Sri Lanka has a history of conflict, but these attacks are different
5 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka has a history of conflict, but these attacks are different

ABC  

Sri Lanka has long been subject to extremist violence. A history of unrest, but this time is different For many, the bomb blasts immediately recalled Sri Lanka's ethnic civil war. The war was fought between the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam and Sri Lanka's government from 1983 until 2009. Ethnic tensions in Sri Lanka were inflamed by laws that privileged the majority Sinhalese Buddhists over minority Hindu and Muslim Tamils. If NTJ links are proven, or if the more radical elements of the Buddhist community are persuaded by wider speculation, it is likely Sri Lanka's Tamil Muslims will bear the brunt of their reprisals.

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History of this topic

An overturning of Sri Lanka’s old political order
1 month, 3 weeks ago

An overturning of Sri Lanka’s old political order

The Hindu  

The National People’s Power, led by Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has swept the Sri Lankan parliamentary polls with an astounding majority. There is another side to this story: Sri Lanka is Asia’s oldest electoral democracy, with universal suffrage going back to 1931, and its citizenry, in an awesome political swing, have not only given the new government an …

Sri Lankan president's NPP secures majority in parliamentary elections
2 months ago

Sri Lankan president's NPP secures majority in parliamentary elections

New Indian Express  

COLOMBO: The party of Sri Lanka’s new Marxist-leaning President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has won a majority in parliament, according to official election results Friday, providing a solid mandate for his program for economic revival. Dissanayake’s National People’s Power Party won at least 123 of the 225 seats in parliament, according to partial results released by the Elections Commission. The Samagi …

15 years on, the Tamil survivors of Sri Lanka's brutal civil war live in fear — and disempowerment
7 months, 2 weeks ago

15 years on, the Tamil survivors of Sri Lanka's brutal civil war live in fear — and disempowerment

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The former Tamil fighter lost both legs in 2009 …

Watch | 15 years on, justice and economic progress elude Sri Lanka’s Tamils
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Watch | 15 years on, justice and economic progress elude Sri Lanka’s Tamils

The Hindu  

The recent gathering of Sri Lankan Tamils in Mullaivaikkal, brought back traumatic memories of the devastating May 2009 civil war. However, despite the Sri Lankan government declaring it a ‘No Fire Zone’, the military carried out indiscriminate shelling, killing tens of thousands of Tamils. Sri Lanka’s armed forces faced serious allegations of violations of human rights and international law. Fifteen …

India seeks stronger ties with South Asian governments, snubbing ethnic minorities again
11 months, 3 weeks ago

India seeks stronger ties with South Asian governments, snubbing ethnic minorities again

New Indian Express  

Hari Har Jnawali, Wilfrid Laurier University India’s regional politics are shifting. It is seeking to strengthen ties with South Asian ruling elites, including in Nepal and Sri Lanka, while ignoring ongoing ethnic uprisings in those countries in the hopes of securing its geopolitical interests. In 2019, for example, Narendra Modi’s government decided to revoke Jammu and Kashmir’s special status as …

Little to celebrate in Sri Lanka at 75
1 year, 11 months ago

Little to celebrate in Sri Lanka at 75

The Hindu  

Controversy looms over Sri Lanka’s celebration of the 75th anniversary of its Independence, with a question having been raised on whether it is worth wasting Sri Lankan rupees 300 million on this event. The Left critique shared the Sinhala nationalist argument that political independence secured by the local elites was incomplete, arguing that only a socialist republic would ensure full …

Sri Lanka Turmoil: A History of Discrimination That Culminated in the Current Crisis
2 years, 5 months ago

Sri Lanka Turmoil: A History of Discrimination That Culminated in the Current Crisis

The Quint  

Sri Lanka’s crisis is not just about the economy, but a long history of discrimination against minority groups Sri Lanka is in the grip of an economic, political and humanitarian crisis. Wickremesinghe rejected the UN Expert Panel report that outlined Sri Lankan government atrocities against the Tamils. He stated: “India gave us the intelligence but there has been a lapse …

In Sri Lanka, no quiet after the storm
2 years, 6 months ago

In Sri Lanka, no quiet after the storm

The Hindu  

Even after the fall of his official residence and the Presidential Secretariat into the hands of protesting citizens, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa tried to defy the massive public pressure on him to resign. Abolishing Sri Lanka’s much-hated executive presidential system of government through a comprehensive package of political reforms will have to be a priority in the policy agenda …

Ethnic Conflict, Economic Doom: Sri Lanka’s Horrors Set To Grow Bigger?
2 years, 8 months ago

Ethnic Conflict, Economic Doom: Sri Lanka’s Horrors Set To Grow Bigger?

