Posts Categorized: Politics

Devolution Without Power is Meaningless

by Raj Sivanathan, Groundviews, Colombo, March 26, 2026 A version of this article is also on Jaffna Post at The NPP Must Deliver Devolution and Economic Justice Now – Sri Lanka News Sri Lanka stands today at a decisive and defining moment in its post-war political and economic journey. For more than three decades, the… Read more »

ITJP: Allegations of Human Rights Violations against Daya Ratnayake

by International Truth & Justice Sri Lanka, South Africa, March 13, 2026 ITJP Daya-Ratnayake_public Mar 2026 Section 1. Summary Daya Ratnayake is a retired army general who has allegedly been involved in a wide range of human rights violations and war crimes during his service in the army. Allegations against him range across two phases… Read more »

ITJP: Pathfinder for Norwegian Archive – Briefing Note

by International Truth & Justice Sri Lanka, South Africa, February 25, 2026 ITJP Pathfinder-for-Norwegian-Archive_2026-02-25-233802_jggz On 27 January 2026, Norwegian diplomat and former politician Erik Solheim (also the former Norwegian Special Envoy to the Sri Lanka peace process) inaugurated a repository of documents related to the ceasefire negotiations during the Sri Lanka civil war.1 The repository… Read more »

Trump Is Playing Chess. China Is Playing Go

by Raghu Raman, TheWire.In, March 19, 2026 Trump believes he is playing chess against Iran and winning. He is not only wrong about the chess, he is catastrophically wrong about the game. Chess originated in India. It is played on a board of 64 squares, with 16 pieces per side arrayed against each other from… Read more »

The Vaddukoddai Resolution at 50

Historical Context, Political Impact, Legal Claims, and Contemporary Significance by Wimal Navaratnam‘s blog,  Canada, March 9, 2026 Introduction The Vaddukoddai Resolution, adopted on May 14, 1976, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, stands as a pivotal moment in the political history of the island and in the evolution of Tamil nationalism. As the resolution marks its 50th… Read more »

US Global Magnitsky Sanctions Report 2025

by Human Rights First, New York, March 9, 2026 Magnitsky_0725to1225_FINAL This briefing provides an overview of recent developments in the U.S. government’s use of its targeted human rights and anticorruption sanctions programs from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. Notable Developments and Patterns of Use Infrequent Use of Targeted Human Rights and Corruption Sanctions:… Read more »

5th Anniversary of the Pottuvil to Polikandy People’s Uprising

and the Five-Year Journey of the Pottuvil to Polikandy People’s Uprising Movement by Pottuvil to Polikandy People’s Uprising, February 10, 2026 P2P 5th Anniversary After the Tamil people’s liberation struggle, which marched forward with determination until 2009, was brought down through injustice and betrayal, false propaganda was introduced claiming that the Eelam Tamil nation had… Read more »

Why Aren’t We Talking About Sri Lanka Anymore?

“Sri Lanka Solution” Followers Face Justice, but Not Sri Lanka by Anji Manivannan, OpinioJuris, February 26, 2026 [Anji Manivannan is the Legal Director of People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), where her work contributes to its international justice and genocide recognition efforts] In 2015, two UN documents instilled cautious hope for Tamil victims… Read more »

Welcome to the Indian Century

India is winning the standoff between America and China. Hosted by Ross Douthat, Produced by Victoria Chamberlin, The New York Times, February 19, 2026 Right now, 21st-century geopolitics seems like it’s defined by the struggle between America and China. But the major power with the world’s fastest growing economy and largest population isn’t China. It’s India. And right… Read more »

Oakland Institute: The Systemic Dispossession of the Indigenous Tamil People

Joint Dossier and Submission SUBMITTED: February 17, 2026 SUBMITTED BY: ABC Tamil Oli (NGO in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC) SUPPORTED BY: The Oakland Institute, Mullaitivu Land Protection Council, and associated civil society organizations. DISTRIBUTION LIST: ADDRESSED MANDATE HOLDERS (FEBRUARY 2026) To: Dr. Albert K. Barume  Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples To: Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal … Read more »

