The Economic Importance of the North-East of Sri Lanka

by Kamalika Pieris, ‘The Island,’ Colombo, May 3, 2016 Several valuable economic resources of Sri Lanka are found only in the Northern, Northwestern and Eastern Provinces. However, Article 25 of the United Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Right says ‘nothing in the present Covenant shall be interpreted as impairing the inherent right… Read more »

2009: Sri Lankan Government uses Chemical Weapons in Vanni

by War Without Witness, April 8, 2009 WWWReport_SriLankaUseChemicalBombs_08thApril2009 For Immediate Release | 08th April 2009 Sri Lankan Government uses Chemical Weapons in Vanni (Northern part of Sri Lanka) Warfront Initial results of Independent investigations conducted by “War Without Witness” confirms that Sri Lankan Government uses Chemical Weapons in Vanni (Northern Part of Sri Lanka) war… Read more »

2010: Prageeth Missing Due to ‘Chemical Weapon Probe’

Prageeth Ekneligoda is missing since 24 January, 2010 by BBC Sinhala, Colombo, January 28, 2011 The main reason for the disappearance of a journalist is an investigation he carried out on the alleged use of chemical weapons by Sri Lanka forces, says his wife. Sandhya Ekneligoda, the wife of the disappeared political columnist and cartoonist… Read more »

Is There a Future for the Tamils?

by M.K. Eelaventhan, April 4, 2017 Is there a future for the Tamils?  It is a difficult and problematical question to answer. This question is not a question of today. This has been haunting the Tamils for a long period. Poet Bharathi was vexed over somebody saying that Tamil will gradually die. He added by… Read more »

For Sri Lanka, US Security Cooperation is Not the Cure

by Taylor Dibbert, ‘War on the Rocks,’ Washington, DC, April 3, 2017 Sri Lanka is a complicated country. In a recent article, Nilanthi Samaranayake notes that Sri Lanka’s foreign policy has been evolving since the unexpected ascension of President Maithripala Sirisena in January 2015. Unfortunately, the trends that Samaranayake has succinctly captured — especially a… Read more »

What Just Happened in Geneva (2.0)?

by Sri Lanka Campaign for Justice and Peace, London, March 31, 2017 Last week, members of the UN Human Rights Council adopted another resolution on Sri Lanka – Resolution 34/1 – renewing the government’s pledges to deliver a meaningful process of justice and reconciliation.  In this post, we briefly explain how and why the resolution… Read more »

Gunaratne’s Road To Nandikadal

by Charles Ponnuthurai Sarvan, ‘Colombo Telegraph,’ January 17, 2017 Book Review – Major General Kamal Gunaratne, Road to Nandikadal: True story of defeating Tamil Tigers, Colombo, 2016. Epigraph: Those who have power in the present, control the story of the past; and those who control the past, shape the future. ~ (Adapted from Orwell’s dystopian novel,… Read more »

Mangala Says Major General’s Book is the Biggest Betrayal to ‘War Heroes’

Mangala Says Major General Kamal Gunaratne’s ‘Road To Nandikadal’ Is The Biggest Betrayal To ‘War Heroes’ by ‘Colombo Telegraph,’ March 18, 2017 Serious misconduct including incidents of violence carried out by the army has been highlighted in Major General Kamal Gunaratne’s ‘Road to Nandikadal’ book, said Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera recently. Mangala Samaraweera “This book basically… Read more »

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 »