The Quint  

The unceremonious and unprecedentedly violent exit of Sri Lanka Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa could not have come at a worse time, which is already reeling under the twin weight of an economic crisis and the political instability caused by it. The irony at the end of the day is that no one is talking about these two complications, focusing instead …

Sri Lanka crisis: Mahinda supporters attack anti-government protesters, 23 people injured
2 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka crisis: Mahinda supporters attack anti-government protesters, 23 people injured

Firstpost  

Colombo: At least 23 people were injured as supporters of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa on Monday attacked anti-government demonstrators gathered at a protest site near his official residence, prompting police to enforce a curfew in the capital, according to media reports. The violence occurred following reports on Monday that Mahinda Rajapksa may offer to stand down as Prime …

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister resigns after weeks of major protests
2 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka's Prime Minister resigns after weeks of major protests

ABC  

Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa has resigned after weeks of major protests over an economic crisis that has cut off basic services. Key points: The government imposed a state of emergency as protests in Sri Lanka escalated in the past week Dozens of protesters have been admitted to hospital after being attacked by pro-government supporters Sri Lankans have faced …

A chance to hit refresh in Sri Lanka
2 years, 8 months ago

A chance to hit refresh in Sri Lanka

The Hindu  

Having swept to power in a landslide victory in late 2019, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa wasted no time declaring unequivocally that his would be a Sinhalese ethno-nationalist state. But I did not receive the response I anticipated.” Eroding support Less than three years later, Mr. Rajapaksa is as unpopular a head of state as has ever held office in …

What is behind the anti-Muslim measures in Sri Lanka?
3 years, 9 months ago

What is behind the anti-Muslim measures in Sri Lanka?

Al Jazeera  

On March 13, Sarath Weerasekara, Sri Lanka’s minister of public security, announced that the government will ban wearing of the burqa and close more than 1,000 Islamic schools in the country. During their political campaigning after 2015, the Rajapaksas’ new party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, took on a Sinhala supremacist position, accommodating activist monks and anti-Muslim movement stalwarts. When …

Sri Lanka Bans Tamil Remembrance of War Dead After Court Petitions by Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led Govt
4 years, 1 month ago

Sri Lanka Bans Tamil Remembrance of War Dead After Court Petitions by Gotabaya Rajapaksa-led Govt

News 18  

Commemorations for Tamil Tiger rebels killed in Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war were banned on Friday after court petitions by the government of strongman President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. Sri Lanka’s 37-year conflict began in 1972 when Tamil Tigers waged a bloody war against government troops in a campaign for a separate homeland for their ethnic minority group. His government petitioned courts …

Trouble brews in post-election Sri Lanka
5 years, 1 month ago

Trouble brews in post-election Sri Lanka

Al Jazeera  

PhD Candidate at SOAS, University of London and an advisor to People for Equality and Relief in Lanka Two weeks after the election of hardliner Gotabaya Rajapaksa in Sri Lanka, the prospects for justice and reconciliation between the different communities on the island lie in tatters. Gota, who served as defence secretary between 2005 and 2015, stands accused of war …

Sri Lanka bomb blasts: UN expresses alarm over rise in prejudice against minorities, says govt 'shouldn't tolerate' communal violence
5 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka bomb blasts: UN expresses alarm over rise in prejudice against minorities, says govt 'shouldn't tolerate' communal violence

Firstpost  

Sri Lanka officials added that ’the Government needs to give the example that it will not tolerate the spread of prejudice and hate. United Nations: Two top UN officials have voiced alarm over the spate of communal violence in Sri Lanka since the Easter Sunday Bombings, saying the government should ensure that spread of prejudice and hate among groups is …

