civil rights

Image: Sarath Weerasekara addressing the HRC 39. Making an intervention under the agenda  item 6 of the  on going 39th session of the Human Rights Council, former Rear Admiral of Sri Lanka Navy, Saratha Weerasekara asked Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet not to speak to the cowards of this Government but to speak to them. Sarath Weerasekara is […]

(26 Sep 2018)President Maithripala Sirisena called upon the international community to look at Sri Lanka with a fresh perspective and consider the tremendous progress made by the government towards reconciliation, restoration of democratic freedoms, human rights and the rule of law and extend the fullest support to the build a progressive, democratic, free and equal […]

The International Day for the Universal Access to Information (also known as the World Right to Know Day) is observed every year on September 28. This provides Sri Lanka an opportunity to take stock of how its Right to Information (RTI) law is working. It was in June 2016 that Sri Lanka became the 108th […]

The key state witness in an abduction case has written to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, complaining that his employer, the Sri Lanka Navy, is victimising him and blocking his promotion. Lt. Cmdr. Krishan Welagedara is a leading witness in a Habeas Corpus application filed in respect of five young Sinhala, Tamil and […]

18 September 2018. “This time President Sirisena’s sword is nearing his own neck; not mere smoke flooding his eyes.” Penchant for playing with fire President Gamaralalage Sirisena has always had a penchant for playing with fire. He did fire-play at the local government elections when he made a disastrous U-turn and went round country blasting […]

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), in its latest report, has forecasted that the party backed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa will win the next Presidential and Parliamentary election. The country report on Sri Lanka, generated as premium content by the London based international research outfit on September 10, forecasts on a wide range of subjects in […]

(Press Release / 28.08.2018.) The Meeting of the Presidential Task Force on the Development of the North and East took place yesterday (27.08.2018) at the Presidential Secretariat. The meeting was presided over by His Excellency the President. Several ministers and government members of Parliament and Government Officials participated at the meeting. All the Tamil National Alliance […]

Image: Dharmasiri Bandaranayake. ( Nation.lk) Reaffirm the power of culture over the culture of power – Edward Said. It is a great honour to be invited to participate and speak at the Asian Human Rights Charter Workshop here at Gwangju, South Korea. A heartfelt thank you to Mr. Basil Fernando & Mr. Bijo Francis of […]

Image (c)s.deshapriya: A fisherman looking at sea anxiously in the eastern city of Batticoloa.  It difficult to ignore the question of justice in the area of control and distribution of resources in the new face of capitalism  argues Sunil Bastian. Observing what is going on in Sri Lanka these days from a distance, my mind […]

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 […]