Yearly Archives: 2015

Sri Lanka and its Democratic Revolution

After all, a constitutional settlement addressing the challenge of ethnic and religious pluralism, especially, has eluded Sri Lanka throughout its post-colonial history and political opportunities as historic and as momentous as the present one have been squandered repeatedly in the past. At a similar moment in American history, Lincoln invoked not only the value and values of magnanimity and charity, but also the need for what he called ‘firmness in the right’ in striving to ‘finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds.’ If this challenge is to be met consistently with the democratic promise generated by the two elections of 2015, not only would Sri Lanka’s political leaders need to demonstrate an excellence of leadership they have never exercised in the past, but its civil society would have to continue to play the critical role it did in creating the conditions for the successful electoral revolution.

Promise of Justice

The visit by senior US officials, Nisha Biswal and Tom Malinowski this week, and the US’ endorsement of a domestic process of accountability into mass atrocities committed against the Tamil people during the end of the armed conflict in 2009 has been met with a sense of relief by the Sri Lankan government and was… Read more »

Legacy of 1962 Coup Plot

Forty years ago on 28th January 1962, Sri Lanka awoke to the startling news that a coup d’etat by key police and military officers had been foiled. In retrospect the Sixty Two Coup was a crucial turning point in Sri Lanka’s contemporary history. Sri Lanka experienced one of the longest unbroken periods of colonial rule…. Read more »

Sri Lankan Parliament Urged to Repeal Anti-terror Act

 The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) has called upon newly-elected Members of Parliament to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), dubbed by human rights activists as draconian, in two months. ‘Dangerous laws’ In a statement, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon, Executive Director (CaFFE), termed the PTA as more dangerous than emergency laws and said… Read more »

Tamil Women in Post-War Sri Lanka

A white paper by Nimmi Gowrinathan and Kate Cronin-Furman, City University of New York Colin Powell School, August 28, 2015 Tamil Women in Post-War Sri Lanka Nimmi Gowrinathan Kate Cronin-Furman ABSTRACT In this report we document the negative impacts of 6 years of militarization on Tamil women’s lives in Sri Lanka. Based on over fifty… Read more »

Sri Lanka’s Tangled Democracy

by Taylor Dibbert, ‘Foreign Affairs,’ New York, August 25, 2015 Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election is over, and the results are in. By capturing 45.7 percent of the votes and 106 seats in a vote held on August 17, the United National Party (UNP) has narrowly won. This is something of a defeat for Mahinda Rajapaksa,… Read more »

A Public Library in Sri Lanka Welcomes New Readers

by Julie McCarthy, National Public Radio, Washington, DC, August 19, 2015 Listen to the Story A Public Library in Sri Lnka Welcomes New Readers Jaffna Library 4:24 Rising two stories and capped by three domes, the Jaffna Public Library looks a bit like a stately wedding cake. Gleaming white under the Sri Lanka sun, the… Read more »

4 Post-election Challenges for Sri Lanka

by Mark Salter & Eric Solheim, ‘Open Democracy,’ August 31, 2015 Muscular Sinhalese nationalism was defeated at the polls in Sri Lanka. The dismantling of the security state, started in January, can now continue. And there is hope for progress on the very necessary process of post-war accountability and reconcilliation These are critical times for… Read more »

The Future of Sinhala Nationalism

The defeat of statist nationalism as project and ideology, which began at the ethnic periphery on January 8th, was extended into the heartland by August 17th. The defenses that remain standing in geopolitical terms are the two contiguous areas, the ‘Greater Ruhuna’ or the ‘Greater South’ (Kegalle, Ratnapura, Galle, Matara, Hambantota, Moneragala) and in the heartland, Kurunegala-Anuradhapura. In a return to an ancient historical pattern, these are the ‘free territories’ of Sri Lanka; the liberated zones of the national resistance or national liberation movement.

Rare Opportunity for Meaningful Reconciliation in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan people deserve great admiration on the successful conclusion of the most free and fair parliamentary elections since May, 1970. The conclusion of the election has presented a rare opportunity to deliver meaningful reconciliation and a lasting peace. The U.S.-led international community should seize this historic opportunity, facilitating the required political climate to… Read more »

NPC: Resolution on the Need for an International Mechanism

NPC Resolution on Need for International Mechanism   RESOLUTION ON THE NEED FOR AN INTERNATIONAL MECHANISM Acknowledging the long standing efforts of United States, India along with the international community in securing justice, rights, peace and security to this troubled Island Recognizing the efforts of the international community through the UNHRC process towards investigating and… Read more »

Nisha Biswal and Uncle Sam’s Verbal Strip Tease Act

Nisha Biswal, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, during her recent visit to the blessed island told reporters, “We have recognized that there is a different opportunity that exists today and a different landscape for trying to advance reconciliation. We look forward to a process in Geneva that allows an… Read more »

In Memory of Shanthi Sachithanandam

2013 TEDx talk on social activism — Shanthi Sachithanandam – Visionary Of Social Change & Beautiful Human Being By Visakha Tillkeratne, ‘Colombo Telegraph,’ August 29, 2015 You went too soon………….. Shanthi, was the quintessential human being, multi-talented, multi-faceted and multi-tasking. A sparkling jewel, in looks and thought. A mother who had time to bring up… Read more »

Biswal in Colombo

“We fundamentally support efforts to create a credible domestic process for accountability and reconciliation,” Biswal noted…

The Assistant Secretary for Human Rights cautioned however that the Sri Lankan Government would be judged based on actions and not promises.
Both officials who also met with representatives of the Tamil National Alliance last morning acknowledged that the Government would have to build trust and confidence in the domestic process to investigate the alleged violations in war time, since domestic mechanisms had consistently failed or failed to take off.
“The failures of the past are very much on our minds,” Malinowski said, “which is why there is an emphasis on trust-building.”

Sirisena Visits Trincomalee Naval Base Amid Reports of Torture Sites

Sri Lanka’s President Maithripala Sirisena on Sunday has visited the Trincomalee naval base, which has been widely and credibly accused to have housed secret torture camps, where hundreds of Tamils have been brutally tortured and raped during and after the war. According to President’s media unit, President Sirisena has made an “inspection tour” to the… Read more »

Tamil Voters Must Keep TNA on Straight and Narrow

The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) performed exceptionally well in Sri Lanka’s parliamentary election on August 17. But as it prepares to negotiate with the new government on behalf of its Tamil electorate on a political settlement, accountability and demilitarisation, it is up to the Tamil public, civil society and the Tamil diaspora to keep tabs… Read more »

A Still Unfinished War

by International Truth & Justice Project Sri Lanka, South Africa & UK, July 2015 Full report [PDF] — Stop-Torture-Report Original [PDF] ‘The Diplomat’ commentary by Taylor Dibbert Executive Summary This report paints a disturbing picture of a multifaceted assault of terror still wreaked in 2015 on Tamil families by the security forces in the former conflict… Read more »