Archive for 2016
Sri Lanka should not obstruct Tamil commemorations of Maaveerar Naal
Sri Lanka should not obstruct Tamil commemorations of Maaveerar Naal (Washington, DC; November 22, 2016) PEARL is deeply concerned about a statement attributed to Sri Lanka’s State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene, who threatened legal actions against those commemorating Maaveerar Naal on November 27. Annually, Tamils around the world observe Maaveerar Naal, or…
Read MoreErasing the Past: New Report Documents Repression of Memorialization in North-East Sri Lanka
PEARL’s latest report examines government obstruction of memorialization among Tamils in the North-East (Washington, DC; November 1, 2016) PEARL’s new report, “Erasing the Past: Repression of Memorialization in North-East Sri Lanka,” documents the government’s constraints on remembrance among Tamils in the North-East of Sri Lanka. Efforts by victims and survivors to commemorate the past are…
Read MoreTamils Need Recognition and Justice for All Atrocities Since Black July 1983
(Washington, DC: July 25, 2016) This week, the 33rd anniversary of “Black July,” is marked by Eelam Tamils across the world. In July 1983, thousands of Tamils were killed by state-backed Sinhalese mobs in a series of violent pogroms and riots. The deliberate, pre-planned and state-sanctioned violence devastated the Tamil people across the island, sparking…
Read MoreInternational Community Must Keep a Critical Eye Over Sri Lanka’s Reform Process, Amidst Ongoing Militarization and Human Rights Violations
(Washington, DC: June 30, 2016) PEARL welcomes the oral update from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Sri Lanka’s progress in implementing Resolution 30/1. The work of OHCHR has been a source of hope and a focal point for Tamil victims and activists on the ground. However, in the…
Read MorePEARL panel: Justice and Peace in Sri Lanka – Possibilities and Risks
PEARL held a panel discussion entitled Justice and Peace in Sri Lanka – Possibilities and Risks, last Wednesday in Washington DC. Speakers included Kara Bue of Armitage International, Lisa Curtis from The Heritage Foundation, Alan Keenan of the International Crisis Group and Sutha Nadarajah, Assistant Professor at the School of Oriental and African…
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