Sri Lanka

Amnesty International is concerned by multiple reports of harassment, intimidation and attacks on human rights organisations, media outlets, and journalists in Sri Lanka. Amnesty International has received reports that the authorities carried out more than a dozen unscheduled visits to human rights and media organisations between May 2019 and January 2020 that were seen as […]

We are deeply disappointed that a Bill to repeal the Muslim Marriage and Divorce Act of 1951 (MMDA) has been tabled in Parliament by MP Ven. Athuraliye Rathana on 8th January 2020. It is claimed that the purpose of the Bill is to address the grievances of Muslim women and children. In reality, it does not represent […]

Paradox of Democracy and Attrition of Civic Space in Sri Lanka: Quo Vadis? The erosion of hegemony of the ruling historic bloc, and the crisis of the state and democratic institutional decay reached a new phase after 1977. After gaining a landslide victory with a five-sixths majority at the 1977 elections, the UNP government under […]

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved drafting of a new Bill titled ‘National Intelligence Act’ to regulate and empower all intelligence services, says the Cabinet Spokesperson Minister Dr.Bandula Gunawardene.This was announced during the media briefing held today (15) at the Government Information Department Auditoprium to announce Cabinet decisions. National intelligence services of the country make […]

The Free Media Movement strongly condemns the demeaning way the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Mulleriyawa Police has allegedly treated professional journalist Nimanthi Ranasinghe, who works as a court correspondent for Lankadeepa.  According to reports reaching us, Nimanthi Ranasinghe had visited the Mulleriyawa police station to complain about a threat to her professional career […]

(New York) – Respect for fundamental human rights in Sri Lanka is in serious jeopardy following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as president in November 2019, Human Rights Watch said today in its World Report 2020. Rajapaksa, along with his brother Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was named prime minister, were implicated in numerous human rights violations during their previous years in […]

(OFFICE ON MISSING PERSONS/MEDIA RELEASE/15 January 2020) Recent media reports have claimed that the government plans to review the Office on Missing Persons (Establishment, Administration and Discharge of Functions) Act No. 14 of 2016 (the Act) with a view to amending the same. The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) officially communicated its position by letters […]

(chamindasworld.wordpress) Prof Ashu Marasinghe has said that Chaminda’s [meaning Wasantha Deshapriya] and Sanjiva Weerawarana’s appointments to the Board of ICTA are dubious and there are conflicts of interest as we were involved in developing the Digital solution for the Election Commission (EC). What is he trying to say? a) Is that we developed a system which […]

The Sri Lankan government is reportedly set to release a soldier who was sentenced to death over the massacre of eight Tamil civilians, according to an opposition parliamentarian who applauded the move. “Now we have got information that the government has taken measures to release 34 members of the intelligence and Sunil Ratnayake, as mentioned […]

Image: The 19A was thus, achieved by the resilient advocacy of academics, politicians, civil society groups, erudite clergy and many more agitated citizens of the country who were frustrated by the constitutional chaos and abuse of democracy caused by the 18A.  Just before the dawn of the New Year, two constitutional amendment Bills were presented […]

“If we lift the hideous rags of History, we find this: hierarchy versus equality and order versus liberty.” – Éric Vuillard (The Order Of The Day) The indications are clear, as are the implications. Gotabaya Rajapaksa, elected on a Sinhala-Buddhist supremacist platform intends to rule as a Sinhala-Buddhist supremacist president. For the first time in […]

Hand wringing by Government politicians over leaked tape recordings of phone conversations between prosecutors, judicial officers and a United National Party politician known more for his brawn than his brain, (this worthy’s cerebral power appears to be even less than commonly perceived), is hypocritical in the extreme. Historic undermining of the judicial institution Even as […]

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has appointed a high-powered Presidential Commissions of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate allegations of political victimization as well as interference and undue influence on the judiciary and police during the past regime. The Commission comprising retired Supreme Court Justice Upaly Abeyrathne (chairman), retired Appeal Court Justice Daya Chandrasiri Jayathilaka and retired IGP Chandra […]

Why no overtures will be made to Tamils and Muslims by the SLPP until after the parliamentary elections. (Daily Express) The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP), whose Presidential candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa won the November 16 election without the support of the minority Tamils and Muslims, and is still to reach out to them in any […]

Image: Commemorations for veteran journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge were held  Jan. 8 in Colombo. Gunmen murdered Wickrematunge seven years ago. (Story and the Photo  by Niranjani Roland) Supporters of an outspoken Sri Lankan journalist, who was murdered in 2009, have urged the government to properly investigate his death and to ensure that media is protected. Lasantha […]

