Monthly Archives: September 2019

Follow-up on the visits of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

to Peru and Sri Lanka https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/42/40/Add.1 Summary This document contains information supplied by Governments, authorities, civil society and other stakeholders, relating to the follow-up measures to the recommendations made by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, following its visits to Peru and Sri Lanka in 2015 (A/HRC/33/51/Add.3 and A/HRC/33/51/Add.2. II. Sri Lanka Follow-up… Read more »

UK Delivers Core Group Statement on Sri Lanka

UK’s International Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French outlined that the UK remains steadfast in its commitment to help Sri Lanka deliver peace, reconciliation and prosperity for all communities. Published 10 September 2019 From: UK Mission to the United Nations Geneva The Human Rights Council takes place in Geneva. This statement is on behalf of… Read more »

Sri Lankan Tamils are Disappointed

As the government gave hope and then failed to deliver: Jaffna MP Sumanthiran by Meera Srinivasan, ‘The Hindu,’ Chennai, September 4, 2019 In Sri Lanka’s presidential poll in 2015, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), representing Tamils of the north and east, led its constituency in a crucial protest vote against then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. As… Read more »

Sri Lanka’s Tamils Need Genocide Recognition

And Innovative Justice Mechanisms by Anji Manivannan, ‘Opinion Juris’ Emerging Voices, New York, August 15, 2019 [Anji Manivannan is the Legal Director at People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) and a Senior Programs Officer at the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP).]  Introduction May 18th marked the tenth anniversary of the end… Read more »

Identity Conflict in Sri Lanka

A Case of Tamil Tigers by Sehar Mushtaq, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, August 2012 Abstract Identity has been basic source of resentment during various ethnic conflicts. Political and economic discrimination based on Identity is a key factor underlying these conflicts. Sri Lanka being religiously and ethnically heterogeneous country faced an identity conflict… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 46

Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 45 The political scene in India became murkier as the minority government of Prime Minister S Chandrasekhar developed serious misunderstandings with Rajiv Gandhi, the leader of the opposition, and the latter ultimately forced Chandrasekhar to announce the resignation of his four-month-old… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 45

War continues with brutality by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 44 On the one hand, an inhumane campaign of collective punishment on the Tamils was unleashed by the Government of President Ranasinghe Premadasa, while on the other hand a brutal and ruthless campaign was let loose by the Liberation Tigers… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 44

Eelam war – again by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 43 Subjected to continuous outbursts by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), such as, “This is the last chance we give you. If you fail, we are prepared to wage war”, Anton Balasingham warned the Sri Lankan Government of… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 43

Aftermath of the Indian withdrawal by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 42 Indian interference in Sri Lankan politics came to a final halt when the last of the Indian Peacekeeping Forces (IPKF) left the territorial waters of Sri Lanka on March 24, 1990. Maverick Indian Prime Minister Viswanath Pratab Singh,… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 42

Unilateral declaration of Eelam by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 41 Viswanath Pratab Singh, the new prime minister of India and leader of the five-party National Front coalition government, announced the withdrawal of the Indian Peace Keeping Forces (IPKF) from Sri Lanka, by March 31, 1990. This was his major… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 41

Confusion as Indians withdraw by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 40 The basic idea behind raising the Citizen Volunteer Force (CVF) was the provision of an armed force to ensure the safety and security of Sri Lankan Tamils in the absence of any law-enforcing agency in the Jaffna Peninsula. In… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 40

Rohan Wijeweera’s killing still a mystery by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 39 On July 30, 1983, along with the Nawa Sama Samaja Party and the Communist Party, the Janatha Vimukthi Perumuna (JVP – People’s Liberation Front), led by Rohana Wijeweera, was proscribed by President J R Jayewardene. The JVP… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 39

Amirthalingam eliminated by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 38 Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi arranged to deliver his final letter, dated July 11, 1989, to Sri Lankan President Ranasinghe Premadasa through his Principal Secretary, B G Deshmukh. In the concluding paragraph, he brought to the notice of the president, the… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 38

Badgering for Indian Withdrawal by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 37 Shanmuganathan Sivasankaran was the head of the “Aiyanna group” – the dreaded intelligence network of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Sivasankaran was popularly called “Pottu Amman”. . He joined the LTTE in 1981 and enjoyed enormous power… Read more »

Sri Lanka, The Untold Story, Chapter 37

Talking Peace by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 36 On December 20, 1988, the eighth parliament was dissolved and nominations for the ninth were fixed for between December 30 and January 6. The polling date was set for February 15, with the new parliament scheduled to be summoned on March… Read more »

Sri Lanka, The Untold Story, Chapter 36

Indians rule the roost by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 35 The Tamils of Sri Lanka, for the first time, experienced the full might of the Indian Army. Indians, who for many years had played the role of saviors, suddenly turned their guns against the very Tamils they had come… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 35

Accord turns to discord by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 34 Subsequent to the token surrender of arms by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to the Sri Lankan Army, in the presence of the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF), ceremonies connected with the surrender took place throughout North… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 34

Accord and its Ramifications by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 33 India began to a show keen interest in evolving an acceptable political package to bring an end to the ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka. There were many compulsions behind the desire, none the least of which was the need… Read more »

Sri Lanka: The Untold Story, Chapter 33

India Shows its Hand by K T Rajasingham, ‘Asian Times,’ Singapore, 2002 Chapter 1 Chapter 32 The second round of peace talks, in August 1985, between Tamil groups and the Sri Lankan Government, in Thimpu, the capital of Bhutan, ended suddenly in failure when the Tamil militants and TULF leaders walked out. The militant leaders… Read more »

“Minorities” in “One Country”

Where Sajith is not alone by Kusal Perera on his blog, September 2, 2019 The Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) “….which will become the fundamental law of Sri Lanka deriving its power and authority solely from the People, do on this the Tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of… Read more »