Photos by Ama Koralage Although Sri Lanka has had its fair share of women editors and journalists for many decades, some who ventured into areas of conflict around the country, the image of a journalist is still that of a man. In order to change this perception and give pioneering women journalists their due recognition for the difficult job they ...
Photo courtesy of t13 (winner of the World Press Photo of the Year 2024) If a modern military combat involves a lot of high explosive such as large bombs and shells, the physical devastation of the area is profound. And the bigger the shell or bomb the wider the radius of devastation, including lethal human damage. If a large bomb or ...
Photo by Ama Koralage The churches have been restored for congregations to worship and the luxury hotels have been repaired for the elite to dine in but the families of victims are still seeking justice for the carnage of April 21, 2019. They also need medical, emotional and financial support to rebuild their shattered lives. April 21 marks five years ...
Photo courtesy of Sarvodaya The government’s decision to conduct the funeral of Dr A T Ariyaratne with state honours is a recognition of the contribution that the founder of the Sarvodaya Movement made to the country over the past 65 years when he set up the organisation. Concepts he pioneered such as Shramadana (donation of labour), Gramodaya (village awakening) and Sarvodaya (the wellbeing of all) are ...
Photo courtesy of Newscutter What is consent? When it comes to sexual relations, the concept of consent is that it must be between two consenting adults. In the case of legality, the age of consent for girls in Sri Lanka is 16 years. This is a general global standard with countries such asJapan, Malaysia and Pakistan following the same. India and ...
Photos by Ama Koralage In October 1990 some 75,000 to 100,000 Muslims in the Northern Province, about five percent of the province’s total population, were forcibly expelled from their homeland by the LTTE. In some places, they were given only about 12 hours to leave. Beginning in Chavakachcheri on October 15, all the Muslims were evicted throughout Mannar, Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, ...
Photo courtesy of Sri Lanka News Hakka patas (a cynical Sinhala term which translates as jaw breaker) are small improvised explosive devices, also known as a Homemade Explosive Device (HED), which consist of gun powder, stones, lead and iron shaped into a ball. They are made among the rural agrarian villages in the Northern and North Eastern part of Sri ...
Photo courtesy of New York Times During 30 protests between March 2022 and June 2023, Sri Lanka’s law enforcement personnel did not adhere to international law and standards, using excessive force against peaceful protesters in at least 17 protests by using water cannon, tear gas and batons, according to a new investigative report by Amnesty International titled Ready to Suppress ...
Photo courtesy of The Leader “For the powerful, crimes are those that others commit.” Noam Chomsky, Imperial Ambitions: Conversations on the Post-9/11 World Two years after the aragalaya, which ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2022, Sri Lankans are still bearing the brunt of an economic crisis. When President Rajapaksa came to power in November 2019, the country’s foreign reserves stood at nearly ...
Photo courtesy of GIZ The digital economy can be identified as converting the traditional market into a virtual platform. American scientist D. Tapscott, who is the author of the book titled The Digital Economy; Promise and Peril in the Age of Networked Intelligence defines digital economy as a type of economy based on the use of digital technologies. According to ...
Photo courtesy of Foreign Policy The handbasket’s full. Really. There’s no room at the inn, my friend. Thirty five thousand souls blown off the Gaza Strip since October, 1500 from Port Au Prince since January. Who is counting? You. Me. Number fiends. Ghouls. Then what about the attack that pierced the two state mirage, have not’s versus have’s staring at ...
In all conflicts around the world, women are deeply affected. Sri Lanka’s 26 year civil war is no exception. Women in the war torn areas have faced violence, sexual abuse, displacement and loss of family and property; they have witnessed the very tearing of the fabric of their society. The war resulted in a dramatic rise in female headed households ...
Photo courtesy of IPS In a progressive move, Sri Lanka has shed ambiguity in its child protection laws with an amendment transforming the Children and Young Persons’ Ordinance into the Children’s Ordinance. Crucially, the amendment raises the age of protection from 16 to 18, aligning with global child rights standards. This landmark change strengthens the juvenile justice system and promises ...
Photo courtesy of Rakesh Peddibhotla Diego Garcia, one of the Chagos Islands which are still controlled by Britain, has become a hell for Sri Lankan Tamil refugees who are trapped on this remote Indian Ocean island. The Chagos Islands is Britain’s last African colony, a reminder that colonialism has not been entirely defeated. Human Rights Watch declared that the US ...
Photo courtesy of Selvaraja Rajasegar Relatives of those who have been forcibly disappeared are waiting for their missing loved ones to come home. They spend every minute of their lives with faith, and with the memories of the loved ones who have been taken from them. They have managed to save and protect belongings that remind them of their loved ...
Photo courtesy of The Federal All social science research is done for someone and some purpose. There is no politically neutral social science. The political agenda behind this article is my concern about the fate of the underprivileged in Sri Lanka. In post-colonial Sri Lanka, we have seen violence and state repression because of these issues. Resulting social costs have ...
Photo courtesy of Counterpoint The Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) MRP provisional estimates of presidential election voting intent in February 2024 show no real changes compared to January. NPP/JVP leader A.K. Dissanayake continues to lead with the support of 53% of all adults followed by SJB leader Sajith Premadasa on 34%, President Ranil Wickremesinghe ...
Photo courtesy of Ada Derana Pre-1971 JVP saw a presence of women cadres that could be considered modest. Before the April 1971 uprising there were full time and part time women cadres active within the movement. The Socialist Women’s Front laid the foundation necessary for women’s involvement in the JVP. Post-Uprising rebuilding efforts expanded the women’s network. Despite their contributions, ...
Photo courtesy of ANFREL The latest estimates from Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) SLOTS MRP model show modest increases in support for NPP/JVP and SJB, with weakening support for the UNP and other parties, continuing trends since July 2023. NPP/JVP lead with 44% (+2) support of Sri Lankan adult voters, followed by SJB with 30% (+1), the SLPP at 9% ...
Photo courtesy of BBC The recent UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza from which the US, not surprisingly, abstained marks a crossroads in the history of Israel and the future of Palestine. The resolution was motivated, among other developments, by Israel’s massive military build up and its impending invasion of Rafah, a thin stretch of land ...
