OPINION

Opinion

Latest news from and about the homeland

The Sri Lanka Air Force's upgraded Kfir C12 during its first test flight at SLAF Base Katunayake on 11 June. Photograph: Sri Lanka Air Force On 11 June, the Sri Lanka Air Force conducted the first test flight of an upgraded Kfir C12 fighter at its Katunayake base, presenting the flight as a military milestone. The aircraft is one of five being rebuilt — four C2 and C7 jets plus a TC2 trainer…

The ‘Eternal Lamp’ protest in Chemmani for justice on mass graves and the disappeared

To dispel the darkness surrounding the Chemmani mass graves and demand international justice for enforced disappearances, the “Anaiya Vilakku” (Eternal Lamp) protest was held in Chemmani, Jaffna. Organized by the volunteer youth collective “Makkal Seyal” (People’s Action), this protest took place on June 23, 24, and 25. It drew participation from families of the disappeared, religious leaders, university students, civil society representatives, politicians, and large numbers of the general public. 

The problem with ‘Tourist Family’ and Kollywood’s whitewashing

The film, like so many other Kollywood films that have approached the Eelam Tamil story before it, falls disappointingly short.

UN visit to Sri Lanka: Empty diplomacy or breakthrough for survivors?

As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, prepares to visit Sri Lanka this month, the question is not what Tamil survivors will say — they have been saying it for over a decade. The question is whether the High Commissioner and the United Nations will listen and act.

Why citing Sri Lanka to justify Gaza is strategically and legally dangerous

On 21 May 2025, The Jerusalem Post published an interview with Israeli security expert Moshe Elad. He claimed that Sri Lanka’s military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009 offers a model for eliminating Hamas. “Sri Lanka did it without a Supreme Court or B’Tselem,” he said. The subtext was clear: Israel should replicate the same path, minus legal oversight, to achieve total victory.

The world let Sri Lanka get away with genocide and Gaza is the consequence

The genocide unfolding in Gaza today has shocked the world, but it should not come as a surprise. It follows a now-familiar playbook.

Why the Tamil genocide monument matters - and why we need more

Last month in Brampton, Canada, hundreds gathered as a new Tamil genocide monument was officially unveiled. It was an act of remembrance that resonated not only with the Tamil diaspora but with justice seekers across the world.

One island, two days of remembrance

Sixteen years on, the island of Sri Lanka remains divided, between the victors and the vanquished.

Sri Lanka’s economic ‘recovery’ unravels as reserves shrink

In April 2025, Sri Lanka’s foreign exchange reserves fell by 3%, slipping from the previous month $6.53 billion to $6.32 billion, according to data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. The $210 million decline, despite the ongoing IMF-supported programme, highlights persistent vulnerabilities in the country’s post-crisis recovery trajectory.

From Visionary to Bystander: How ITAK has forgotten its historic roots

Ilankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK), the largest Tamil party in Sri Lanka and once a pioneer of Tamil nationalism in the first decades after the independence of Ceylon, has strayed far from its historic mission.