Monthly Archives: March 2017

Holding On To Life

by Francis Harrison, ‘Huffington Post’ The Blog, Los Angeles, March 30, 2017 Tired and in shock, he leans on her shoulder as if it were his mother’s. His reddened eyes keep on closing as he nods off, drained by sleepless nights spent reliving the past. Seeing the two of them together – both torture survivors… Read more »

Honoring Sandya Ekneligodya

International Women of Courage Awards Ceremony by US Dept. of State, Washington, DC, March 29, 2017 From the booklet handed out at the event: Sandya Eknelyoda is a symbol of the search for justice and reconciliation in Sri Lanka.  Following the disappearance of her husband, Prageeth Eknelygoda in 2010, Sandya made it her mission to… Read more »

ICJ: Criminal Justice Reform Needed

by International Commission of Jurists, Switzerland, March 30, 2017 Sri Lanka: criminal justice reform needed to overcome challenges to accountability for human rights violations Sri Lanka’s criminal justice system must undergo serious reform in line with international human rights standards in order to provide justice for victims of human rights abuses, the ICJ said in… Read more »

Flip-flopping on Accountability – A Timeline

by ‘Groundviews.org,’ Colombo, March 27, 2017 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. One of the most controversial topics has been the level of international participation in a judicial mechanism…. Read more »

Foreign Judges Can Hear Cases

by Sulochana Ramiah Mohan, ‘Ceylon Times, March 26, 2017 Attorney-at-Law and Co-Founder of South Asian Centre for Legal Studies Niran Anketell who has litigated human rights, constitutional law, and civil cases in Sri Lankan Courts for over seven years speaks to Ceylon Today on the government co sponsoring the United Nations Human Right Council’s resolution… Read more »

Understanding China’s Belt & Road Initiative

by Peter Chai, Lowy Institute for International Policy, Australia, March 2017 KEY FINDINGS There are strategic drivers behind China’s Belt and Road Initiative, but it is also motivated by the country’s pressing domestic economic challenges. The combination of strategic and economic drivers is not always easy to reconcile. In some cases, China’s strategic objectives make… Read more »

TNA Statement on the Adoption of Resolution 34/L 1

TNA statement on UNHRC Re 34- English (24 March, 2017) Statement on the Adoption of Resolution 34/L 1, at the UN Human Rights Council The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) welcomes the adoption of UNHRC resolution 34/L 1 which reaffirms the full implementation of resolution 30/1 of 2015, promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri… Read more »

No Time to Spare

Tamil Community Calls for Concrete Action on Accountability, Reconciliation and End to Human Rights Abuses in Sri Lanka by British Tamil Forum, US Tamil Political Action Council, Canadian Tamil Congress, March 23, 2017 Press Release on HRC 34 Resolution on SriLanka_USTPAC_BTF_CTC_170323 A   FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: No Time to Spare: Tamil Community Calls for Concrete… Read more »

Sri Lanka’s History of Unfulfilled Commitments

SRI LANKA’S HISTORY OF UNFULFILLED COMMITMENTS AND EXTENDING THE NEVER ENDING HISTORY OF GRIEVANCES AND SUFFERINGS OF TAMILS By: Thambu Kanagasabai LLM [Lond.], March 26, 2017 Former Lecturer in Law – University of Colombo, Sri Lanka Now, Sri Lanka’s request for two years extension to implement the UNHRC Resolution 30/1 of 2015 which has more… Read more »

HRW: Sri Lanka Should Develop Timetable

MARCH 22, 2017 11:48AM EDT Sri Lanka Should Develop Timetable for Full Implementation of its UN Commitments Item 2: Interactive Dialogue on High Commissioner’s Report on Sri Lanka Human Rights Watch acknowledges the Sri Lankan government’s engagement with the international community, including with the UN’s special procedures, over the last two years. We share however… Read more »

Onomastics of Tamil Personal Names – Part 2

by Sachi Sri Kantha, March 22, 2017 More than a year has passed, since part 1 in this series was posted on February 23, 2016. [see, http://sangam.org/onomastics-tamil-personal-names-part-1/] I pick up the thread again now. In mid-1990s, I received an inquiry letter from Prof. Alfred Jeyaratnam Wilson (1928-2000), soliciting the recognized names of literati and intellectuals… Read more »

Report of the High Commissioner on Sri Lanka

Report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on Sri Lanka March 22, 2017 HCHR report on Sri Lanka March 22 2017 and at http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/34/20 Webcast of today’s statement by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, plus the Interactive Dialogue with states & NGOs at http://webtv.un.org/topics-issues/member-states/watch/id-high-commissioner-report-on-sri-lanka-54th-meeting-34th-regular-session-human-rights-council-/5367403594001 Human Rights Council 34th Session   Item 2: Oral presentation of the… Read more »

Oakland Institute Report: Justice Denied

JUSTICE DENIED: A REALITY CHECK ON RESETTLEMENT, DEMILITARIZATION, AND RECONCILIATION IN SRI LANKA by Oakland Institute, CA, USA, March 20, 2017 Oakland Press Release – Justice Denied Final Oakland Justice_Denied_Final Justice Denied exposes the many issues that continue to plague land release and resettlement in Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan military continues to occupy large… Read more »

Statement on Sri Lanka by Amb. Steven Rapp

Statement on Sri Lanka by: Hon Mr Steven J Rapp, former US Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, March 21, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mCxdEqle3o Transcript of an oral statement made by Hon Mr Steven J Rapp, former US Ambassador-at-Large and currently Distinguished Fellow at The Hague Institute for Global Justice, in conversation with Hon K Manikcka Vasagar,… Read more »

PEARL Report Examines Kumarapuram Massacre and Acquittals 20 Years Later

Impunity Reigns in Sri Lanka: PEARL Report Examines Kumarapuram Massacre and Acquittals 20 Years Later by People for Equality and Relief in Lanka, USA, March 20, 2017 PEARL’s new report, Impunity Reigns in Sri Lanka: The Kumarapuram Massacre and Acquittals, provides an in-depth analysis of the Kumarapuram massacre case and, more broadly, examines barriers to… Read more »

Statement by Former Members of the CTF

Statement by Former Members of the Consultation Task Force Colombo, March 15, 2017 CTF Eng_Statement_150317 15th March 2017, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms (CTF) was mandated to ascertain the views of the public on the reconciliation mechanisms proposed by the Government of Sri Lanka and incorporated in the resolution co-sponsored… Read more »

Measures to Placate Sri Lanka’s Tamil Minority are Stalling

The ruling coalition includes chauvinist Sinhalese with scant interest in moving forward [reconciliation]? by ‘The Economist,’ March 16, 2017 “WE ARE like dogs in the street, while your men occupy our homes,” read one of the banners strung up by Tamil protesters, mostly women in saris and ragged children. They had been camping for more… Read more »

Sturgeon Says Scotland Could Hold Independence Vote

 In ‘Autumn of 2018’ by Reuters, posted on ‘The New York Times,’ March 9, 2017 EDINBURGH — Scotland could hold an independence referendum in the autumn of 2018, just months before Britain is due to leave the European Union, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC, and a second poll in a month suggested… Read more »

The Power Thinker

Original, painstaking, sometimes frustrating and often dazzling. Foucault’s work on power matters now more than ever by Colin Koopman, ‘Aeon,’ March 15, 2017 Imagine you are asked to compose an ultra-short history of philosophy. Perhaps you’ve been challenged to squeeze the impossibly sprawling diversity of philosophy itself into just a few tweets. You could do… Read more »