Search Results for: sri lanka

Peter Russell was a leading Canadian scholar of constitutional law who taught at the University of Toronto from 1958 to 1997.  Numerous Canadian Supreme Court judges have read and cited his work in their rulings. Professor Russell passed away on January 10, leaving behind an enormously rich academic legacy. Known for his openness, Peter Russell [...]

Sri Lanka elected Anura Kumara Dissanayake as its new president on September 21, marking the first time in the country’s history that a candidate outside the two major political parties has won the presidency. Dissanayake, representing the National People’s Power (NPP) coalition, defeated candidates from the long-dominant United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom [...]

Kagusthan Ariaratnam, a former child soldier turned defense analyst, speaks with JURIST about his new memoir Spy Tiger: The 05 File. The book, co-written with Michael Bramadat-Willcock, details Ariaratnam’s experiences during the Sri Lankan civil war (1983-2009). Forcibly recruited by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) as a youth, Ariaratnam later became an informant [...]

The United Nations Human Rights Office said on Thursday that basic freedoms in Sri Lanka were under threat as the nation prepares to elect a new president in September. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published a comprehensive report on the growing human rights concerns and erosion of democratic [...]

Human Rights Watch reported on Sunday that Sri Lankan authorities are repressing Hindus as well as other religious minorities, calling for a renewed UN resolution in an attempt to counter the oppressive actions of the government. According to the report, authorities in Sri Lanka are denying Hindus and other religious minorities access to places of [...]

Known for his pivotal role in international election monitoring, constitutional reform, and efforts to resolve Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, Tiruchelvam’s legacy continues to inspire. His tragic death on July 29th, 1999, a consequence of his dedication to democratic solutions, marked a significant loss to the pursuit of justice and inclusivity. This article celebrates his enduring [...]

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Monday ordered Former President Maithripala Sirisena to compensate the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks before August 30, 2024, according to local media. In January 2023, Sirisena was found guilty in a case related to the attacks and was ordered to pay Rs. 100 million as compensation to the [...]

The Sri Lanka Navy arrested 22 Indian fishermen on Saturday for alleged illegal fishing in the island nation’s waters and seized three fishing vessels. The fishermen were arrested from the North Sea near Delft Islands during a search operation conducted on Saturday night. Navy Spokesperson Captain Gayan Wickramasuriya said that the arrested fishermen would be [...]

Last month marked 15 years since the end of the civil war between the Sri Lankan State and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) — a brutal conflict that spanned three decades and is estimated to have claimed between 70,000 and 100,000 lives. The country has hosted a series of events aimed at memorializing [...]

The Indian government has asked the Russian government to return the Indian citizens recruited by its army on Tuesday, with foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra confirming the request on Wednesday. This follows the death of two Indian citizens in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, as announced by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday. The Indian embassy [...]