Apr 30, 2020
Despite enjoying a relatively peaceful transition from British rule to independence in 1948, Sri Lanka’s postcolonial history is one that has been marred by bitter social divides and repeated cycles of mass violence. The most notable conflict has been that between the...
Apr 30, 2020
Our analysis – shared by many activists, academics and decision-makers both inside and outside of Sri Lanka – is that impunity for human rights abuses is the root cause of multiple cycles of mass violence on the island. We believe that to prevent future violence...
Apr 30, 2020
Some government officials in Sri Lanka have talked of human rights as an outside imposition. The current President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has even said, “as far as I am concerned, democracy and human rights are western values. They are not for us.” But this...
Apr 30, 2020
The LTTE (or ‘Tamil Tigers’) were a brutal organisation that carried out massacres, assassinations, and various acts of ethnic cleansing in the name of carving out an independent Tamil state. Thousands of people – including many civilians as well as government...
Apr 30, 2020
While the war is over, the government of Sri Lanka is yet to take the steps necessary to bring about a just and lasting peace in Sri Lanka. To date, not a single person has been brought to justice for war crimes and crimes against humanity alleged to have been...
