What I Talk About When I Talk About Sri Lanka
When you tell people in Washington that you’re following Sri Lanka, you might get a strange look. You might get something worse than that. But you never really know. Please keep in…
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Meethotamulla: A Preventable Tragedy
In 2012, I visited Madampitiya to help with research for a friend’s thesis. The subject was the spread of disease in this area, situated close to a garbage dump. The tiny lanes…
Power in the wrong hands: The ACJU and MMDA
ACJU’s latest media statement on the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA) does not mention anything about altering their previous position. In other words they are still right. How can they not…
Are socio-economic rights, rights?
Through the ping of a tweet and a quick scan of the media, I’ve been alerted to a polarising constitutional debate in Sri Lanka. The debate is on whether justiciable socio-economic rights…
The Struggles of the Muslims of Musali
The Gazette Notification issued on the 24th of March 2017 declared four forest areas North of the Wilpattu sanctuary as reserves, preventing Muslim Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from returning to their homes in…
Mullikulam – Renewed struggle to regain Navy occupied village
reminisces 88-year-old village elder from Mullikulam, M. Francis Vaz, who hasn’t been home since 2007. On the 8th of September, 2007 the entire village of Mullikulam was unceremoniously evacuated by the Military…
A Question of Political Will: Unpacking de Silva’s Comments on Foreign Judges
Recently, compiled a timeline of all the statements made by the Government in terms of the participation of foreign judges in a judicial mechanism. The timeline shows that over the past two…
The Evolution of Sri Lanka’s #Instameet
On March 26, a group of 13 or so created some confusion among the vendors at the old market on Sea Street in Negombo. “Where are you from?” was an often-repeated question.…
UPDATED: Flip-flopping on Accountability – A Timeline
Sri Lanka recently co-sponsored a resolution at the 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council, allowing Sri Lanka two more years to implement the recommendations made in Resolution 30/1 of 2015.…
Disconnected: Juxtaposing the UNHRC sessions with protests in the North
At 7:30 am in Mullikulam on March 23, a group of villagers decided to begin a protest, demanding for the return of their land. The residents of Mullikulam have been living ‘as…
A Thousand Words: Seeking the story beyond the photo
View the full story compiled on Adobe Spark here, or below.
The Art of Connection: Two organisations take on reconciliation
As a 16 year old, Nushelle de Silva was entirely unprepared for the experience of seeing Jaffna in its ‘raw state’ during the ceasefire in 2004. Traveling there on a field trip with…
Military Occupation: documenting civilian protests and the struggle of the newly resettled
Editor’s Note: This is an immersive photo story written by them, compiled using Microsoft Sway. Click here to access it directly, or scroll below.
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…
MMDA: Personal Narratives – 6
This is the sixth in a series of videos conducted by sister publication Maatram, highlighting the difficulties faced by women under the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act (MMDA). Article 16 of the constitution states that…
