Sri Lanka and India’s Regional Dominance
When the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) was hosted by India a couple of months ago everybody sat up and took notice, especially those old enough to recall that once-revolutionary movement’s strident, even…
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The Bitter Legacy of a Blood Stained Civil War
Thousands of people gathered in a hot, dusty field in Mullavaikkal in the Mullaitivu district to mark the end of the bloody civil war on May 19, 2009. The area was dotted…
Shades of an Undead Past
In Sri Lanka of 2024, kanji is a four letter word. During the long Eelam war, all sides committed horrendous atrocities. Sri Lankan forces, the LTTE and anti-Tiger Tamil groups all were…
Still Seeking Accountability 15 Years Later
Failure to hold the powerful accountable for misusing their power and inflicting damage on other people has harmed large numbers of Sri Lankans. This has been pointed out across the country and…
Government Proposes a Law to Control NGO Activity
On January 30, 2024 the Director General of the National Secretariat for Non-Government Organizations shared with a collective of civil society organizations a draft law to repeal and replace the Voluntary Social…
How Social Media is Fuelling Sri Lanka’s Ethnoreligious Issues
In Nedunkeni, a small town outside Vavuniya, there is news of the destruction of an ancient Hindu monument, an athi lingam (distinguishable symbol) consecrated to Lord Siva, that stood proudly on Vedukkunaari…
From Absurdities to Atrocities, Again?
Voltaire (Letter to Fredrick the Great – 28.11.1770) Sri Lanka’s road to ruin was marked by miracles. The story, born in mystery, spread across the land at the speed of light. Luminous…
Gaza: The Cruelty and Pain of Numbers
If a modern military combat involves a lot of high explosive such as large bombs and shells, the physical devastation of the area is profound. And the bigger the shell or bomb…
Muslims Returning to Jaffna Face Many Challenges to Exist
In October 1990 some 75,000 to 100,000 Muslims in the Northern Province, about five percent of the province’s total population, were forcibly expelled from their homeland by the LTTE. In some places,…
Women in the North Fight Against a Patriarchal Society for Survival
In all conflicts around the world, women are deeply affected. Sri Lanka’s 26 year civil war is no exception. Women in the war torn areas have faced violence, sexual abuse, displacement and…
Memories of Loved Ones | Virtual Memorial
Relatives of those who have been forcibly disappeared are waiting for their missing loved ones to come home. They spend every minute of their lives with faith, and with the memories of…
Four Takeaways from the UN Security Council Resolution on Gaza
The recent UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza from which the US, not surprisingly, abstained marks a crossroads in the history of Israel and the future of Palestine….
The Crisis Is Far From Over For Colombo’s Poor
The long lines at fuel stations have disappeared as have the frequent power outages; it’s almost as if the economic crisis is a thing of the past. For Colombo’s working class poor…
Gaza in End Times
Jonathan Glazer, director of The Zone of Interest (Oscar acceptance speech) The Pali Canon has the original tale but it’s the version in the commentaries we know. In both stories, she is…
Democracy in Sri Lanka: Backsliding or Inching Forward?
The world is becoming less democratic and more autocratic (i.e. authoritarian). One of the best sources of information is the annual issued by the V-Dem Institute in Sweden. The Institute continuously measures…
