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A cursory look of Pakistani newspapers and television channels clearly tells that violence against children is increasing very rapidly in our society.  Within a last couple of week, the print and electronic media have reported a number of murder and rape cases against children, both boys and girls.  Additionally, some innocent children, even as young […]

Munasinghe Prasadika Sandamani LLB(Col), Attorney at Law Introduction Sri Lanka suffered enormously from the conflict between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) for more than 30 years resulting in economic, civil, political, social and cultural devastation. During the armed conflict a significant growth of continuous displacement resulted in more than a […]

Basil Fernando The President of Sri Lanka has the power to frame charges and to remove the liberty of any citizen. He also has the power to return that freedom whenever he so decides. This has been brought to light in the Sarath Fonseka saga.   Former General Sarath Fonseka and JS Tissainayagam Of course […]

Aamir Khan is a topmost name in India’s film industry. I  am not familiar at all with Indian films in recent times but I know his name, as almost everybody does. I had the opportunity to watch his series Satyamev Jayate (Truth Alone Prevails), available online here: http://www.satyamevjayate.in/broadcast on StarPlus on Sundays. Aamir Khan emerges here as […]

When we consider the daily reports in the electronic media, television, radio and the printed media as well as the many incidents that are brought to our attention it is blatantly clear to see that wives and children are being subjected to many difficulties and remain vulnerable. I have personally handled many cases of victims […]

The following is a comment from a reader to an AHRC Urgent Appeal on the issue of dowry deaths in India. We reproduce this short comment by the reader because it represents the general perception about the police in all South Asian countries in their role in criminal investigations: “Police in maximum measure finds the […]

It is hard to detect and substantiate emotional abuse of female child because of many reasons, including a clear lack of an accepted and consistent definition and least importance of the subject matter in feudal and patriarchal societies.  It is widely recognized that verbal abuse of girl child is much prevalent and occurs in a […]

Nilantha Ilangamuwa I ask no monument, proud and high, To arrest the gaze of the passers-by; All that my yearning spirit craves, Is bury me not in a land of slaves – Frances Harper Read this carefully. Our politicians are not that stupid but maybe we are? You may have different answers: we may debate […]

Basil Fernando “I am expected to take my oaths next year, but now I have to rethink whether an attorney could work according to his or her conscience and seek justice for the aggrieved party giving the extreme political pressures the judicial process is subjected to in this country. There has to be a serious […]

An analysis of ongoing “abduction blueprint” in Sri Lanka JC Weliamuna* In a country that has achieved so much in literacy, education and social development, is it not indeed unfortunate that “White Van” has frightened the entire nation? Appearance of a white van assures a disappearance of some one.  If you Google or do any […]

Basil Fernando A few preliminary remarks At the very outset it is necessary to place the problem of criminal justice reforms in SouthAsian countries in its actual context. The existing criminal justice systems are in serious crisis and this needs to be the starting point when we discuss this matter from the point of view […]

A President of one of the two counties almost perennially at war with each other visiting the other, what on the face of mother earth makes news that gets bigger than this? The fact that this is a President on Pilgrimage, and not on another diplomatic mission infused with dry details of that elusive thaw […]

Nilantha Ilangamuwa  Let each man say what he deems truth, and let truth itself be commended unto God! – Gotthold Ephraim Lessing The traditional New Year 2012 (Buddhist Era 2555/2556), which was celebrated last week, has been brought to the people through the broken window of the White Van, which symbolizes the machinery of the […]

Let him, though suffering in consequence of his righteousness, never turn his heart to unrighteousness; for he will see the speedy overthrow of unrighteous, wicked men. — The Laws of Manu I recall my experience some time ago at the University of Peradeniya, where I had an interview for the newspaper I was working with […]

By Amir Murtaza The International Day for Street Children was celebrated for the first time on April 12, 2011.  The success of the International Day for Street Children 2011 has provided a platform to discuss and deliberate the issues of millions these vulnerable children, all around the world including Pakistan.  The International Day for Street […]

By Nilantha Ilangamuwa  Directions and instructions are determinations of action which have an influence upon a number of minor circumstances too numerous and unimportant for general laws. — Carl von Clausewitz  A new chapter of politics is emerging in Sri Lanka after the UN resolution adopted at the 19th session of the UNHRC in Geneva. […]

Nilantha Ilangamuwa “Hope is the only good that is common to all men; those who have nothing else possess hope still” – Thales of Miletus The Government of Sri Lanka announced just three days after the UN resolution on Sri Lanka, adopted at the 19th session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva that it […]

Nilantha Ilangamuwa “Those whom God wishes to destroy, he first deprives of their senses.” – Euripides The government has about an year to improve governance in terms of human rights, instead of selling racial nihilism and isolating itself from the world and the people. Next March (2013 March) the High Commissioner for Human Rights would […]

By Qurat Mirza I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; “and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.” […]

By Nilantha Ilangamuwa Our lives are spinning out from world to world; the shapes of things are shifting in the wind. What do we know beyond the rapture and the dread?- Stanley Kunitz* “They finished off my husband after two days of torture, and then took me to Hambantota where a number of women were […]