Posts Categorized: Human Rights

Taking the Military to Task with International Sanctions

by Groundviews, January 17, 2022 Interview with Ms. Yasmine Sooka, head of International Truth & Justice Project, South Africa While Sri Lanka grapples with an inevitable economic meltdown, the international community has not forgotten the country’s obligations to move towards a reconciled society through the process of transitional justice. One of the requirements for sustainable… Read more »

Mystery of the Murder of an American Priest in Batticaloa

The truth that came out 30 years later! [translated from the Tamil by Google Translate with some edits] by Niraj David, TamilWin, ~December 15, 2021 His name was Rev Fr. Eugene John Hebert. The locals affectionately call him Father Haybier. He belonged to Congregation of Jesus Christ of America and was a famous human rights… Read more »

TG: Getting Serious on Sri Lanka

Tamil Guardian editorial, London, December 15, 2021 Last week, the United States announced long-overdue travel restrictions on two more accused Sri Lankan war criminals. The move is a step in the right direction and will be welcomed across the globe by those who seek justice on the island. It serves as a reminder to the Sri Lankan… Read more »

PEARL: Renewed U.S. Focus on Sri Lanka

Culminates in Targeted Sanctions for Human Rights Violations  by People for Equality and Relief in Lanka, December 15, 2021 Washington D.C.; December 15, 2021 — PEARL welcomes the sanctions of Chandana Hettiarachchi and Sunil Ratnayake by the United States under section 7031(c) of the Department of State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs Appropriations Act for their… Read more »

SL Campaign: ‘Inhumane and Degrading’ Living and Working Conditions

In Sri Lanka: UN expert by Sri Lanka Campaign, London, December 16, 2021 Dec 16, 2021 On 3 December 2021, the UN’s expert on Contemporary forms of Slavery, Special Rapporteur Tomoya Obokata, published the preliminary findings from his recent visit to Sri Lanka. Whilst he acknowledged some of the progress that Sri Lanka had made regarding… Read more »

TLHR Hearing: Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka

by Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, US House of Representatives, Washington, DC, December 8, 2021 Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka | Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission (house.gov) Announcement Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for a hearing on accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka is a multi-ethnic multi-religious state that… Read more »

Interview by an IDP in 2009

Interview of an IDP by MANISATNEWS.BLOGSPOT.COM (originally on YouTube) in Tamil in 2009  Figurative translation into English by Nagalingam Ethirveerasingam, Ph.D. (Cornell) in November 2021 The host warned the young people who are not strong enough to see tragic scenes not to watch.  She said that what you are about to see is what the… Read more »

TG: Remembering Raviraj

15 years and still no justice by Tamil Guardian, London, November 10, 2021 Today marks 15 years since Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP and human rights lawyer, Nadarajah Raviraj was assassinated in Colombo. Mr Raviraj was shot in Colombo at close range by unidentified gunmen on a motorbike at around 8:30am on November 10 2006, as… Read more »

Management of the Tamil Diaspora 2006

LTTE’s Primary Function Abroad by Vipula Wanigasekera, Institute for Defense Analyses, Alexandria Virginia, March 2006 Building a CATR Research Agenda, Proceedings of the Third Bi-Annual International Symposium of the Center for Asian Terrorism Research (CATR) March 1-3, 2006, Colombo, Sri Lanka Proceedings_of_Center_for_Asian_Terrorism Research 2006 Management of the Tamil Diaspora–LTTE’s Primary Function Abroad … III-52 Introduction………………………………………………………………………………… Read more »

The Quad was Born in Crisis

An exclusive interview with U.S Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina B.Teplitz by A. Jathindra, Centre for Strategic Studies, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, September 25, 2021 Ambassador Alaina B.Teplitz has served as the U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the Maldives since 2018. Prior to this, she was the U.S. Ambassador to Nepal. A career member of… Read more »

UNHCHR: Oral Update on Sri Lanka

by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet, Geneva, September 13, 2021 48th session of the Human Rights Council Geneva, 13 September 2021 Distinguished President, Excellencies, I am pleased to update the Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka and the trends and issues identified in my last report. I acknowledge the inputs sent by… Read more »

Core Group Statement on Sri Lanka

UN Human Rights Council 48 by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office & Simon Manley CMG, UK Government, September 14, 2021 (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered) Thank you Madam President This statement is by the Core Group on Sri Lanka comprising Canada, Germany, North Macedonia, Malawi, Montenegro and the UK. We thank… Read more »

CV Wigneswaran Letter to HCHR

by Chief Justice CV Wigneswaran, September 8, 2021 Letter from MP Wigneswaran to HCHR Bachelet Sept 8 2021 Addendum to Wigneswaran letter to Bachelet Sept 10 2021 Honourable Michele Bachelet UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Geneva. Dear Madam High Commissioner! The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Sri Lanka has sent a… Read more »

UN Special Rapporteur on Transitional Justice

by UN Special Rapporteur on Transitional Justice, September 2021 Human Rights Council Forty-eighth session 13 September–1 October 2021 Agenda item 3 — Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development Interactive Dialogue at UNHRC Sept. 16, 2021 – ID: SR on Truth & Justice… Read more »

Genocide Designations Aren’t Enough to Stop Mass Atrocities

by Kate Ferguson, World Policy Review, New York, September 7, 2021 There is extensive evidence that the Chinese government is violating the human rights of ethnic Uyghurs, and that these violations include crimes against humanity and genocide. Satellite imagery, testimonials, demographic data and photographs substantiate the extensive allegations against China, which include the use of mass surveillance… Read more »

SR TJ: Follow-up on 2017 visit to Sri Lanka

by UN Special Rapporteur on Transitional Justice, Geneva, September 2021 Follow-up on the visits to Burundi, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka Report of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence, Fabián Salvioli Summary The Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth,… Read more »

Counterterrorism Legislation in Sri Lanka 2006

Evaluating Efficacy by N. Manoharan, East West Center, Hawaii, 2006 N. Manoharan Counterterrorism Legislation in Sri Lanka 2006 The study advances two arguments. First, it posits that the process of enactment and enforcement undermined the legitimacy and effectiveness of counterterrorism legislation. Second, it argues that the insurgency rooted in the discriminated minority community was able… Read more »

PEARL Stands with Victims’ Families

on International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka by People for Equality & Relief in Lanka, Washington, DC, August 30, 2021 Today, People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) stands in solidarity with the Tamil families of the disappeared in Sri Lanka to mark the International Day of the Victims… Read more »

HRW: Families of Sri Lanka’s Forcibly Disappeared Denied Justice

Campaign of Intimidation, Blocking Legal Remedies by Meenakshi Ganguly, Human Rights Watch, New York, August 25, 2021 As the world prepares to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, justice is further away than ever in Sri Lanka. Despite calls for answers over many years, the government has prevented families of the… Read more »