Dissent

Shrinking space for human rights voices and dissent, and concerns over the terms of engagement between government and civil society  A statement by concerned human rights and democratic rights, activists and organisations  27th June 2017, Colombo As individuals and organisations committed to human rights and democratic freedoms, and the rights of freedom of expression and dissent, […]

(File photo: Student of a police attack) Several students were injured and three others had to be hospitalized due to police baton charging and attacking with tear gas and water cannon a peaceful agitation held by medical students in Fort area in Colombo yesterday (28th). We condemn the move by the government to deploy police […]

Summary: Incidents related to repression of dissent continued to be reported under the Sirisena Presidency, despite a general feeling of having more freedom than under the Rajapakse presidency. In mid May 2015, Police obtained court orders to prevent remembrance events for Tamils killed during the war. Police also interrogated organizers, participants and media at some […]

(Summary of the INFORM report:In the first 100 days of new Presidency; 9th January – 19th April 2015) Compared to 2014 and the Rajapakse rule, the intensity and number of attacks, threats and intimidations against dissent has decreased during the first 100 days of Sirisena’s Presidency. However, very little action appears to have been taken […]

Responding to Democratic Left Front (DLF) leader Vasudeva Nanayakkara, Dr. Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri yesterday said that Mr. Nanayakkara’s assessment that the May Day attack would have been expected implies that he too expected his supporters to react in a violent manner to opposing views. “I don’t know how he knows what my intentions of attending […]

[University students protest in Colombo- File photo] Undergraduates of six State Universities will conduct protests and marches at noon today (06) calling for the release of the two student activists who were arrested on 30, April by the Cinnamon Gardens Police and remanded till 9th, to be released immediately. The Inter-University Students’ Federation (IUSF) said […]

Issuing a statement on the eve of the World Press freedom Day the FMM emphasises that  the government shuld take speedy action against those responsible for the assault against Dr.Nirmaal Ranjith Devasiri and Dr.Kumudu Kusum Kumara. Ealier FUTA, the Federation of University Teachers Associations issued  statement condemning the assault calling on the government to bring […]

[Who will speak for them: agitating students in Sri Lanka] by Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya – I was watching a political ‘debate’ on a private TV channel last night, but got entirely confused and frightened. What used to be a heated debate earlier has turned out to be a non-debate, where all participants were taking a […]

[New Generation: Not sheep unwittingly led to the slaughter} By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene – There is a terrible toll that relentless state repression extracts from a country and its people. It saps them of strength, makes them fearful and angry, ready to snarl at the slightest hint of danger, real or perceived. Yet the miracle […]

(Brito Fernando) Sri Lankan authorities must hold to account those who threatened three prominent activists with death today and ensure that tomorrow’s presidential elections passes without further violence, Amnesty International said. Opposition campaigners Brito Fernando, Phillip Dissanayake and Prasanga Fernando – who are all well-known human rights defenders active with families of the “disappeared” – […]

[Military in Jaffna: File photo] The Sri Lankan military has blocked youth from across the North-East from attending a conference for the ‘Association of Friendship and Love’ (AFRIEL) organised in Jaffna, reports Uthayan. A military checkpoint in Poonakari questioned those travelling from Mannar for more than an hour and half, whilst others were contacted on […]

INFORM, a long standing human rights documentation centre in Colombo, Sri Lanka in has recorded  26incidents of suppression of dissent in Sri Lanka.  the Summary of  the report follows: INFORM Report: Repression of Dissent in Sri Lanka October 2014: Summary: As the deadline for submissions for the UN Human Rights Council appointed investigation into alleged […]

The harassment of senior Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) members by the governing party has commenced with the party’s chairman, MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana Thero. The governing party has commenced harassing the JHU members after the party quit the government and resigned from the ministerial portfolios. The Kotte Municipal Council has claimed that Ven. Rathana Thero’s […]

[A commemoration of well-known woman HRD and academic, Dr. Rajani Thiranagama, was obstructed] By INFORM– September was a month that saw almost daily incidents of repression of dissent. A commemoration planned for a well-known woman human rights defender and academic, Dr. Rajani Thiranagama, was obstructed when two pre-booked venues were withdrawn and a protest march […]

[Burned shed of the students’ protestors] A  gang of thugs lead by a UPFA Member of Pradeshiya Sabha called Indika has savagely attacked students of Sabaragamuwa University while they were engaged in a ‘Sathyagraha’. Thugs armed with poles and swords had arrived at about 10.30 last night inhumanly assaulted the students and set fire to […]

