As power cuts hit Sri Lanka, a music festival lights up Colombo and ignites local anger

In the midst of Sri Lanka’s worst financial crisis in living memory, a massive music festival with international acts, pyrotechnics and thousands of people was held in Colombo on Saturday, even as locals endured power cuts and hours-long queues for basic supplies.

The bombing of hospitals – A war crime

As reports of a Russian airstrike on a hospital in Mariupol, Ukraine begin to surface, we take a look at what international law states on the targeting of hospitals and on when they have been hit in Sri Lanka.

In Pictures - Tamil women mark International Women’s Day with protests across island

Protests were held in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, Vavuniya and Colombo today, as International Women’s Day was marked across the island with Tamil women leading demonstrations.

Russia and Belarus rush to Sri Lanka’s defence at UN Human Rights Council

As the United Nations Human Rights Council continued to discuss Sri Lanka today, several member states including the United States and Britain expressed “concerns regarding the continued lack of progress on accountability” for mass atrocities on the island. Whilst many states expressed concern at the situation in Sri Lanka, Colombo did however have some familiar defenders at the global body – including Russia and Belarus. Both states are currently under international scrutiny and widespread sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine. Russia however claimed that Sri Lanka had made “considerable...

What are thermobaric and cluster bombs? A look at their use by the Sri Lankan army

As Russia continues its offensive in Ukraine, it has been accused of launching deadly types of weaponry during its assault – thermobaric and cluster bombs. Both types of weaponry have been used around the world before, including in Sri Lanka. We look back at their deployment by the Sri Lankan military.

UN Human Rights chief reiterates calls for 'targeted sanctions' and prosecutions in new report on Sri Lanka

In a new report, the UN High Commissioner expresses concern over the lack of accountability for human rights violations committed by Sri Lanka and renewed her call to member states to use universal jurisdictions and targeted sanctions against alleged perpetrators of human rights abuses. In her written update, UN High Commissioner, Michelle Bachelet said she “remains concerned about the continued lack of accountability for past human rights violations and recognition of victims’ rights in Sri Lanka, particularly those stemming from the conflict that ended in 2009.” “There has been a further...

British war crimes police arrest man over murder of Tamil journalist in Jaffna

The Metropolitan Police’s War Crimes Team have arrested a 48-year-old man in Britain over the murder of Tamil journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan in Jaffna more than 20 years ago - marking the first time that British authorities have made an arrest over war crimes committed in Sri Lanka.

From Manchester to Colombo – An international struggle for justice in Sri Lanka  

“I was very naive in the beginning,” says Nasser Shaikh. He travelled to Sri Lanka and met with senior government officials after his brother had been brutally murdered. He had hoped for answers and the real truth. “I guess they told me everything, I needed to hear.” Nasser spoke to the Tamil Guardian about his struggle to seek justice that spanned from his hometown of Manchester to Colombo in Sri Lanka.

‘Boycott Chennai Super Kings’ – Fans outraged after Sri Lankan army player joins IPL champions

As the 2022 Indian Premier League auction came to a close this week, controversy erupted after reigning champions Chennai Super Kings purchased Sri Lankan army cricketer Maheesh Theekshana to join the Tamil Nadu-based franchise. The hashtags #Boycott_ChennaiSuperKings and #DontNormaliseTamilGenocide began being shared on social media platforms as new spread of the Sri Lankan Army Corporal joining the team.

Saluting the LTTE? Sri Lankan military features LTTE commandos in Independence Day parade

Sri Lanka’s ‘Independence Day’ parade has drawn attention after it emerged that a military float carrying ‘War Heroes of Sri Lanka’ was adorned with a photograph of LTTE fighters. The float, which was carrying seated fighters from the Sri Lankan military, was given a prominent place in the parade, reportedly carrying “War Heroes”. It has since emerged that the second photograph on the float, seen in the photograph above, is of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) commandos on the battlefield.

Pages