What happened during the war in Sri Lanka?

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...

Why does this still matter?

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...

Isn’t this just modern-day imperialism?

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...