President Maithripala Sirisena has recently said at a gathering of judicial officers that he won’t accept foreign judges in any investigation into human rights violations here. Stating that he has his faith in local judges and judicial administrators he has stressed the need to ensure judicial independence. President Sirisena may have his faith in the… Read more »
Yearly Archives: 2016
Accountability and a Political Solution
In a recent article, Ram Manikkalingam – a member of the Sri Lankan President’s Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) – argues that Sri Lanka must not prioritize accountability for mass atrocity crimes until a new constitution addressing Tamil autonomy is formulated, and that international human rights advocates must stop giving precedence to war… Read more »
Of Rape, Killings, Impunity and our Collective Amnesia
The passion and commitment of local women’s rights activists and others, although largely unsung, is awe-inspiring and we have the deepest respect for their work. However, this is not a struggle that they alone can accomplish. The state of violence against women and children in Sri Lanka, is our collective reality. The only way by which we can achieve any significant success in this regard, is if we also realise the collective responsibility – the government, the criminal justice system and society as a whole.
So, the question here should not be, if or not we should protest, but rather, that we recognize that protests are an integral part of the process, but, that it cannot achieve much on its own.
Action on Mahaweli System B in Batticaloa
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 March 2016, 23:47 GMT] Maithiriapala Sirisene, the president of genocidal Sri Lanka, who visited his native district of Polonnaruwa last week, has vowed to ‘develop’ the villages that are being Sinhalicised along the border of Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa through ‘Mahaweli System B’, which is being accelerated according to his latest instructions. Hailing… Read more »
CPA: Infographic on Transitional Justice
Download as a PDF here or high-resolution JPG here.
Missing Persons & Beginning of Consultations
Secretariat for Coordinating Reconciliation Mechanisms under the Prime Minister’s Office has a website with an English questionnaire that is open until mid-April, 2016 for collecting opinons on transitional justice mechanisms at http://www.scrm.gov.lk/#!consultations/cjg9 ——– Meeting Held in Trinco to Discuss Missing Person Issue by Colombo Gazette, March 15, 2015 The International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) and the… Read more »
MGR Remembered – Part 34
by Sachi Sri Kantha, March 16, 2016 MGR Remembered Part 33 A Conflict at the Movie Shooting of TholilaLi (Labourer, 1964) In the previous chapter, I had inadvertently omitted a 1964 MGR movie, TholilaLi (Labourer), in which M.R. Radha had co-starred with MGR. This was a Devar Films Production. According to the reminiscence of ace… Read more »
‘Modern Tamils & the Tamil National Question’
Two books by Nagaratnam Parameswaran are now available on Kindle via Amazon. Modern Tamils and Tamil National Question: Sri Lanka/Ilankai 1798-2012 This book is the third and final in the series on the history of the Sri Lankan Tamils. As its title states, it covers the modern period of British rule of the island (1796… Read more »
‘Hundred Hindu Temples of Sri Lanka’
Hundred Hindu Temples of Sri Lanka: Ancient, Medieval and Modern by Sanmugam Arumugam, 2014 Ohm Books, UK http://www.ohmbooks.co.uk/hundred-hindu-temples-of-sri-lanka.html http://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Hindu-Temples-Sri-Lanka/dp/0957502346/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458141145&sr=8-1&keywords=Sanmugam+arumugam ISBN-10: 0957502346 ISBN-13: 978-0957502345 ASIN: B00M60XIA6 (Kindle) In 1980, Sanmugam Arumugam (1905 – 2000) wrote a book titled ‘Ancient Hindu Temples of Sri Lanka’. There was a good demand for the book and a second revised… Read more »
Frt: Statement on UNHCHR Annual Report
Statement on High Commissioner’s Annual Report Remarks on Sri Lanka Ann Hannah, International Advocate and Researcher at Freedom from Torture, said: “We welcome today’s statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights that “the voices of victims must be heard, free from surveillance and intimidation” if the transitional justice and reconciliation process in Sri… Read more »
Sampanthan Speech on Disappearances & Indefinite Detention of Political Prisoners
PLAN OF ACTION REGARDING VICTIMS OF ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES AND PERSONS HELD IN CUSTODY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME Sampanthan speech-8.3.2016 enforced disappearances indefinite detention The former Government’s commitment to the ascertainment of the truth, it may be said, was highly questionable. The new Government needs to address this issue more purposefully so as to bring… Read more »
Snake Oil Sellers for Sri Lanka
snake oil: n. informal. A substance with no real medicinal value sold as a remedy for all diseases. [New Oxford American Dictionary, 2001, p. 1613] The March 2nd issue of the New York Times carried a travel-related opinion piece by Joshua Hammer, which I consider nothing but snake oil. I checked on the profile of… Read more »
Leaderless Tamils and Floundering Causes
Tamils who once ruled the entire country, but later ruled in the name of Jaffna Kingdom lost their rule after the entry of foreign Kingdoms. The 1948 independence opened the route to the loss of language rights; land ownership rights, employment rights. The first blow fell on the plantation Tamils, depriving them of their citizenship… Read more »
National Question Can Be Solved Only By Power Sharing
On January 25 this year Opposition and Thamil National Alliance (TNA) Leader R. Sampanthan left for London and then to the Scottish capital Edinburgh accompanied by his trusted lieutenant Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, MP. Sampanthan’s visit to Scotland coincided with the government taking steps to draft a new Constitution. Scottish experience Both Sampanthan and Sumanthiran participated at a constitutional workshop held to explore possible alternatives… Read more »
How the Chola Flag left a Mark in Lanka
The journey in search of trans-oceanic art traditions reveals how the Chola rule in Sri Lanka made an indelible mark on the island nation’s history and brought about changes in the socio-economic and cultural spheres.Two Chola temples, namely Siva Devalayas, in Polonnaruva are the important Chola monuments in the island nation, according to S Kannan,… Read more »
Receding Hopes for Accountability, Reconciliation and Justice
The much talked and discussed current burning issues of accountability, reconciliation and justice appeared to be facing a life and death battle, the contributors being Sri Lanka’s Government thriving on an uneasy alliance, the UN Human Rights Commissioner and the chauvinistic politicians, spearheaded by Mahinda, BBS and others struggling to revive their political fortunes –… Read more »
CJP: Story of the Political Prisoners in Sri Lanka
CJP Justice delayed Observations. The controversial PTA (Prevention of Terrorision Act) which was in effect throughout the long ethnic war in spite of protests from Human Rights Groups is still in effect even 6 years after the war.The prolonged and indefinite detention of most of the prisoners is due to this. With regard to most… Read more »
‘Tamil Areas in Sri Lanka are the Pockets of Poverty’
Regions with the highest rate of poverty in Sri Lanka are areas inhabited by Tamils, according to Sri Lanka a study of the World Bank 2015. The regions come under the districts of Mannar, Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi in the Northern Province; Batticaloa in the East and plantations in Badulla district (Uva Province) and Nuwara Eliya… Read more »
Maritime Bridge Between India & Sri Lanka?
Both Sri Lanka and India are eager on going ahead with the proposed US $ 3.6 billion maritime bridge linking the two countries, The Sunday Leader reliably learns. The relationship between Sri Lanka and India has been somewhat of a rollercoaster ride, with its own ups and downs, the relation has been varied from the… Read more »
Mangala’s Letter to UNHCHR Feb 2015
UNHCHR Letter to UNHRC Pres 13 Feb 2015