Posts Categorized: Politics

Sri Lanka’s Implementation of UNHRC Res. 40/1

Sri Lanka’s Defiance & Delaying Tactics in Implementing UNHRC Resolution 40/1 by Kumarathasan Rasingam, Secretary, Tamil Canadian Elders for Human Rights Org. Tamils in Sri Lanka have undergone grave injustice: Pogroms, Torture, War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, Forced Disappearances and Genocide. Tamil mothers in Sri Lanka fight daily to learn what happened to their missing… Read more »

Follow-up on the visits of the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

to Peru and Sri Lanka https://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?si=A/HRC/42/40/Add.1 Summary This document contains information supplied by Governments, authorities, civil society and other stakeholders, relating to the follow-up measures to the recommendations made by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, following its visits to Peru and Sri Lanka in 2015 (A/HRC/33/51/Add.3 and A/HRC/33/51/Add.2. II. Sri Lanka Follow-up… Read more »

UK Delivers Core Group Statement on Sri Lanka

UK’s International Ambassador for Human Rights, Rita French outlined that the UK remains steadfast in its commitment to help Sri Lanka deliver peace, reconciliation and prosperity for all communities. Published 10 September 2019 From: UK Mission to the United Nations Geneva The Human Rights Council takes place in Geneva. This statement is on behalf of… Read more »

Sri Lankan Tamils are Disappointed

As the government gave hope and then failed to deliver: Jaffna MP Sumanthiran by Meera Srinivasan, ‘The Hindu,’ Chennai, September 4, 2019 In Sri Lanka’s presidential poll in 2015, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), representing Tamils of the north and east, led its constituency in a crucial protest vote against then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. As… Read more »

Sri Lanka’s Tamils Need Genocide Recognition

And Innovative Justice Mechanisms by Anji Manivannan, ‘Opinion Juris’ Emerging Voices, New York, August 15, 2019 [Anji Manivannan is the Legal Director at People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) and a Senior Programs Officer at the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP).]  Introduction May 18th marked the tenth anniversary of the end… Read more »

Identity Conflict in Sri Lanka

A Case of Tamil Tigers by Sehar Mushtaq, International Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, August 2012 Abstract Identity has been basic source of resentment during various ethnic conflicts. Political and economic discrimination based on Identity is a key factor underlying these conflicts. Sri Lanka being religiously and ethnically heterogeneous country faced an identity conflict… Read more »

“Minorities” in “One Country”

Where Sajith is not alone by Kusal Perera on his blog, September 2, 2019 The Constitution of the Republic of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) “….which will become the fundamental law of Sri Lanka deriving its power and authority solely from the People, do on this the Tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of… Read more »

Elections & Urgent Need for Unity

THE FORTHCOMING PRESIDENTAL, PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS: THE URGENT NEED FOR THE UNITY OF ALL TAMIL POLITICAL PARTIES AT THIS CRITICAL TIME FOR TAMILS. By: Kumarathasan Rasingam, Secretary, Tamil Canadian Elders for Human Rights Org., August 23, 2019 As far as Tamils are concerned the forthcoming elections [Presidential and Parliamentary] is not going to solve any of… Read more »

JDS & ITJP: Time for Sri Lanka to Come Clean on Cluster Munitions

Time for Sri Lanka to come clean regarding cluster munitions ITJP_JDS_cluster_munitions_report 28 August 2019 Johannesburg: As members of the Convention on Cluster Munitions meet  2- 4 September 2019 in Geneva , the President of the organisation needs to come clean on its own record with these devastating  weapons. For the last year Sri Lanka has led… Read more »

ATC, CTC, BTF & USTAG: Sri Lanka’s Disappeared Must Have Justice

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 30, 2019 Sri Lanka’s Disappeared Must Have Justice FINAL Sri Lanka’s Disappeared Must Have Justice Australian Tamil Congress (ATC), British Tamils Forum (BTF), Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC) and US Tamil Action Group (USTAG) once again on the International Day of the Disappeared draw attention to the large number of enforced disappearances… Read more »

