My Question and the President’s Silence

Today, I asked the following question to the Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapaksa during a Twitter interaction. Mahinda Rajapaksa @PresRajapaksa: This is the first time we are doing this. There may have been technical lapses. Lalith Weeratun...

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Respect and Democracy in Our Hearts

My mum (72) got discharged from Jaffna hospital this morning, immediately traveled nearly 35KM and then took tuktuk/auto to cast her vote before coming home, despite I don't believe either Sri Lanka constitution or provincial council system due to the denial of Tamils rights and repressive policies. Though, I respect mum's decision and admire her continuing commitment to the cause...

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Northern Elections: A litmus test for democracy or Tamil national aspirations?

Just a few hours after the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon announced the forthcoming provincial elections in Sri Lanka to be an important opportunity for political reconciliation in the country, a terrifying attack took place against the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) candidate, Mrs Ananthi Sasitharan at Chuzhipuram in Jaffna at approximately 12:45 am. Midnight Terror According to Mrs Sasitharan, members of the Sri Lankan armed forces and the government backed paramilitary group, Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) were behind this murder attempt. The national organizer of independent election monitoring committee Campaign...

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Is the Tamil Diaspora Against Unity in Sri Lanka?

“The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes The Tamil Diaspora is a diverse ethnic group. Amongst it, the majority are strongly connected to their kith and kin in the island of Sri Lanka. Arguably, the Tamil Diaspora is also a very powerful body. It reflects the aspirations and the grievances of the Tamil people in the island of Sri Lanka who continue to live under severe suppression, in an open prison. Considering the Sri Lankan state’s oppression of the Tamil people on the ground, the interaction between them and the Tamil Diaspora, though invisible, is very...

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Sri Lanka: The intentions behind the land grabbing process

Introduction In the so-called ‘post-war’ Sri Lanka context, land grabbing, Sinhalization and military occupation of the Tamil nation have become pivotal points in the political development discourse. The deep concerns that exist amongst the majority of the Tamils, which are directed towards their present and future existence, are these same issues. The political discourse within the international community is unable to keep pace with the real-time implementation and effects on the ground. The international community continues to talk about reconciliation and the Sri Lankan state seems keener on Sinhala settlements and militarization...

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Remembering Lasantha: Now they come for “everyone”

Now more than ever with the current state of affairs in Sri Lanka, the vacuum left by Lasantha’s death and his importance can be felt by anyone who is concerned about human rights, democracy, rule of law, and, of course, the independence of the judiciary. The Founding Editor-in-Chief of the Sunday Leader newspaper Lasantha Wickrematunge , better known as Lasantha, was brutally assassinated four years ago.  The cold- blooded murder took place on 8 January 2009 in a High Security Zone [HSZ] area of the Colombo suburbs. Lasantha addressed the Sri Lankan President in his last editorial, which was published posthumously, “You will never...

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