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The following interview originally appeared in the latest issue of the Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives. Norman Finkelstein is an American scholar, political activist, and author. He is an expert on the Israel-Palestine Conflict, the politics of the Holocaust, and the life and beliefs of Mahatma Gandhi. He earned his Ph.D in Political Science from Princeton University […]

The following review was written by Ms. Cheryl Welsh to summarise the paper published by Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives in its latest issue. Cheryl Welsh Since the 1950s, allegations of government mind control weapons (now called neuroweapons) and nonconsensual human experimentation and targeting have been dismissed as science fiction. However, with a closer look […]

“Badness Cannot Drive Out Badness” The following article will appear as the editorial of the forthcoming issue of ‘Torture: Asian and Global Perspectives’, a bi-monthly magazine published by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), based in Hong Kong and the Danish Institute Against Torture (DIGNITY) based in Denmark. Nilantha Ilangamuwa “Injustice anywhere is a threat […]

By Dr. Leonard Pinto In recent years the History of Sri Lanka has become an important subject, not only because it is in school curriculum, but also because it has been used to shape politics and justify the ethno-religious basis for State policies. Sri Lankan history has been rewritten, amplifying Portuguese atrocities, making authoritative claims […]

एक अच्छा शासन व्यावस्था का सूचक है व्यवस्था में समाज की हिस्सेदारी; इस हिस्सेदारी का मतलब यह अहसास बनाए रखना है कि राज्य समाज से ऊपर नहीं है. सत्ता में लोगों की सहभागिता की वकालत करते समय हम मानते हैं कि समाज को किसी भी गलत व्यवहार के खिलाफ निर्णय लेने का अधिकार भी होगा. […]

The brutal rape of a five-year-old girl in Lahore last week has literally shocked the country, from the officials in the highest office down to the ordinary citizen in the street. The tragic incident has sparked a nationwide debate and outcry against the lack of a safety mechanism in the country for women and children. […]

We need to define the concepts of multiculturalism, uniculturalism and monoculturalism before entering into a debate on their application, practice and future direction in Sri Lanka. Multiculturalism refers to that trend in the society where the different cultures are made inclusive, tolerated and accommodated, and these trends are institutionalised in legislation to respect other cultures. […]

By Avinash Pandey Ayodhya was in news, for all the wrong reasons, again. Vishva Hindu Parishad, that venomous organization with equal hatred for the minorities and the nation, had tried to infiltrate into Ayodhya yet again. They were stopped by the state government. It was a game well played. A communal organization has attempted to […]

हम सब अखबार में पढ़ रहे हैं कि शेयर बाज़ार गिर रहा है, रूपया गिर रहा है, निर्यात घट रहा है, विदेशी मुद्रा का भण्डार खाली हो रहा है; मैं थोडा नासमझ हूँ. मेरा सवाल यह है कि पिछले २२ सालों में हमने जो विकास किया, अपने जो संसाधन विकास के नाम पर लुटाए, कारपोरेटों […]

A response to Dr. Mark Cooray’s defence of the impeachment of the Chief Justice (This article initially appeared in GALLE –Law Journal- 2013 Vol. 2) “We have every reason to be proud of the fact that our judicial system has been adopted in so many different parts of the world. At the heart of it is […]

अगर आप यह सोच रहे हैं कि रूपए की गिरती कीमत और अर्थव्यवस्था के संकट से अपने को क्या लेनदा-देना, तो आप गलत सोच रहे हैं. इससे पेट्रोल-डीज़ल मंहगा होगा, आयात होने वाला बना या कच्चा माला मंहगा होगा, सरकार को अपने द्वारा लिए गए कर्जे पर ज्यादा ब्याज देना पड़ेगा और इन सबसे अपना […]

तमाम अटकलों को दरकिनार करते हुए अंततः खाद्य सुरक्षा बिल लोकसभा में पास हो ही गया | खाद्य सुरक्षा को कानूनी अधिकार बनाने की दिशा में एक कदम और आगे की ओर बढ़ा | विपक्ष की नेता सुषमा स्वराज ने सरकार को इस बिल को लाने के लिए बधाई देते हुए कहा कि यह हमारी […]

Kishali Pinto-Jayawardena*, Gehan Gunatilleke** & Prameetha Abeywickreme*** Originally published in the LST Review, Volume 23, Issue 306 & 307, April & May 2013 Introduction The Nature of Impunity Those who abuse power almost invariably enjoy the power to abuse. Impunity is both a corollary of power and a tool for power retention; a phenomenon that, by […]

This article was initially published in LST Review- Vol.306 and 307 in May 2013 1. Introductory Remarks “We have every reason to be proud of the fact that our judicial system has been adopted in so many different parts of the world. At the heart of it is fairness to everyone who holds views with which […]

by Basil Fernando Within just a few days of the announcement of the new ministry, the Ministry of Law and Order, a rather unusual level of interest has emerged, judging by the many articles that have appeared in response to the government’s move. Though such quick responses are unusual, they are not surprising. If anyone […]

By Basil Fernando There is nothing in a name, of course. A thing cannot be made sweet-smelling or foul-smelling merely by changing its name. However, sometimes a name can indicate a new direction, a new policy. As far as responding to the present state of nationwide unhappiness and frustration on the law enforcement, if there […]

Chutka has reminded the political masters once again that the tribal and marginalized communities have stopped bowing down to their whims and fancies. The confidence of the communities fighting the nuclear power plant in Chutka (Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh) was bolstered by immense public support for the struggle. The government’s optimism about nuclear power is […]

Review of Narrative of Justice: told through stories of torture victims, 400 cases of torture from Sri Lanka, By Basil Fernando, published in 2013 by the Asian Human Rights Commission. My first impression was that I was overwhelmed because of the sheer number of cases and the diversity of the ways in which people were […]

Review of Narrative of Justice: told through stories of torture victims, 400 cases of torture from Sri Lanka, By Basil Fernando, published in 2013 by the Asian Human Rights Commission. My first impression was that I was overwhelmed because of the sheer number of cases and the diversity of the ways in which people were […]

चुटका परमाणु विद्युत परियोजना को लेकर सरकारी महकमे, सम्बंधित कंपनी, उसके कर्मचारी और कथित रूप से पढ़ा-लिखा एक वर्ग जानना चाहता है कि सिरफिरे आदिवासी आखिर विकास क्यों नहीं चाहते? रोजगार और विकास की आने वाली बाढ़ की अनदेखी कर ये अपने अपने पैरों पर ही कुल्हाड़ी क्यों मारना चाहते हैं? भारत सरकार और जनप्रतिनिधियों […]