Rethinking Post-War Diaspora Advocacy for Accountability

Transitional Justice in Sri Lanka by Mytili Bala, ‘International Human Rights Law Journal,’ 2015 Transitional_Justice_in_Sri_Lanka_Rethinking 2015 Abstract Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam came to a bloody end in May 2009, amidst allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity on both sides. Since then, Tamils in the diaspora, long accused of funding the war, have become vocal proponents for war crimes… Read more »

HRW: No Progress in Prosecuting Aid Worker Massacre

Reinvigorate Commitment to Justice for Civil War Atrocities by Human Rights Watch, New York, August 1, 2019 (New York) – Sri Lankan authorities have failed to bring to justice those responsible for the execution-style killing of 17 aid workers 13 years ago, Human Right Watch said today. On August 4, 2006, alleged Sri Lankan security forces murdered local staff… Read more »

Slaughter of Tamil Prisoners inside High Security Jail

& Genocide of Tamils in July 1983 By: Kumarathasan Rasingam – Secretary, Tamil Canadian Elders for Human Rights Org. Post independence Sri Lanka brought in several official dispositions that gave preference to the Sinhalese majority. The Sinhala Only Act introduced by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) government of S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike in… Read more »

Black July

Confirming Sri Lanka’s Agenda to Create a Sinhala-Buddhist State by Thambu Kanagasabai, LLM[Lond.]Former Lecturer in Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, August 1, 2019, July 1983 is dubbed as BLACK JULY for the Tamils who experienced the island wide wholesale massacres, burning of Tamils, destruction of Temples and properties including lootings. It was not a… Read more »

Sri Lanka Growth Diagnostic Analysis

by Harvard U’s Center for International Development, January 2018 https://srilanka.growthlab.cid.harvard.edu/publications/sri-lanka-growth-diagnostic https://growthlab.cid.harvard.edu/files/growthlab/files/growth_diagnostic_for_sri_lanka_1.pdf Abstract: Throughout 2016, CID conducted a growth diagnostic analysis for Sri Lanka in collaboration with the Government of Sri Lanka, led by the Prime Minister’s Policy Development Office (PDO), and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). This presentation report aggregates collaborative quantitative and qualitative analysis… Read more »

US Millennium Challenge Corporation

by US Millennium Challenge Corporation, July 2019. Pictures from US Amb. Teplitz’s Twitter feed, July 30, 2019 The land project will initially focus on districts in the Central, North-Western, North-Central and Eastern Provinces. Highlights of MCC Compact Scorecard FY19 More info, including 2017 Constraints Analysis  

Targeting Foreign Assistance to Prevent Violent Conflict

By Peter Quaranto, US State Dept blog DipNotes, July 23, 2019 The United States and other international donors devote significant amounts of foreign assistance to fragile states, now more than $65 billion a year combined.  But how much of that assistance is focused on preventing violent conflict and instability? That was the question that the Office… Read more »

Divide in Press Reporting on Kanniya, Trincomalee

by The Media Analysis, Verite Research, Colombo, July 24, 2019 Was there a difference in front page headlines in reporting the protest? Find out at: 23 July 2019: http://divide.lk/divided-headlines-23-july-2019/ 19 July 2019: http://divide.lk/divided-headlines-19-july-2019/

The Muslim Factor in Sri Lankan Ethnic Crisis

by Ameer Ali, 1997 A Critical Front-Note by Sachi Sri Kantha, July 25, 2019 ‘Under the bamboo Bamboo bamboo Under the bamboo tree Two live as one One live as two Two live as three Under the bam Under the boo Under the bamboo tree.’ S.Eliot’s lines in the verse, ‘Sweeney Agonistes’, 1926-27. In a… Read more »

Time for Recognition of Sri Lanka’s Genocide

by Thambu Kanagasabai, LLM [Lond.] Former Lecturer in Law, University of Colombo, Sri Lanka, July 9, 2019 Genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka, including structural genocide, commenced in 1948 soon after the independence. As defined in the United Nations Genocide Convention of 1948, genocide includes “ killing members of the group, or causing serious bodily… Read more »