Sri Lanka bombings: A small town shaken by threat of terror
5 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka bombings: A small town shaken by threat of terror

The Hindu  

“Is the font okay?” a young man at the computer asked M.I. Let’s put up this message on all three gates,” said Mr. Majeed, secretary of the Jumma mosque in Sainthamaruthu, located in the southeastern Ampara district. The moment some people in the locality sensed something suspicious, they alerted the police,” said Abdul Rafeek, a member of the municipal council …

Sri Lanka shakes up top security posts after deadly bombings
5 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka shakes up top security posts after deadly bombings

Associated Press  

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — Sri Lanka’s president shook up the country’s top security establishment after officials failed to act on intelligence reports warning of possible attacks before the Easter bombings that killed over 350 people, his office said Wednesday. The capital of Colombo, meanwhile, remained rattled by reports that police were continuing to conduct controlled detonations of suspicious items three …

Sri Lanka bomb blasts: Islamic State fighters carried out explosions that killed 321 and injured over 500, claim security sources
5 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka bomb blasts: Islamic State fighters carried out explosions that killed 321 and injured over 500, claim security sources

Firstpost  

Security sources claimed that those who carried out the attack that targeted members of the US-led coalition and Christians in Sri Lanka on 21 April are Islamic State group fighters Two days after coordinated bombings at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka claimed at least 321 lives and left over 500 injured, security sources claimed that those who conducted the …

ISIS claims responsibility for Sri Lanka serial bombings
5 years, 8 months ago

ISIS claims responsibility for Sri Lanka serial bombings

Live Mint  

Colombo: Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the terrorist blasts in Sri Lanka, as investigations into Sunday’s coordinated attacks that killed 321 people intensify. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe vowed that Sri Lanka would not allow the attacks to lead to another war, referring to the three-decade civil war that ended in 2009. An internal police memo dated April 11 warned …

Sri Lanka attacks: Could the Government have done more to prevent the blasts?
5 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka attacks: Could the Government have done more to prevent the blasts?

ABC  

CCTV footage has been released, allegedly showing a suicide bomber walking into a church moments before killing Easter Sunday worshippers in Sri Lanka, according to Indian media. Key points: Sri Lanka's Foreign Intelligence Services warns of a suicidal bomb 10 days prior to the attack It is unclear if Sri Lanka's President received, or acted on the warning The country …

The Sri Lanka attacks: New front, old wounds
5 years, 8 months ago

The Sri Lanka attacks: New front, old wounds

Al Jazeera  

The bombings will fuel inter-communal tensions in Sri Lanka, which still struggles with the legacy of its civil war. After 1948, newly independent Sri Lanka embedded a virulent form of Sinhala Buddhist nationalism in the formation of the state. Throughout the war the Sri Lankan military repeatedly bombed churches and Hindu temples sheltering Tamil civilians; in 1995 an air attack …

Sri Lanka bomb blasts updates: UN chief condemns terror attack; three Indian nationals killed, says Sushma Swaraj
5 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka bomb blasts updates: UN chief condemns terror attack; three Indian nationals killed, says Sushma Swaraj

Firstpost  

8:10 PM Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Sri Lanka blast latest updates Parties in Tamil Nadu condemn the blasts in Sri Lanka Political parties in Tamil Nadu condemned the near-simultaneous blasts in Sri Lanka which left over 160 people dead and said Tamil people were also hit in the dastardly explosions. The ruling AIADMK said the blasts have brought indescribable grief and …

Sri Lanka bombing: ‘No one can dry our tears today’
5 years, 8 months ago

Sri Lanka bombing: ‘No one can dry our tears today’

Al Jazeera  

A series of coordinated bombings struck churches and hotels on Easter Sunday killing more than 200 people. Early on Sunday, a series of eight coordinated bomb blasts struck churches and hotels killing more than 200 people and wounding at least 450 people in Sri Lanka. We are all in shock, my kids are scared and we are very worried for …

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