Photos by Ama Koralage Thousands of people gathered in a hot, dusty field in Mullavaikkal in the Mullaitivu district to mark the end of the bloody civil war on May 19, 2009. The area was dotted with red and yellow flags and coconut saplings representing the relatives who had been lost; later the plants were taken back to homes to ...
Photo courtesy of Everyday Peace Indicators – Sri Lanka As Sri Lanka marks 15 years since the end of its civil war, it is a critical time to reflect on the past and look to the future. Central to this juncture is the concept of reconciliation, a cornerstone of post-war discourse. The legacy of the civil war still haunts communities ...
Photo by Ama Koralage “A state of permanent war…where violence pervades all spheres of life, where the rich flourish and the poor live in misery; a state that will be deserted by the best of its children?” Yuri Avnery (Countercurrents) In Sri Lanka of 2024, kanji is a four letter word. During the long Eelam war, all sides committed horrendous ...
Photo by Ama Koralage Fifteen years after the end of the civil war, Sri Lankan society remains as polarised as ever. While many international and national NGOs work tirelessly at the ground level to bring different ethnic and religious communities together and UN organisations press for justice and accountability for war crimes, the government’s duplicitous stance is causing heartbreak and ...
Photo courtesy of Kumanan Failure to hold the powerful accountable for misusing their power and inflicting damage on other people has harmed large numbers of Sri Lankans. This has been pointed out across the country and the world. Although accountability is often seen as an issue affecting ethnic and religious minorities or those focusing on past wrongs, it has been ...
Photo courtesy of Ruki Fernando Killings of civilians and other atrocities have been widespread during three decades of war, mostly in the North an East. Sri Lankan armed forces, police and the LTTE appear to be responsible for many massacres according to eye witnesses and circumstantial evidence. It’s rare that Sri Lankan armed forces and police have been held accountable ...
Photo courtesy of CNN In the context of Sri Lanka, a crucial question arises: does the country possess the capability to effectively prosecute crimes? This question can be raised for numerous reasons. However, even before delving into these underlying issues, one glaring reality has become evident in recent years: a perceived lack of commitment on the part of the state ...
Photo courtesy of Newswire Sri Lanka’s independent Election Commission announced late last week the conducting of a presidential election in accordance with the Constitution and the relevant statute between September 17 and October 16 2024. The announcement comes as no surprise since the term of office of former president Gotabaya Rajapaksa being served out as president by his second prime ...
Photo courtesy of SLCAT On January 30, 2024 the Director General of the National Secretariat for Non-Government Organizations shared with a collective of civil society organizations a draft law to repeal and replace the Voluntary Social Services Act of 1980 (VSSO) titled Non-Governmental Organizations (Registration and Supervision) Act. It was highly unsatisfactory that the draft was only made available in ...
Photo courtesy of EFL In February this year Sri Lanka received an UN award in recognition of its efforts to rebuild and restore its mangrove ecosystems, highlighting best practices and methodologies that could serve as a framework for future success across the world. Just three months later, the Minister of Wildlife and Forest Resources Conservation Pavithra Wanniarachchi issued an extraordinary ...
Photo courtesy of AFP Although Sri Lanka’s civil war ended 15 years ago, members of the Tamil community are still being disappeared and subjected to torture and sexual violence, according to a new report by the London-based International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP). The report titled Disappearance, Torture And Sexual Violence Of Tamils 2015-2022 analyses the statements of 123 Tamils, ...
Photo courtesy of NBC News The 2,000 bomb and its little sister, the 500 pounder, have had a highly successful field test in Northern and Central Gaza in recent months. Large scale apartment buildings and stand-alone dwellings along with children, adults, household goods, have gone swiftly into the great and voluminous pits caused by these powerful beauts from our armory. ...
Photo courtesy of NBC News In times of calamity women are affected disproportionately, and Sri Lanka’s ethnic and religious conflicts are no exception to the rule. In the post-war context, Tamil women were left to look for many family members who were disappeared by the state or militants. They were forced to do this while returning to mostly demolished homes ...
Photo courtesy of rest of world World audiences remain riveted to phone, computer and television screens, shocked as we all are by the bloody carnality of the war in Palestine, the graphic horror gripping attention by its lurid crudities. The media visuals, being constant and so true and very real, keep the global public convulsed in distaste and angry revolt ...
Photo courtesy of Sri Lanka Brief Today is World Press Freedom day World Press Freedom Day is observed on May 3 to remind the world that freedom of the press and freedom of expression are fundamental human rights. Many journalists have died or are in jail for daring to speak the truth. World Press Freedom Day was established by the ...
Photo by Ama Koralage In Nedunkeni, a small town outside Vavuniya, there is news of the destruction of an ancient Hindu monument, an athi lingam (distinguishable symbol) consecrated to Lord Siva, that stood proudly on Vedukkunaari hill. The monument is first reported as stolen to the dismay of many Hindu locals and subsequently, its destroyed remnants were found amidst the ...
Photo courtesy of The New Republic “One-dimensional thought is systematically promoted by the makers of politics and the purveyors of mass information. Their universe of discourse is populated by self-validating hypothesis which increasingly and monopolistically respected (and) become hypnotic definitions of dictations.” (Herbert Marcuse) “If I were to remain silent, I’d be guilty of complicity.” (Albert Einstein) In the 1960s ...
Photo courtesy of Al Jazeera The Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) Sri Lanka Opinion Tracker Survey (SLOTS) MRP provisional estimates of presidential election voting intent in March 2024 show support for SJB leader Sajith Premadasa increasing to 41% (+2), reducing the gap with NPP/JVP leader AK Dissanayake who leads on 44% (-2). Support was little changed for President Ranil Wickremesinghe ...
Photo courtesy of Sri Lanka Tweet The latest estimates from Institute for Health Policy’s (IHP) SLOTS MRP model confirm an increasing trend in support for SJB at the expense of the NPP/JVP. The SJB on 38% (+4) took the lead with all voters for the first time since 2022, ahead of the NPP/JVP on 35% (-2), the SLPP at 8% ...
Photo courtesy of Rediff “Doubt is not a pleasant condition. But certainty is an absurd one.” Voltaire (Letter to Fredrick the Great – 28.11.1770)Sri Lanka’s road to ruin was marked by miracles. The story, born in mystery, spread across the land at the speed of light. Luminous rays were emanating from Buddha statues. For three days in August 2006, people ...
