names, and this too in the regions most affected by war.…
Opening a public case against the US and its President(s)
There are many cases pending with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in Hague. There are trials and pre trials on Cambodia, former Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Sudan – Darfur, Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda,…
On Sinhalese Nationalists, Tamil Diaspora and the War Crimes Saga
Photo from The Australian A couple of days ago I was watching a political talk show in the Derana TV Channel attended by prominent nationalists including Professor Nalin de Silva of the…
Sinhala and Tamil translations of UN Panel’s report on accountability
Original image from TNL The official version of the report published by the panel constituted by the UN Secretary General to look into issues of accountability in Sri Lanka was released on…
Osama Bin Laden and Sri Lanka’s WMD Moment
Image courtesy stuff.co.nz The killing of Osama Bin Laden by chopper-borne US Special forces and Navy Seals is good news and a job well done by that country. Shortly after the attack…
Violence and accountability
Cartoon by Albert Ashok As conflict raged, the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights had stern words for those on both sides. “All violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law…
War Crimes Accountability In Sri Lanka: Is There A Liberal Democratic Alternative To International Action?
Sri Lanka’s President pictured here with the Governor of the Central Bank Ajith Nivard Cabraal (L) and his brother Basil Rajapaksa, the Economic Development Minister (R) has repeatedly called the war a…
Much ado about nothing: Is Sri Lanka in danger of being held accountable by the International Criminal Court?
Image from Joe Klamar/AFP/GETTY Early last year I set about examining, as a recent graduate, the feasibility of any citizen of Sri Lanka being tried in the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the…
Reconciliation and accountability after the UN Panel’s report: Challenges and opportunities for Sri Lanka and the UN system
Image courtesy Huffington Post Asia Pacific Forum is a pan-Asian radio show broadcast every Monday night from 9-10pm on WBAI 99.5 FM in New York City and live on the web. WBAI…
An elephantine gestation: UN Panel’s report on accountability in Sri Lanka released
Leaked versions of the UN Panel’s report found their way into . The UN had earlier expressed its deep regret over the leak to mainstream print media in Sri Lanka. Accusations between Palitha…