civil rights

Image: Iranian elections traditionally have a high turnout. copyrightAFP. By Siavash Ardalan, BBC Persian.  Iran is due to hold a presidential election on 19 May, in which the incumbent Hassan Rouhani will fight for a second term. The polls are seen as critical to the future direction of the Islamic Republic. Here are some issues to know. It […]

Image: 15  women activists participated at the recently concluded CEDAW- Sri Lanka session. In its concluding observations  of the recently concluded consideration of the 8th Sri Lanka report,  Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women” (CEDAW)  has  expressed its concerns on many unresolved issues including difficulties faced by the war affected […]

(Remaining challenges on issues such as freedom of expression and media, strengthening of civil society needs to be addressed) – Joint Press Release following the first meeting of the working group on Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights under the European Union-Sri Lanka Joint Commission, held on 21 January 2016. The Working Group on […]

The proposed anti-hate speech Bill currently on hold would be reintroduced with amendments, Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Karunarathna Paranawithana said. “The government has observed a surge of communally harmful sentiments in the recent past. The proposed law was put on hold after considering views expressed by the media and other civil […]

By D.B.S.Jeyaraj. “For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar’s angel.Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar lov’d him!This was the most unkindest cut of all;For when the noble Caesar saw him stab, Ingratitude, more strong than traitors’ arms,Quite vanquish’d him: then burst his mighty heart” – William Shakespeare “Julius Caesar”(Act 3 Scene 2) Political tensions […]

(File photo) STATEMENT BY WOMEN’S ORGANISATIONS, CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS AND CONCERNED CITIZENS. Death Sentence Imposed on a Sri Lankan Migrant Worker in Saudi Arabia We the undersigned express our deep dismay and distress that as a yet unnamed Sri Lankan housemaid living in Saudi Arabia has been found guilty of adultery and has been sentenced […]

([U.N.-assisted Cambodian genocide tribunal judges, Motoo Noguchi, center, of Japan, and Cambodians Sim Rith, left, and Ya Narin, Phnom Penh, Sept. 1, 2008 (file photo)] Japanese Judge Moto Noguchi who had participated in the investigations carried out by the Missing Persons Commission headed by retired judge Maxwell Paranagama is to be invited to continue his […]

A collective of over 110 civil society organisations, political parties and trade unions yesterday signed an agreement with the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG) to defeat the reactionary forces striving to reverse the victories gained by the people in the aftermath of January 8 Presidential election. Here, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and National […]

(TNA Parliamentary team) ◾Drawing The Battle   Line For The Hustings. As the politicians have fiercely entered their political campaigns ahead of the upcoming general election, some seem to have changed their stance merely based on party politics neglecting the interests of the country. After a series of internal discussions and plotting, everybody is determined to […]

In his oral update on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. the the High Commissioner for Human Rights says that ”Notwithstanding the commendable progress the Sri Lankan Government has made in resettlement and reconstruction, the High Commissioner firmly believes that a more fundamental and far-reaching accountability process in Sri Lanka, addressing both […]

[New High Commissioner Zeid Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein] The on going 27th session of the UNHRC will take up number of important resolutions to be adopted at the end of this week. Although Russia, China, India and Pakistan opposes importance resolution related to democratic governance and equal rights, it is expected that following resolution will be […]

[Monk invaders of violent Buddhism] Lawyers collective/Press release Lawyers witnessed an event of a mob disrupting a peaceful meeting to discuss issues of disappeared families, held at Center for Society & Religion, located in the premises of a Catholic Church in Colombo 10, on 4th August 2014. This meeting was organised by Families of The […]

JOINT CIVIL SOCIETY SUBMISSION TO UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, MS NAVANETHAM PILLAY ON HER VISIT TO SRI LANKA (25th – 31st August, 2013) We, Sri Lankan civil society organisations, welcome the country visit of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navanetham Pillay, in the preparation of an oral update at […]

WELIWERIYA, GAMPAHA: BLACK THURSDAY 2013 By DR DAYAN JAYATILLEKA pic courtesy of: twitter.com/azzamameen Who deployed troops, clad in flak jackets (body armour) and armed with T-56 assault rifles to confront and disperse a crowd of protestors blocking a highway? Who was the ultimate decision-maker? The protestors were not armed, certainly not with lethal weapons. Therefore, […]

Commonwealth people’s forum can enhance government’s credibilityJehan PereraThe significance of international pressure in directing the government along the path of good governance can be seen in several recent developments. As a member country of the international community, Sri Lanka has many obligations to fulfill, even as it seeks the benefits of being a member of […]

