Stamp of Defiance and Aspiration

by Tamil Guardian, London, August 29, 2012 Stamps such as the one above were produced by Tamil protestors during the mass civil disobedience movement of February to April 1961 when Tamils across the North-East united to oppose the Sri Lankan government’s rapidly escalating ‘Sinhala Only’ policies. The protests brought the civil administration in the Tamil… Read more »

TG: Sinhala Buddhism Unleashed

Tamil Guardian editorial, London, March 17, 2024 The Sri Lankan state is on a concerted mission. Following a long history of killings and massacres, it is fervently pursuing a more insidious endeavour across the North-East, attempting to erase Eelam Tamil existence. Buddhist monuments are being purposefully constructed, whilst attempts to seize Tamil-owned land have persevered… Read more »

Thinking as a Nation in the Time of YouTubers

by Nillanthan Maha, March 16, 2024 Published by Uthayan, Jaffna, March 17, 2024 [Translated from the original Tamil, with some improvement by the Editor.] On the 9th, the police raided the Shiva shrine on Vedukunari hill. Eight people were arrested. The day after they were imprisoned, on the 10th, on the last day of the… Read more »

“Col” Karuna’s Eastern Tiger Revolt

Against LTTE 20 years ago by DBS Jeyaraj, Daily Mirror, Colombo, March 16, 2024 Karuna projected himself as the “Eastern national leader”, second only to Prabhakaran in the Tiger hierarchy Karuna kept LTTE resistance alive during the days of the IPKF. He and his former deputy Reagan led the counter offensive against the ill-fated Tamil… Read more »

Vedukkunari Hill Aathi Lingeswarar Temple

by Centre for Policy Initiatives, Colombo, accessed March 19, 2024 High atop Vedukkunaari Hill in Sri Lanka’s Vavuniya district, an ancient temple stands at the precipice of a religious and legal storm. Revered by the local Tamil community as the Vedukkunaari Aathi Lingeswarar Temple for over 3,000 years, it now finds itself embroiled in a… Read more »

CPA: Elusive Justice and Emblematic Cases in Sri Lanka

by Centre for Policy Alternatives, Colombo, March 2023 CPA Elusive-Justice-and-Emblematic-Cases-in-Sri-Lanka-March 2023 INTRODUCTION Bhavani Fonseka In February 2023, victims who had filed habeas corpus cases in the High Court in Vavuniya had a small victory in their case with the judge making an order for the military to produce their family members who had surrendered to… Read more »

Eulogy to My Mother

by Sachi Sri Kantha, March 14, 2024  Front Note Puvaneswary Sachithanantham, my mother, died on March 2, 2024. Born in April 10, 1936, she had lived for 87 years and welcomed four great grandsons. For her memory, I provide excerpts of a 1995 essay I wrote in English. This was the title essay of my… Read more »

America’s Largest Hindu Temple Opens in NJ

  By Lavina Melwani, Hinduism Today, Hawaii, January 1, 2004 All photos from BAPS You can now travel to india without boarding a plane or even leaving your home in America! Indeed, you will think you have arrived in 17th-century India, but you are actually in a small, very American town—Robbinsville, New Jersey. In this… Read more »

The Sri Lankan Civil War and Its History

Revisited in 2020 by Nithyani Anandakugan, Harvard International Review, August 31, 2020 On June 9, 2020, Sri Lankans occupied the streets outside the US Embassy in Sri Lanka’s capital, Colombo, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, holding signs condemning the racism, police brutality, and other maladies plaguing the United States. Sri Lanka’s social issues also… Read more »

Core Group Statement at 55th UNHRC

HRC 55 Item 2 General Debate – Sri Lanka Core Group Statement Thank you, Mr President. This statement is on behalf of the Sri Lanka Core Group comprising Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the United Kingdom and the United States, High Commissioner, There have been several important legislative developments regarding human rights, reconciliation and civic… Read more »

Pasumai Thayagaam Oral Statement at UNHRC

by Iniya Ravikumar, Pasumai Thayagaam, March 4, 2024 Item 2 General Debate at the 55th UNHRC following UN High Commissioner for Human Rights’ report on Sri Lanka

HCHR Update on Sri Lanka

by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, Geneva, March 1, 2024 Presentation of the High Commissioner’s annual reports on Colombia, Guatemala and Honduras Oral update on the situation of human rights in Nicaragua Presentation of the High Commissioner’s annual report on Cyprus Oral update on progress in reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka… Read more »

PEARL Oral Statement

by Sahithyan Thilipkumar, People for Equality & Relief in Lanka, Geneva, March 4, 2024 Item 2 General Debate at the 55th UNHRC

TRG: Addressing Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka

Challenges, Concerns, and the Call for International Intervention February 29, 2024 – Geneva, Switzerland TRG Addressing Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka Feb 2024 ARED-Amparai-APPEAL-Feb2024 Tamil Rights Group (TRG) met with the Committee on Enforced Disappearances in a private session and issued a comprehensive statement addressing the ongoing crisis of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka. The statement highlighted critical challenges,… Read more »

Alternative Facts in a Parallel Universe

Daily FT editorial, Colombo, March 11, 2024 Many are talking about the book recently published by former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa titled “The Conspiracy to Oust Me from the Presidency.” As the name indicates, the supposed tell-all by the ousted leader makes for some fascinating reading, despite it being far removed from reality. This is in… Read more »

Ponnusamy Venugopal Master

Pirabhakaran’s First Mentor by Sachi Sri Kantha, February 28, 2024 Front Note After my visit to Kilinochchi in March 2004, I posted the following profile of Ponnusamy Venugopal Master in this site. Then, he was 60. Now after a passage of 20 years, I’m not sure whether he is still among the living, or he… Read more »

TG: Eyes Wide Shut

Tamil Guardian editorial, London, March 10, 2024 As Volker Türk addressed the UN Human Rights Council last week, his message could not have been clearer. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights delivered only an “update on progress” concerning reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. He concluded that little such progress had taken place. Instead, the human… Read more »

ITJP: Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s War Time Role

by International Truth and Justice Project, Johannesburg, South Africa, January 17, 2024 ITJP Gotabaya-Rajapaksas-war-time-role-Jan-2024_Final_26.01.2024_compressed This report alleges that former Sri Lankan President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa had command and superior responsibility for multiple violations of international humanitarian law and international criminal law amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the final phase of the… Read more »