Monthly Archives: February 2016

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 »

Onomastics of Tamil Personal Names – Part 1

Front Note by Sachi Sri Kantha I contributed a regular column about Tamil personal names to the Tamil Nation (London) [August 12, 1992] print edition, under my pseudonym C.P. Goliard. As 23 years had passed since then, I revisit this vital theme on the onomastics of Tamil personal names and provide additional materials which were… Read more »

Statistical Information for the Northern Provincial Council

Northern Provincial Council 2015 Statistical Information 2015 Northern Provincial Council (Unable to easily find similar information through the Eastern Provincial Council.  Some information is available for digging at — http://www.statistics.gov.lk/)

Pressing Your Case: Nonviolent Movements and the Media

  Introduction by Nada Alwadi Organizers and strategists of nonviolent movements often struggle in dealing with the mainstream news media. Some consider it their enemy, because coverage can be patchy or inaccurate. Others unrealistically expect the media to advocate for their causes. Yet few resources for activists have provided a reliable explanation of how an… Read more »

A Sri Lankan Lesson in Free Speech

London — I gave a talk last month at the Galle Literary Festival in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. This festival, whose home is in the southern city of Galle, has become over the past decade one of the brightest lights in Sri Lanka’s cultural firmament. This year, it established “outreach” festivals in Kandy, in Sri Lanka’s… Read more »

A Look at Language Rights in Sri Lanka

When asked about what the official language in Sri Lanka is, a majority of Sri Lankans said that it is Sinhala only while only 15% gave the correct answer of Sinhala and Tamil. CPA has a long history of work in the field of language rights, one that speaks of great success for minority communities… Read more »

Amnesty: Sri Lanka 2015/2016

Evidence continued to mount that sexual violence may have been used systematically against Tamils (detainees, surrendered LTTE members and civilians) during and in the immediate aftermath of the conflict, strengthening calls for a justice mechanism to address war crimes.

‘We Ask for Power to be Shared to North-East’

The leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) R. Sampanthan called for power to be shared to the North-East in order to reach a solution to the island’s enduring ethnic conflict. Speaking to the Sinhala language daily newspaper Divaina, in a piece headlined ‘We ask for the Tamil kingdom that the British handed over to… Read more »

“More Than a Domestic Mechanism”

For nearly three decades, the government of Sri Lanka fought with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), but after years of resistance, the new government has committed to launching a genuine transitional justice program to address, and redress, the grave international crimes committed by all sides during the conflict. This welcome about-face comes after… Read more »

Sri Lanka Admits Having a Record of Tamil Rebels Surrendered

Sri Lanka that denied Tamil Tigers handed themselves over to the military in the last days of the civil war, acknowledged the existence of a record that contains names of rebels who surrendered to security forces. A military division accused of committing war crimes is in possession of a list of those who handed themselves… Read more »

Problems Continue to Plague Sri Lanka’s Northern Province

In spite of the country’s recent democratic gains, problems continue to plague Sri Lanka’s Tamil-dominated Northern Province…

[W]hen it comes to a range of core Tamil issues, Sri Lanka’s current president doesn’t appear to be that much better than the previous one.

No Turning Back

International pressure, which has relentlessly driven reform on the island so far, must persist if a justice process where the victims voices take centre place is to be forged.

Fundraising for Tamil Chair at Harvard University

http://www.harvardtamilchair.com/ Harvard University has endorsed the idea of a Tamil Chair in their Department of South Asian Studies. The following note, was part of a letter received from Harvard University: “We are very pleased to convey to you our desire to support the establishment of the first Sangam Professorship in Tamil Studies at Harvard University…. Read more »

How Sri Lanka’s Beauty Withstood Centuries of War and Colonialism

Listen to the interview at https://www.wnyc.org/story/look-complex-history-sri-lanka/ The South Asian island nation of Sri Lanka has been colonized by three different empires and has endured brutal civil war and political instability. In Elephant Complex: Travels in Sri Lanka, travel writer John Gimlette illustrates how Sri Lankans have preserved their cultural identity, and how incredible wildlife and natural beauty have withstood centuries… Read more »

TCSF: Submission to the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms

TCSF submission to PRC [PDF, footnotes available here] ———–  TCSF: Submission to the Public Representations Committee on Constitutional Reforms Tamil Civil Society Forum [on Scribd] ———– 1. Introduction TCSF is a network of Tamil civil society activists living and/or working primarily in theNorth – East of Sri Lanka. The forum has been active since 2010. The aim of… Read more »

Remarks of Senator Patrick Leahy at USIP

The Leahy Law makes clear that the United States will not tolerate or support foreign partners who violate the personal integrity, dignity, or due process of their citizens. People who order, commit, or cover up such crimes should be prosecuted and punished.

The law also makes clear that those who use torture or shoot prisoners for reasons of political expediency, or because justice systems are slow or inefficient, will not receive U.S. support.

That is what the law requires when a foreign government rejects the need for accountability.