Right to association

Cartoon by Kishan Rajapaksa. Co Cabinet Spokesman minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardena said today (6th Feb 2020) that a separate area has been allocated outside the presidential secretariat in close proximity to the Galle Face Green for protestors to carry out protests and demonstrations. Addressing the Weekly Cabinet Briefing held at the Department of Government Information […]

The normal operations of the office of the Consortium of Non-Governmental Organisations in Ampaa’rai district has been thoroughly disrupted by the frequent-inspections and questionings conducted by the ‘Terrorist’ Investigation Division (TID) of occupying Colombo, the representatives of the member organisations in the district told TamilNet on Wednesday. The TID was questioning particularly about the activities […]

Image: Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Peaceful Assembly and Association, delivers his End of Mission statement at the Media Briefing in Colombo. GENEVA / COLOMBO (26 July 2019) — The people of Sri Lanka must act together to secure democracy, human rights and the rule of law, says the UN […]

(HRW)The images are vivid. Soldiers standing over the body of the brutal leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) separatist insurgency, who was for so long considered invincible. Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was president at that time, kissing the ground in gratitude for the end of a 27-year-long war that resulted in hundreds of […]

US State Department Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2017: Sri Lanka . EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Sri Lanka is a constitutional, multiparty republic with a freely elected government. In January 2015 voters elected President Maithripala Sirisena to a five-year term. The parliament shares power with the president. August 2015 parliamentary elections resulted in a coalition government between […]

Image: Minister Mano Ganesan’s explanations for presenting the draft bill are shallow. (NPC/Press release/ 30.30.18) The National Peace Council welcomes the decision of Minister of National Coexistence, Dialogue and Official Languages Mano Ganesan to withdraw proposed amendments to the Voluntary Social Service Organizations (Registration and Supervision) Act, No. 31 of 1980 following representations made to […]

The Cabinet of Ministers approved on 20 February 2018 a proposal to introduce amendments to the Voluntary Social Service Act (VSSO) No. 31 of 1980. The proposed amendments contain far-reaching consequences on the activities and finances of civil society and if enacted in its present form will have a chilling effect on a range of private […]

Neville de Silva. How times have changed! Three years ago in December the Common Candidate contesting the presidential election and political leaders of various hues who had gathered round him were making myriad promises which would turn our nation into a paradise flowing with milk and money. One such promise was to restore media freedom. […]

Motoo Noguchi is a Prosecutor at the Supreme Prosecutors Office of Japan; Chair of the Board of Directors, the Trust Fund for Victims, International Criminal Court. I am visiting this country on an official mission of the Government of Japan, but my message below is my personal one as an expert reflecting my tentative observations […]

    Freedom of Expression. FACTS. Only a few investigations in to killings, abductions and assaults of journalists during the decade ending in 2015 have been initiated. No indictments served on any suspect so far. No investigation has been initiated on killings, abductions and assaults of Tamil journalists and media workers. No investigation has been […]

Image: Indian businessmen Ajay Gupta and younger brother Atul Gupta in 2011. The family of Indian-born tycoons are close to president Jacob Zuma. Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images. Opposition politicians and campaigners in South Africa are pushing for harsher punishment of the British public relations agency Bell Pottinger for running a campaign to deliberately stoke racial tensions in the […]

Writing a letter to president Sirisena TNA leader R. Sampanthan has reminded him of his promise to release the land  belongs to  people of  Keppapulavu. The letter says that “I discussed this matter with you and requested Your Excellency to ask the Army to release at the earliest, all Land at Keppapulavu including the block […]

Image: UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, Ben Emmerson, at a media briefing at the conclusion of his mission to Sri Lanka. Preliminary findings of the visit to Sri Lanka: Colombo (14 July 2017), The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Mr. […]

Image: Minister Ganesan too organised a NGO to help victims of  Rajapaksa era white van disappearances.  Speaking to media Minister Mano Ganesan who is in charge of the  NGO secretariat of Sri Lanka,  on the subject of regulating the NGOs says that  ” Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe must be having his own reasons. But I don’t […]

