Memory and the Security State
The sun was scorching at the Mullivaikkal memorial grounds as people gathered to remember loved ones and Tamil civilians killed during the war that came to an end on May 18th 2009.…
Transitional Justice
Building An Ethos of Rights
December 10 is Human Rights Day, and marks 70 years since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted. Since inception, has dedicated itself to discussion on issues pertaining to human rights.…
Fragile Hope, Firm Resolve
A puff of wind shifts the piece of cardboard dangling from the tent. ‘541’ it reads. Over one year later, the tent housing the families of the disappeared in Vavuniya has become…
UPDATE: Flip-flopping on Accountability – A Timeline
Featured image courtesy ada.lk On March 21, 2018, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tilak Marapana flagged the operationalisation of the Office on Missing Persons, the use of the Right to Information Act,…
What You Need To Know: Facts on the Enforced Disappearances Bill
Why is there a need to criminalise ‘enforced disappearances’? Sri Lanka has had a history of allegations of ‘enforced disappearances’, white van abductions etc. This is evidenced by the numerous commissions of…
UPDATED: Road to OMP Timeline
The 34th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) commenced on February 27 in Geneva. It was widely reported that Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera would most likely push for a…
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…
Incorporating International Crimes into Sri Lankan Law: The Need for Legislative Reform
Featured image courtesy Al Jazeera In a paper published recently, Eleanor Vermunt and I argued that international crimes must be incorporated into Sri Lankan law with retroactive effect in order to enable…
Habeas Corpus
We returned to the place Where we were buried in a hurry “Let’s look for our bodies,” we said We searched the edge of the lagoon, the marsh Where uniformed men said…
The Process Behind OMP: Video interviews
The Office of Missing Persons (OMP) Bill was passed in Parliament without a vote, a short while ago. The setting up of the OMP was subject to much mainstream media coverage, most of…
Interim Report: Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms
Photo courtesy CTF Access the complete report here or read it embedded below. Access the Executive Summary as a PDF here. Access the concluding observations of the CTF as a PDF here.…
TRANSITIONAL JUSTICE: WHERE ARE THE CHAMPIONS?
Image courtesy TJ Sri Lanka There is no getting away from the issue of international participation in the accountability mechanism, specifically that of foreign judges. The 2015 Geneva resolution co-sponsored by the…
White Vans and unlawful detention under the PTA
Rasathurai Jeyanthan, from Nunavil, Jaffna was abducted in a white van, and was later found to be in custody of the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) last month. He was taken away from…
Art and Truth Telling: The Singularity of Truth
The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA), and the Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts (VAFA) exhibition of 14 artists from different parts of Sri Lanka imagining transitional justice which recently exhibited at the…
Who are “war heroes”?
Featured image courtesy DNAIndia We daily read and often hear of “war heroes”, and of our duty from protect them from any charges of misconduct. This is one of the few issues…