Amnesty Submission to UNSG Report on Missing Persons

by Amnesty International, London, March 3, 2026 Index Number: IOR 40/0761/2026 Amnesty International submits this input in response to the call issued to inform the Report of the Secretary-General on Missing Persons pursuant to General Assembly resolution 79/173. Due to the limited word count available, it is not an exhaustive account of the organization’s concerns… Read more »

Amnesty Commentary on the Proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act, 2026

by Amnesty International, London, February 27, 2026 Index Number: ASA 37/0766/2026 In December 2025, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Justice published a proposal for a new anti-terrorism law, the Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA), intended to replace the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), and invited public feedback. This document outlines Amnesty International’s key concerns… Read more »

UNHRC 61: Sri Lanka Core Group Statement

Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, at the 61st Human Rights Council in Geneva, March 2, 2026 Thank you, Mr. President. This statement is on behalf of the Sri Lanka Core Group: Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the UK. We extend condolences to Sri Lanka for the loss caused by Cyclone… Read more »

Chelliah Rajadurai: The Rajah of Batticaloa – Part 2

by Sachi Sri Kantha, March 7, 2026 In Part 1, I presented the post-Independence electoral details of Batticaloa constituency, from 1947 to 1989. To provide context to the Tamil and Muslim ethnic distribution, what has been recorded about the Batticaloa region by pre-Independence scholars deserves notice as well. Then, I provide details about Rajadurai’s first… Read more »

PEARL: State-Sponsored Sinhalization of the North-East

The Anti-Development Machine by People for Equality and Relief in Lanka, January 2026 Examining Sri Lanka’s State-Led Land Dispossession and Anti-Development Policies Targeting Eelam Tamils Full report: PEARL_Sinhalization-as-an-anti-development-machine_report Case Study: Tamil Dairy Farmers’ Protest in Mayilaththamadu-Madhavanai, Batticaloa PEARL_Sinhalization-as-an-anti-development-machine_CASE-STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is part of the Sinhalization series and builds on the themes of PEARL’s… Read more »

PEARL Releases New Report on Alleged ‘Sinhalisation’ in Sri Lanka

by Daily FT, Colombo, January 20, 2026 Flags off State-led land dispossession and anti-development policies targeting Eelam TamilsPeople for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) has released a new report and accompanying case study examining the Sri Lankan state’s ongoing project of Sinhalisation in the North-East, with a detailed focus on land dispossession and violence against… Read more »

Is it Sinha Le Time Again?

by Tissaranee Gunasekara, Groundviews, Colombo, February 15, 2026 SJV Chelvanayagam, date unknown “Ordered disorder, planned caprice, And dehumanized humanity…” Brecht (The Exception and the Rule) A group of monks, led by veteran trade unionist Muruththettuwe Ananda Thero, is planning to hold a sangha convention on February 20. They feel insulted and ignored by the powers… Read more »

UN’s Cyclone Ditwah Situation Report #6

by United Nations office in Sri Lanka, January 23, 2026 UN Cyclone_Ditwah__SitRep #6 Jan 23 2026 Cyclone Ditwah has triggered the most extensive flooding and landslide damage in the past two decades in Sri Lanka, impacting approximately 2.2 million people across all 25 districts of the country. According to the Disaster Management Center, the cyclone… Read more »

Namal Rajapakse in Odisha

by Sulochana Ramiah Mohan, Daily Sun, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Januaray 28, 2026 Editorial Namal Rajapaksa in Odisha Jan 28 2026 …Against this backdrop of decline, disgrace and diminishing legitimacy, Namal Rajapaksa has emerged as the principal political inheritor of the family brand. Despite facing multiple legal cases relating to corruption and alleged money laundering, he has… Read more »