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, […]

( In this  December 2014 photo President Sirisena is accepting media freedom proposals of the Free Media Movement, a media activist NGO in Sri Lanka) Addressing the International Conference on Right to Information (RTI) held in Colombo on 27th Sep President Sirisena has said that “for many governments around the world, the harm caused by […]

Convener of the movement against Meethotamulla garbage dump Keerthiratne Perera and its organizer Attorney at law Nuwan Bopage have been arrested last night (10) . They have been arrested for violating court orders issued against the protest, and over an assaulting incident. The suspects will be produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (11) Earlier, […]

After more than 15 long months, the overseas travel restriction imposed on me at request of TID in March 2014 was removed today, by the Colombo Magistrate Courts, after motion filed in courts today. This was preceded by a written submission in Nov. 2014 and months of discussion with AGs department. During this time, I […]

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 […]

President Maithripala Sirisena has announced his intention to seek the passage of the 20th Amendment to the constitution as a priority. The reforms envisage an electoral system in which the majority of parliamentary seats will be obtained on the first-past-the post system, while keeping to an overall proportional outcome. The experience at elections held under […]

(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 […]

( President Sirisena and Prime Minister Wickremesinghe) (AFP) – Sri Lanka’s parliament voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to curb the power of the presidency,  restoring a two-term limit and reviving independent bodies to manage key institutions such as the police and the judiciary. A total of 215 out of the 225 lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment which […]

[High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. UN Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré] 22 October 2014 – At the root of crises confronted by the United Nations usually lies a “complex web” of violations of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights requiring solutions that can only come from more emphatic and comprehensive protections, the Organization’s […]

[Injuries received by Mr. G. Thevaraja by Sri Lanka Brief- As the Government of Sri Lanka was assuring of its commitment to all human rights for all people in Sri Lanka before the United Nations Human Rights Committee, a leading human rights activists,  was assaulted in Vavuniya, Northern Province. The Sri Lanka delegation to the […]

Making a statement at the on going 27th session of the UNHRC, Dr. Nimalka Fernando called for ”international solidarity and protection for all human rights defenders, lawyers, media personnel and civil society organisations who are facing threats for resisting authoritarianism in Sri Lanka and working to give effect to the resolutions on Sri Lanka passed […]

[IDPs in Vanni; file photo: REUTERS/Stringer] Sri Lankan military intimidation has for the second time led to prayers that were going to be held for the displaced people of Valikamam North being cancelled, reports Uthayan. Military intelligence once again threatened the organisers with “consequences” if the prayers, organised for those displaced in Valikaamam North, went […]

[Fr. Sathivel (on right) was almost assaulted by the mob. Photo: Melani Manel] Bishop  of Colombo Rev. R. Canagasabey today rejected  false allegations against HRD, Fr. Sathivel by the monks led mob who invaded the Center for Society and Religion on 4th Aug. Issuing a statement the Bishop said that ”I  do not in any […]

[Duty of the police to protect peoples’ rights; pHoto: internet] Democratic Governance, Voluntary Associations and People’s Rights by Friday Forum— Some months ago the Friday Forum issued a public statement that reflected on certain emerging trends in our country, and posed the question whether Sri Lanka is moving towards authoritarianism. Though circulated widely, this statement […]

[P.B. Jayasundara, on the left is braned as the economic hit man of the regime] The Government says Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO) which operate in non regulated environments has become a threat to financial management, inclusive development and law and order itself. Finance Ministry Secretary P.B. Jayasundara said this while speaking at the Defence Seminar in […]

3.15pm: On the 4th of August a private sharing of experiences session organized by civil society inside the Centre for Society and Religion [CSR] is disrupted by an organized gang led by what appeared to be a group of Buddhist monks. Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities are present on location approximately 10 minutes after the […]