Tamil Guardian editorial, London, July 10, 2022 On July 9, thousands of protestors stormed the residence of Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in what appeared to be the climax of months of protest over the economic crisis on the island. Photos and videos that quickly made headlines around the world showed demonstrators rummaging through his wardrobe, working… Read more »
Lavish Projects and Meager Lives
The Two Faces of a Ruined Sri Lanka by By Mujib Mashal and Skandha Gunasekara, The New York Times, May 29, 2022 A frenzy of building on borrowed money in the Rajapaksa family’s home district illustrates the hubris and mismanagement that led the country into economic collapse. HAMBANTOTA, Sri Lanka — The international airport, built a decade ago… Read more »
Cycles of Violence in Sri Lanka
A Crisis of Accountability by Sri Lanka Campaign for Peace & Justice, London, July 12, 2022 Sri Lanka’s Accountability Crisis: Part 2 of 3 This is the second of a 3-part series of essays and reports which the Sri Lanka Campaign will be publishing in the coming weeks, ahead of the Office of the High… Read more »
Scum of Asia?
by Nillanthan Maha in his blog, July 2, 2022 [translated from the original Tamil with Google Translate plus edits] Gotabaya did not go home. But a situation is developing where the people who fought to ask him to go home are paralyzed inside their homes. The country is moving towards a state of near social… Read more »
Sri Lanka’s Road Ahead is Hazardous
An exclusive interview with Ambassador K.P. Fabian by A. Jathindra, Centre for Strategic Studies – Trincomalee, July 4, 2022 Ambassador K.P. Fabian served in the Indian Foreign Service between 1964 and 2000, during which time he was posted to Madagascar, Austria, Iran, Sri Lanka, Canada, Finland, Qatar, and Italy. During his time in the diplomatic… Read more »
The Treatment of Former Combatants in Post-War Sri Lanka
by Ambika Satkunanathan, from Routledge Handbook of Human Rights in Asia, December 11, 2018 The treatment of former combatants in post-war Sri Lanka | Ambika Satkunanathan – Academia.edu Abstract This chapter, which is based on interviews with those identified as former LTTE combatants, their families and lawyers representing persons detained under national security laws, aims… Read more »
Food Crisis Looms as Rice Production Nosedives
by Thayalini Indrakularasa, Global Press Journal, Washington, DC, June 19, 2022 When Sri Lanka banned agrochemicals last year, the law’s impact on the island’s ability to feed itself was immediately evident. READ THIS STORY IN English தமிழ் CHEDDIKULAM, SRI LANKA — Sellan Yogarasa returned to Sri Lanka in 2014, after more than two decades of… Read more »
Economic Crisis and Unregulated Alcohol Collide
by Vetrichelvi Chandrakala, Global Press Journal, Washington, DC, May 25, 2022 Civil war veterans, also grappling with the country’s imploding economy, fight to break their dependency on dangerous, illegal liquor. READ THIS STORY IN English தமிழ் MANNAR, SRI LANKA — Vijayakumar Velayutham fought for more than a decade in the Sri Lankan civil war. He… Read more »
Bakeries Shutter as War in Ukraine Drives Up Wheat Prices
by Thayalini Indrakularasa, Global Press Journal, Washington, DC, May 8, 2022 The country’s tropical climate makes it dependent on wheat imports, but an economic crisis at home and conflict abroad have upended the supply. READ THIS STORY IN English தமிழ் CHEDDIKULAM, SRI LANKA — Early morning sunlight streams in the windows as Thankaiya Mageswaran divides… Read more »
Military & Poverty
A Critical Study in Sri Lanka by Selvarathinam Santhirasegaram, Developing Country Studies, Vol.3, No.8, August 2013 Abstract Main objective of this study is to show that how military expansion in Sri Lanka contributed to achieve this macroeconomic goal, reduction of unemployment and poverty. Statistical evidences show that percentage of people, living under poverty level negatively… Read more »
HRW Submission to Sri Lanka’s 4th UPR
by Human Rights Watch, New York, May 31, 2022 On June 2, 2022, the United Nations Human Rights Committee announced that its review of Sri Lanka had been postponed to the 136th Session (October 10, 2022 – November 4, 2022). Human Rights Watch will update this submission ahead of the postponed review. This submission provides… Read more »
Sri Lanka in Crisis
Why the Past Lives on in its Collective Future by Ambika Satkunananthan, 9Dashline, Europe, June 16, 2022 Sri Lanka is in the throes of an economic and political crisis not hitherto witnessed. The crisis has created instability and resulted in protests that began in March 2022. Citizens’ protests that are not organised by political parties… Read more »
To Solve Its Economic Crisis, Sri Lanka Must Demilitarize
by Ben Andak, Jacobin, New York, May 12, 2022 Sri Lanka’s economic crisis has produced an explosion of violence on the island. That violence won’t end until the country ends its war on Tamils and Muslims and drastically scales back its military budget. Soldiers check documents of a driver at a road checkpoint in Colombo,… Read more »
Unresolved National Question Impaired Sri Lanka’s Economic Progress
:Sambanthan by Meera Srinivasan, The Hindu, Chennai, June 20, 2022 Senior Tamil leader points to the costs of war, and political solution being central to economic recovery. Addressing Sri Lanka’s Tamil national question is imperative for the island nation’s recovery from the crushing economic crisis it is facing, veteran Tamil leader R. Sampanthan said, contending… Read more »
TMVP Informant Spills the Beans
by Easwaran Rutnam, Daily Mirror, Colombo, June 24, 2022 Flees Sri Lanka fearing for his safety Reveals information on murders to UN Writes to key diplomatic missions Shares details on Easter Sunday attacks UN officials had recorded statements from the informant over a period of approximately 5 days An informant of the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai… Read more »
All Talk & No Action on Repealing the PTA
by Kumarathasan Rasingam, Secretary, Tamil Canadian Elders for Human Rights Org. June 23, 2022 [Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister GL Pieris told the UNHRC on June 13 that the PTA has been amended & there is a moratorium on arrests.1 There is no evidence of either action being taken. — Editor] The Prevention of Terrorism Act… Read more »
Avanka Lanka: An Apology
[Apologies of this sort are a long time coming. Pledges to help the marginalized are always welcome. However, where does this rather capitalist & imperialist statement originate? — “we believe that the Northern province nor the Eastern province cannot develop in isolation but needs to link up with the South and the rest of the… Read more »
‘We Want Justice, Not Fuel’
Sri Lanka’s Tamils on north-south divide by Hannah Ellis-Petersen and Rubatheesan Sandran in Mullaitivu, The Guardian, Manchester, UK, June 21, 2022 In the middle of a crippling economic crisis, demonstrating is a luxury the country’s Tamil minority cannot afford Women hold a protest in Mullaitvu, Sri Lanka, demanding the return of those who were disappeared… Read more »
Cynthia Shanmugalingam’s Fantasy Dinner Party
Minnette de Silva, Akwaeke Emezi and M.I.A. The British-Sri Lankan chef and founder of Rambutan provides sweet Egyptian cucumbers; a demon queen provides the soundtrack by Cynthia Shanmugalingam, Financial Times, London, June 25, 2022 From deep inside my ear I hear that unmistakable alarm: the anaemic, shrill buzz that means it is mosquito hour. The… Read more »
TGTE: Sri Lanka Hiding Behind Economic Disaster
To Avoid Accountability For Atrocity Crimes Committed Against Tamils by Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam, EINPresswire, June 17, 2022 “Different Responses To The Protests In The Northeast And The South Reveal The Entrenched Racism In The Sinhala Polity” UN HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL, GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, June 17, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam… Read more »