rule of law

Too often, the argument is made that one should not speak out for fear of consequences. But this is a weak defence. Instead, the truth is rather that one does not speak out because it is inconvenient to do so, either professionally or personally. (Keynote address delivered at the annual general meeting (agm) of the […]

After two and a half years, no suspects yet The investigation into the murder of the founding editor of The Sunday Leader newspaper, Lasantha Wickrematunge, has been unable to find a murder suspect even two and a half years after investigations into the incident since the main aim of the investigation is to blame former […]

President should not be making comments without being properly informed about the current situation. 30 June 2011/ By Lakna ParanamannaThe Federation of University Teachers Association (FUTA) yesterday charged that it was unfortunate for the President to be unaware of the academics’ real demands.While responding to a statement, allegedly made by President Rajapaksa claiming that he […]

By Ranga JayasuriyaThe government on Tuesday (23td June) turned down an opposition request to table the report of the presidential commission, which probed allegations of corruption and irregularities in the procurement of high value military supplies for the security forces.Chief Government Whip and Minister Dinesh Gunawardene told the House that the report of the presidential […]

Sutirtho Patranobis, June 28, 2011 A two-thirds majority in a 225-member Parliament usually means that in the last election the people overwhelmingly voted for the current government. But does that mean that citizens have abdicated the right to ask questions? Or, even better, have handed over the right to control their thoughts to thegovernment?Last week, […]

Sri Lanka says Parliament Committee on political solution will strengthen Parliament-28 June 2011Sri Lankan President said that the appointing of a Parliamentary Select Committee to find a permanent political solution to the ethnic problem was by no means a delaying tactic, but one that sought to obtain the concurrence of Parliament for any decision made, […]

Statement by Sri Lankan Civil Society Activists 27th June 2011 On 25th June 2011 we marked 500 days since the disappearance of Mr. Pattani Razeek, a Sri Lankan Human Rights Defender, Managing Trustee of the Community Trust Fund (CTF) in Puttalam and Executive Committee Member of the Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUMASIA). […]

The 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report released by the United States stated that Sri Lanka does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking the country but is making significant efforts to do so.The report said Sri Lanka is primarily a source and to a much lesser extent, a destination […]

A 30-year-old male who had recently returned to Jaffna, after staying in south for 2 years, was found beaten and hanged to death Sunday morning at a playground in Achchuveali Thoappu in Valikaamam East, 20 km northeast of Jaffna city. The victim, Balachandran Satkunanathan, had sought refuge in South after he had been harassed by […]

26 June 2011,  by Sumanasiri Liyanage TNA67b Both print and electronic media in Sri Lanka and abroad have reported that the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) party meeting held in Jaffna was attacked by an armed group in uniforms on Thursday 16 June. It was also reported that a number of TNA parliamentarians were present at […]

A succinct account of how India got caught in a cleft stick during the regime of Lankan President Premadasa who continued to engage in a deadly game of political brinkmanshipBy Lakhan Mehrotra.Reviewed by SJS ChhatwalA former High Commissioner of India in Sri Lanka, the author comprehensively deals with the unfortunate discrimination against Tamils in Sri […]

  16 June 2011  The discrimination faced by the Northern Muslims have become an unending story. The governments’ neglect against minorities in this country is once again rearing its ugly head as Northern Muslims are denied of their voting rights. The LTTE’s oppression against the innocent people was elevated to an entire new level when […]

25 June 2011 / BY Tisaranee Gunasekara“This disposition to admire, and almost worship, the rich and the powerful, and to despise, or at least, to neglect, persons of poor and mean condition…is the great and most universal cause of corruption of our moral sentiments.” – Adam Smith (The Theory of Moral Sentiments)Bucket-lavatories are unheard of […]

    Long-delayed Freedom of Information Bill defeated in parliament, chink in Rajapaksa regime’s armour exposed     Bill would have strengthened democracy amidst allegations of oppression and human rights violationsBy Sunday Times Political Editor Weeks ago, Deputy Speaker Chandima Weerakkoddy was in the chair at a party leaders’ meeting that discussed Parliamentary business in the days […]

Nava Sama Samaja Party (NSSP) General Secretary said that the attack on Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians in Jaffna shows that the local government elections in the north of Sri Lanka will be held under military rule. In a protest held in Colombo against the attack on a TNA gathering in Tellipalai on the 16th […]