The Fort District Court (1) issued an injunction order yesterday that the Railway Professional Trade Union Alliance (PTUA) stop its strike. A group of railway commuters has moved the court. Although about 380 passenger trains operated a day usually throughout the country only 80 trains coud be run with the help of pro-government trade union […]

Water cannons were used against a student protest against the opening of a sub-standard hostel by the Higher Education Minister in the University of Sabaragamuwa.alt Higher Education Minister has arrived in the University today (5) to open a new hostel. However, the students have protested his arrival claiming the Minister will not be allowed to […]

[MTTK peaceful fast at Nalloor temple] The Sri Lankan Police in Jaffna arrested the General Secretary of Mutpoakkuth Thamizh Theasiya Kadchi (MTTK) Sutharsingh Vijayakanth and two of his fellow party members Friday night while they were waging a peaceful fast at Nalloor temple demanding the Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to release all Tamil political […]

Summary: August 30th is the International Day of victims of Enforced Disappearances, but in Sri Lanka, it was a month when families of disappeared persons and those supporting them faced threats, intimidations, restrictions and false accusations by Buddhist Monks led mobs, Police and the state media. Police blocked a peaceful march on the International Day […]

[Rajani Thiranagama was gunned down by the Tigers ] Revisiting a Tamil democrat’s legacy By Meera Srinivasan Best known for the book The Broken Palmyra, she had predicted the demise of LTTE In September 1989, Sri Lanka’s Northern Province lost one of its most prominent human rights defenders following the death of Rajani Thiranagama, who […]

July is known as “Black July” in Sri Lanka, due to the anti-Tamil pogrom of 1983, where thousands of Tamils were killed and their properties destroyed. It was a turning point in the ethnic conflict, which saw support for Tamil militancy increase and the birth of Tamil Diaspora. This year’s July, saw a commemoration of […]

By SLB– Two Uni students arrested Arrest of two Tamil students of Sabaragamuwa University by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) remained a serious concern among the University student community. Rasindu Jayasinghe, the leader of the Students’ Movement of the Sabaragamuwa University told the Sunday Leader that they have lodged a complaint with the Human Right […]

Civil society recalls President’s days as disappearances campaigner. Activists reject monks’ version of events at Centre for Society and Religion. Nimalka wants President to stop sending proxies, talk to civil society one-to-one. Something missing in regime’s DNA to deliver reconciliation: Paikiasothy. By Dharisha Bastians — Leading civil society activists yesterday slammed the Government’s use of […]

By Fred Carver– To many external observers the Government of Sri Lanka appeared to lose the plot somewhat during the March UN Human Rights Council (HRC) session. A series of overt and heavy handed attempts to silence dissent, even as the session was discussing a resolution censuring Sri Lanka, appeared to illustrate precisely the point […]

By Edward Mortimer— The government has been trying its best to silence the country’s remaining Tamils without drawing the world’s attention With all the horrors taking place in Gaza, Ukraine, Iraq, and Syria, Sri Lanka has understandably fallen off the international radar. However, what you must know is that this suits Sri Lanka’s President, Mahinda […]

INFORM– June 2014 will be remembered in Sri Lanka for the communal violence in the towns of Aluthgama and Beruwala in Southern Sri Lanka, that resulted in 4 persons (three Muslims and one Tamil) being killed, more than 80 injured and widespread damage to property, mainly of Muslims. The widely held belief, including by the […]

[Susila Herath showing the threatening letter; Photo: Ada Derana] Susila Herath, a school teacher of Navagattegama Navodya Vidyalaya who won a lawsuit against ex-PC member Ananda Sarath Kumara (UPFA), has received a death threatening letter today (5) morning. A senior police officer from the Nawagattegama police told Ada Derana that the police inquiries have been […]

Following the intimidation given to Tamil speaking students by posters which mentioning the names of Tamil and Muslim first year students, calling for them to leave from Sabaragamuwa, one of the tamil students was attacked by persons wearing masks, on Sunday early morning. The victim identified is Santhirakumar Sutharshan from Mukamalai was assaulted and being […]

[Natioanlist Buddhist militancy on the rise in Sri Lanka] The sa called Relegious police ,set up some monts ago by the regime, has requested Mr.Sirimal Wijesinghe, writer and a film director  to give a statement regardig a complaint lodged against him by a Buddhist  religious organization. The police station related religious conflicts funtioned under the […]

[photo:Free Media Movement protest in Jaffna for protection of Tamil journalists] Northern Province Journalists were impeded by Sri Lankan Police, Army and intelligence joint operation while travelled to attend a workshop and a discussion on digital security. This workshop facilitated by some media organization from south and Jaffna Press Club. Jaffna Press Club is an […]