Monthly Archives: August 2011

From South Africa to Sri Lanka, no room for complacency

January 8 is a day of celebration in our household. It is my 15-year-old son’s birthday. After meeting exiled Sri Lankan journalist Sonali Samarasinghe about two years ago, the day became known for something else. On January 8, 2009 Sonali’s husband, Lasantha Wickrematunge was assassinated in Colombo while driving to work at the Sunday Leader.
I […]

By Janet Heard | Published on August 8, 2011 at 3:07 pm

No meeting point of the two war narratives

There are two narratives of the end phase of the war that are battling for dominance. The first is that of the Sri Lankan government that emphasizes the victory over the LTTE and terrorism and the securing of the country’s unity and
sovereignty. It also asserts that the war was conducted according to international law with […]

By Dr. Jehan Perera | Published on August 8, 2011 at 11:57 am

International laws taunted and trashed in last days of Sri Lanka’s war

The months of July to November 2006 in North Eastern Sri Lanka were hot and tense. As the war continued, both the climatic and political temperature was getting more severe and intense. It seemed that it was just escalating with no reprieve from the bombings of busloads of new Sinhala military recruits and air raids […]

By Jasteena Dhillon | Published on August 8, 2011 at 3:06 am

The TNA’s Brinkmanship and the Trap for Sri Lanka

The threatened suspension of talks by the Tamil National alliance benefits no one, the Tamils or the Sinhalese, the TNA or the government, the North or the South. Or if I may amend my statement immediately, it would benefit only the extremists on both sides of the ethnic fault lines, within and outside the island.
Political […]

By Dr. Dayan Jayatilleka | Published on August 7, 2011 at 9:22 pm

Mr. President, Enough is Enough!

Our leaders often speak about media freedom and right to information. At the same time, they utter a lot about the safety
of journalists and safeguarding journalism too. They try to appear as the messiahs of journalism and journalists. In a context such as this, it is strange isn’t it that journalists get murdered and assaulted in broad daylight?
Then there […]

By Upali Tennakoon | Published on August 7, 2011 at 8:28 pm

Russian officials on US blacklist: Human Rights abusers of other nations could also face visa bans

*US State Dept puts dozens of Russian officials on Visa blacklist
*US Senators introduce Rule of Law Accountability Act to freeze assets and deny visas to human rights abusers in Russia
*The Bill to apply to extreme future and past cases such as the unsolved murder of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya
*Advocacy groups say similar actions targeting specific Human Rights abusers […]

By Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge | Published on August 7, 2011 at 1:07 am

The Doctrine of Command Responsibility and its application in international humanitarian law

‘As for the ways by which rulers over others may become implicated in their crimes, there are two ..tolerance and protection…we must hold that a person who knows of a crime and is able and bound to forbid it and does not do so, himself commits a crime ..the people or the king are not […]

By Lakshman Indranath Keerthisinghe | Published on August 6, 2011 at 5:03 pm

UNP Power struggle: There is no alternative for Karu and Sajith other than the GD option

It was reported that Karu Jayasuriya, the current co-deputy leader of Sri Lanka’s main Opposition United National Party has been asked by a group of UNP stalwarts, led by the other co-deputy of the party, Sajith Premadasa to take over its leadership. Apparently Karu has given his consent.
Karu – To Be or Not to Be?
If […]

By Vishnuguptha | Published on August 5, 2011 at 8:28 am

Rights groups file complaint against Sri Lanka diplomat

AFP: Two rights groups said Thursday they have brought to Swiss authorities a criminal complaint against a Sri Lankan
diplomat and former general, Jagath Dias, over alleged war crimes.
The Swiss attorney-general’s office confirmed that it has received the complaint filed by the Society for Threatened Peoples and TRIAL (Track Impunity Always) and that it was examining […]

By | Published on August 4, 2011 at 5:54 pm

Sinharaja forest reserve desecrated: Rajapakse family accused of destroying national heritage for personal benefit

*Illegal road slicing through World Heritage site
*Namal Rajapakse said to be behind project which will destroy virgin rain forest
*Rajapakses’ political bulldozing deals death blow to endemic species of fauna and flora
*Environment Conservation Trust vows to take legal action
*Govt official refutes allegations Rajapakse family involved
*Official threatens this website with legal action if anything written against Rajapakses […]

By Nirmala Kannangara | Published on August 4, 2011 at 5:35 pm