PEN International is deeply concerned by the ongoing legal proceedings against award-winning writer, Shakthika Sathkumara, accused of inciting religious hatred and violating international human rights Law under Section 3(1) of Sri Lanka’s International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) Act No. 56 of 2007 (ICCPR Act 2007) and Article 291B of the Penal Code. Sathkumara is still awaiting the decision of […]

Speaking in Parliament yesterday (8th Jan 2020) the TNA leader R. Sampathan insisted that “the commitments on the devolution of power  made to the international community, including India and the Co-Chairs. They need to be kept and implemented.” Transcript of the speech follows: Mr. Deputy Chairman of Committees, we are debating the Policy Statement enunciated […]

Image: TNA parliamentary group led by its leader R.Sampanthan meeting former president M. Sirisena to discuss issues related to devolution of powers. (file) ” The last 30 years have seen the country making such positive efforts towards resolving issues that have plagued it since Independence by meaningfully acknowledging the plural nature of our polity. We […]

Image: All these sectors  of the three tree crops comprising tea, rubber and coconut, apparels and telecommunication services have now reached their saturation point with the available technology. The sick economy President Gotabaya Rajapaksa – now fondly called Gota by everyone – inherited an underperforming economy. It was just like the economy which the previous […]

A special Police team  conducted a search operation at UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayaka’s residence at Madiwela. They had obtained a warrant obtained from Nugegoda Magistrate’s Court. UNP Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake has been arrested by the police over possession of a pistol without a valid license reports Daily Mirror. Ramanayaka  tweed  11,30 AM Sri Lanka time […]

We are bang into the New Year. The new session of Parliament has been opened by the President. Parliamentary politics could move to a new swing, with a government not having a formal majority in the House. There is also another political tune at play – that of the National Anthem. President Gotabaya Rajapaksa acknowledged […]

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka (AP) — The Swiss Embassy in Sri Lanka said that the safety of diplomatic missions is the responsibility of the host state, days after a local staffer who complained of being assaulted was released on bail while being investigated for maligning the government. Before her arrest, the Sri Lankan employee had reportedly […]

It was an eventful year in Sri Lankan politics in 2019. If not a year of crisis, perhaps the term chaos sums it up most accurately. The year started with several political tugs-of-war between former president Maithripala Sirisena and former prime minister Ranil Wickramasinghe, after Sirisena sacked Wickramasinghe and swore-in Mahinda Rajapaksa , quite unconstitutionally. These dramatic events paved the […]

MP Wijeyadasa Rajapaksa’s gazetted 22nd Amendment Bill (Private Member’s Bill) effectively seeks to: a) Allow the President to decide whom to appoint as CJ, Supreme & Appeal Ct judges, JSC members, Attorney General, Auditor General, IGP, Ombudsman & Secy General of P’ment; b) Require the President to merely ‘ascertain the views’ of the following, before […]

Image: British teenager arriving in Court. On 25 November 2019, Gania Banister Francis, a Tamil employee of the Swiss Embassy (aged 38) alleged that she was kidnapped by the Sri Lankan Police. She has said she was treated brutally and subjected to coercion and sexual harassment. She added that the Police asked her for sensitive […]

Sri Lanka ex-justice minister moots bill to sweep aside constitutional council. ECONOMYNEXT – An ex-just minister has put forward a 22nd amendment to Sri Lanka’s constitution that will end powers of a constitutional council in appointing independent judges, the police chief and senior government officials and allow the president to hold defence and other ministries. […]

A tumultuous year has ended, and an uncertain future lies ahead.  Democratic space is already closing around us, and it is critical for civil society to be clear-eyed about where we have been and the challenges that lie ahead. Nothing much happened after rescuing the country from a constitutional coup. The PM forgot why the […]

Image: Once allies became enimies — President Maithripala Sirisena, right, with Ranil Wickremesinghe, whom he has sought to oust as prime minister   © Reuters. Preaching to others while lifting a supercilious finger at inequities patently becoming apparent in the return of the Rajapaksas to seats of power in Sri Lanka, the most recent of […]

Almost exactly five years after starting this column. I will end it before it is ended. The non-publication of the column a week into the new Presidency was a reminder that the space enjoyed by writers to critique political power from January 2015, is now under threat. One must be empathetic with publishers and Editors. […]

Parliamentarian of Tamil National Alliance (TNA), M.A. Sumanthiran says the incumbent government is marring the national reconciliation process. Speaking to the media of the government’s decision to sing the national anthem only in Sinhala at the upcoming National Day celebration, the parliamentarian said, this indicates the direction in which this government is moving in order […]