An Era of Sri Lanka’s President: From Mullivaikal to Oxford Union

[Authors note: Mullivaikal is where the last phase of the war between Sri Lankan Armed Forces (SLAF) and Liberation Tiger of TamilEelam (LTTE) took place.  According to the Government of Sri Lanka, this was the place war came to an end with the military defeat of LTTE, but for majority Tamils and international human rights activists, this was the place at-least 30000-40000 Tamil civilians were massacred by SLAF. The ‘controversy’ began from here and continues even after 19 months.]...

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My Shattered Dreams - “We will meet in three days”

I It was April 21, 2006. The final day in my home and on my soil. The final minutes I spent with my dad. The last time I saw my mum and dad together. My final activity in Jaffna[1]. My last direct initiative in the North part of the Island. My final good bye to Jaffna in that atmosphere. That was the final day I saw many of my friends. Would it be possible to see at least my mum in our home again? Or was it my last journey in Jaffna? Just before I left the house, I wanted to say bye to “Appa” (dad[2]), but he was at the prayer room. When I moved the curtain, he noticed me and said “take care of yourself, we will talk in three days...

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Reconciliation in Sri Lanka: Breaking the Myth and Bringing the Truth

“There cannot be reconciliation without justice. Justice and equity are at the core of reconciliation” – Professor Hizkias Assefa The platform for an “genuine reconciliation” should be rooted via the democratic exercises, rights and participation of all citizens throughout a country. But, if people are under fear to express their grievances and aspirations, including opposition political parties, dissident voices, independent media and even some ruling party government ministers how can a national minority discriminated and oppressed for more than five decades practice their rights in Sri Lank...

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A Turning Point in the life of a Human Rights Defender

When the 1994-95 peace process in Sri Lanka also failed, war erupted again on 19th April 1995, and the then President Chandrika Kumarathunga initiated a “War for Peace” campaign. In the same year, another event forced me to change my approach toward the path of non-violence. On the 22nd of September 1995, I received an urgent notice from my officer in charge for the St. John’s Ambulance Service. I told my mum about that notice during a time when heavy shelling and aerial bombing was taking place around us. After a few minutes silence she told me to attend to that invitation. Neither of us thought that this mission would prove to...

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Reconciliation in Sri Lanka:Breaking the Myth and Bringing the Truth

This article has written on the 11th of August 2010, in order to mark two hundred days of journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda disappearance and the birthday of assassinated senior journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram.  Both journalists came from a different background and polarized communities in Sri Lanka, but both are / were seen as a threat against autocratic government of Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, this is the government saying that they are working on reconciliation process.  This article will analysis the real meaning of reconciliation, ground reality, government moves and international community role in the reconciliation process. Full version of this article can be view so...

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Searching for Peace in a Kingdom of Vultures

(From my archives 2009 September) “Peace is the wholeness created by right relationships with oneself, other persons, other cultures, other life, Earth, and the larger whole of which all are a part” The armed conflict in Sri Lanka came to an end by mid May 2009 - after more than three decades - with a ‘military victory’ of the Sri Lankan government. The Rajapakse regime won the Eelam War – IV, but a Tamil spirit for autonomy remains - as it occurred - due to misrule, an identity-based state patronage, exclusion, mismanagement of scarce natural resources, underdevelopment, and violation of human rights. The Tamil people’s political aspirations...

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Advocacy from Afar - Towards Human Rights for Victims of the Sri Lanka's civil war -

                                              (Photo Courtesy Virakeasari) In 2009, the global media turned it's attention to the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). At the time, many questions were raised on the treatment of the Tamil civilians trapped in the conflict. “About 300,000 civilians, plus the Tamil Tiger forces were trapped in an area of territory about the size of Central Park in New York…They were within range of all the armaments that were being used, small and large, being used to...

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The Future Tamil Politics

Eelam War IV shattered and devastated Tamils social, economical, cultural and political structural factors. These four structural factors were corner stone’s of the Tamil National Struggle and were intricately interconnected to each other. These became primary targets during the war and were destroyed. To give this research paper a focus and due to contextual developments I will only be analyzing the political aspect. However, I will give due prominence, understand and agree upon the arguments that all four factors have equal prominenc...

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