CVK Sivagnanam The residence of Mr CVK Sivagnanam, a veteran civil activist and joint-secretary of the Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK), has been attacked Tuesday night around 11:45 p.m. by alleged operatives of the SL military in Jaffna. Mr Sivagnanam narrowly escaped from the squad that stoned his residence. The attackers, who smashed the windows […]

Mary Robinson with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who she and the rest of Nelson Mandela’s Elders group refer to as ‘the Arch’. Attila Photograph:Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images DESMOND TUTU & MARY ROBINSON Absence of war is not peace: the saying is true of Sri Lanka today.While the country’s civil war ended four years ago, and roads have been […]

Jaffna University students who are detained at the Welikanda camp will be released after rehabilitation, was the statement made by Defense Secretary Gottabaya, which cannot be accepted was stated by opposition parties.They pointed out that Gothabaya is functioning with arrogance beyond his limits and he needs rehabilitation.Who is Gottabaya to take court actions arbitrarily? He […]

Protest in front of Nallor Piratheasa Chapai (PS) 13 elected civic bodies in the Jaffna Peninsula organized parallel agitations in their respective areas on Monday, protesting against occupying Sri Lanka’s violent intimidation and machinations blocking the mandated functions of the elected bodies. The protestors condemned the recent brutal attack on the Nalloor divisional council (Predeasa […]

STATEMENT ON THE POSTER ATTACKS AGAINST CPA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 16 October 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) views with very serious concern the appearance of posters in Sinhala on Monday, 15th October 2012 in the environs of Colombo, the English translation of the text of which states: “Let us save the […]

Sanjeewa Bandara The Political Bureau of the JVP has issued a statement condemning the arrest of the convener of the Inter University Students Federation (IUSF). The statement issued yesterday (20th) states, “Yesterday (18th), the convener of Inter University Students Federation the student Sanjeewa Bandara was arrested by the police. He was arrested while going back […]

460x Photo courtesy AP/Eranga Jayawardena Kusal Perera Justice Minister Hakeem was reported to have told during campaigning, he should not be made to look like a man taken hostage. Ministers Rambukwella and Premjayantha, invited TNA to form a “National” alliance for the Council in the East. Senior Minister and Communist Party leader DEW Gunasekera says […]

SL pilgrims in Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday said Sri Lankan tourists and pilgrims would face no problem in the State and sought to explain that she had prevented sportspersons from that country playing or training in Tamil Nadu only to express the State’s anguish and protest over the denial of rights due […]

Sri Lanka police: brutality is their norm On 16 August 2012, at about 5.00pm, Thushara went to Hungama Town to buy some vegetables and as he was on his way several police officers attached to the Hungama Police Station arrested him at Bataatha Farm. Thushara was severely assaulted in full view of some bystanders. Due […]

 More Adolescents between 15 and 30 years of age are found to be committing suicide in Sri Lanka than any other group and at least 11 suicides take place in the country each day. Although the rate of suicide had shown a downward trend a few decades ago, it had now shown an upward trend […]

Accused Malaka with his father Minister Mervyn Silva Police, who are conducting investigations into the assaulting of an Army Major and a corporal allegedly by a group led by the son of controversial Minister Mervyn Silva in the early hours of last Sunday are not forthcoming with clear answers. In addition to the assault, the […]

To see the Cartoon clearly   click here  Groundviews  On Sunday, for some unfathomable reason, Lakbima – a newspaper with high circulation – decided to run this cartoon. Lakbima currently has no Editor. Whether it’s acting editor, a senior journalist, saw and approved this cartoon before publication is not known. What is a matter of […]

The Sridhar Cinema in Jaffna has been occupied for 16 years by Sri Lanka’s Minister for Traditional Industries and Small Enterprise Development. IN its 1970s heyday – before war and poverty made movie theatres a luxury northern Sri Lankans could ill afford – the Sridhar Cinema was Jaffna’s “A Number One” film house. The smart […]

STF, a military force Police Special Task Force Commandant DIG R. W. M. Chandrasiri Ranawana said that the STF would assist the Police to eliminate organized crime, such as contract killings, drug cartels, mass murders, bank robberies and the underworld.The 61 STF camps, located country-wide, had around 8,000 commandoes who were well-disciplined to undertake any […]

Sri Lankan officials have decided to demolish a mosque and a Hindu temple under pressure from Buddhist monks who demanded their removal from a Buddhist sacred area.Ruling party lawmaker Lakshman Perera said Monday that the places of worship and other buildings will be relocated to sites outside the designated sacred zone within six months. Thousands […]