 Use of torture by police in Sri Lanka is “endemic” and lawlessness has gradually superseded rule of law in the island partly due a flawed constitution, a rights body which has publicized hundreds of such cases for over a decade, has said. “The most notable finding of this report is that almost all of the […]

A statement by the National Peace Council  The physical attack of those attending a TNA election meeting in Jaffna ahead of local government elections to be held on July 23 has attracted considerable criticism and condemnation. Government spokespersons have argued that the meeting was unauthorized. On the other hand, the TNA has pointed out that […]

IPI Commemorates World Refugee Day 2011By Mina Nacheva Sunanda Deshapriya (L), media spokesperson for the Free Media Movement, speaks as Sanath Balasuriya (C) from Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association and Daramasiri Lankapeli (R) from the Federation of Media Employed Trade union, look on during a news conference for five media organisations in Colombo July 1, […]

by Saman IndrajithUNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe on Thursday alleged that the UPFA government was rapidly moving towards what he called a dictatorial rule.Addressing the media in the Parliamentary complex, the Opposition Leader said that the country was heading towards a dangerous situation due to the readiness on the part of the government to […]

Ms. Q. Mahendra Devi (42) is a widow and the mother of three children. She resides at No: 100/36, Dharmaraja Road, Kandy and works as a cleaning labour working for a private company. After the death of her husband she built a house in above mentioned address. June 24, 2011ASIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION-URGENT APPEAL PROGRAMME […]

By Dinasena Ratugamage/ VavuniyaThey came in their hundreds in search of their loved ones. Almost all returned empty handed.Nearly two thousand Tamils have visited the police in the northern Sri Lankan town of Vavunia over the last ten days to find details of those missing during the war and since the military declaring it’s victory […]

Daily Mirror editorial /23 June 2011 Freedom of expression is an unalienable right enshrined in democracy. It is not a privilege that any government can deem its right to deliver the citizens as and if they so desire. The defeat of the Private Members motion on a Right to Information Bill by 63 votes speaks […]

Media Release: Sri Lanka  /June 23, 2011The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is dismayed to learn that a freedom of information law proposed in Sri Lanka has been overwhelmingly defeated by the government majority in the country’s parliament. The Right to Information Bill, presented by opposition United National Party deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya on June […]

COLOMBO (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s ruling party used its parliamentary majority Tuesday to defeat an opposition-initiated bill to grant greater media freedom, a parliamentary official said.President Mahinda Rajapakse’s United People’s Freedom Alliance, which enjoys a two-thirds majority in the 225-member assembly, shot down the Freedom of Information Bill presented by an opposition lawmaker, an official […]

22 June 2011/By Kelum Bandara and Yohan PereraThe government yesterday thwarted an attempt by UNP Deputy Leader Karu Jayasuriya to present a private member’s bill which provided for the freedom of access to official information.Soon after the question time, Mr. Jayasuriya rose on his feet to present the bill which provided for access to official […]

photos – http://vikalpa.org  SB is ideally fit to be in charge of Pig sty not as Higher education Minister Dr. Prabhath Jayasinghe speaking at today’s University academic staff public meeting in Colombo said, if Sri Lanka is to be made Asia’s central educational Headquarter , the present higher education Minister , S B Dissanayake is […]

by Amarnath AmarasingamDoctoral candidate, Wilfrid Laurier University   While the government response was predictable, another line of argument has recently gained some fanfare. This peculiar position, as most recently articulated by Amjad Mohamed-Saleem in Groundviews, argues: 06/20/11,As my doctoral dissertation deals with Sri Lankan Tamil activism in Canada, I was asked by a few people why […]

20.June.2011There had emerged another grave report from Matara today (20) about the Rajapakse regime’s militarization of the South in addition to the North. Early morning today (5.15 a m.), a group of Army officers who descended on the Matara municipal council had made the health protection workers to line up . They have also summoned […]

A number of user reports from Sri Lanka indicate that Groundviews is now blocked on Sri Lanka Telecom ADSL broadband Internet connections. It also appears that Vikalpa, our partner site that publishes critical content in Sinhala, is also blocked. Further, the website of Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) is also blocked. Content and comments published […]

Last week  the NGO secretariat took over the control of the Puttalam based non governmental organization, the Community Trust Fund (CTF) over alleged mismanagement and corruption. NGO secretariat comes under the defence ministry This is the first time an  non Tamil NGO has been taken over by the NGO secretariat/defense ministry  over allegations, without any […]