“I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot” – Gary Hart
The grapevine has been rife with many a gossip and rumour over the last couple days about the impending pardon/release of General
Fonseka. The reasons adduced and scenarios imagined for this atmosphere are many and diverse. However, the electricity that […]

“No intrepid journalists smuggled their way into rebel territory as they did in Syria, even though an erratic bus service ran across the frontline until mid January 2009” – Frances Harrison

“Every journalist has heard of Srebrenica. But how many have heard of Mullivaikkal where just as many perished?” – Frances Harrison

Today marks three years since the end […]

First green shoots of new life are emerging after a long period of drought in the north of the country, parts of which were not under
government control for close on three decades, and where a terrible war was fought to its bitter end three years ago. Visiting the Vanni after a year it was wonderful […]

An axiom of professional journalism is that comment is free but facts are sacred. Another is that a story must have balance, in that
facts must be checked by getting in touch with all sides to the story, notably the main protagonists.
Indecent reporting
I fear that a Colombo newspaper has failed to observe either norm, in a […]

So many Gods, so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind,
While just the art of being kind,
Is all the sad world needs
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox-The World’s Need
It was reported that the Minister for land and land development Janaka Bandara Tennekoon had said a situation has arisen now
where the Muslim mosque situated in the Dambulla ‘sacred […]

Hundreds of detentions in the East again
The dominance of national security considerations in the actions of the government have been highlighted again in the
hundreds of detentions that have taken place in recent days in the East, especially in the Trincomalee area. It is reported that most of those detained have been released after being screened […]

Dispute
The dispute over the presence of a Muslim mosque on Buddhist temple land in Dambulla points
to an underlying tension in Sri Lanka’s multi religious society that is capable of being exploited by extremist forces. It is reassuring that the violence that suddenly manifested itself over the location of the mosque was not permitted to escalate […]

“It is not only what we do, but also what we do not do, for which we are accountable” – Moliere
Many legal luminaries and political pundits have had their voice. Many politicians have added their two cents’ worth also into the mix. Yet the US-backed resolution at the UNHRC in Geneva is now already a fait […]

An analysis of ongoing “abduction blueprint” in Sri Lanka
In a country that has achieved so much in literacy, education and social development, is it not indeed unfortunate that “White Van” has frightened the entire nation? Appearance of a white van assures a disappearance of some one. If you Google or do any other internet search […]

Periodic review
In the aftermath of the UN Human Rights Council session in Geneva in March of this year where a special resolution on Sri Lanka was passed, Sri Lanka now faces the Universal Periodic Review that commences in October of this year. This is a mechanism that was established by the UN Human Rights Council […]