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Indian Express
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
In Sri Lanka, a divided national memory of a brutal civil war
Written by Saurabh Sixteen years after the end of the decades-long civil war, Sri Lanka observed a period of remembrance on May 19. The annual commemoration honours the thousands of Sri Lankan military personnel who died during the conflict that drew to a close on May 18, 2009, following the death of Velupillai Prabhakaran, the leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Speaking at the 16th War Heroes' Commemoration Ceremony in Battaramulla, Sri Lanka's President Anura Kumara Dissanayake said this commemoration is not merely a remembrance of the war's conclusion, but also a pledge to unite all communities — Sinhala, Tamil, Muslim, Burgher, and Malay — in building a nation rooted in brotherhood and harmony, rather than allowing divisions to reignite. Further, the President denounced the exploitation of ethnic tensions for political gain, stating that divisions were deliberately manufactured in the past to seize and sustain power. However, many Sri Lankan Tamils observed Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day on May 18 to mourn the thousands of Tamil civilians who lost their lives. Tamil diaspora communities around the world also held their own remembrance events, reiterating calls for justice, accountability, and a lasting political solution. Relatives of the victims have steadfastly called for accountability regarding the deaths of civilians, estimated at 40,000 by the United Nations, during the concluding conflict in Mullivaikkal, as well as the forced disappearance of numerous individuals, including those who surrendered to the military. Sri Lanka's civil war continues to deeply shape the nation's political landscape, social fabric, and quest for lasting peace and reconciliation in 2025. A major ongoing issue is the continued division surrounding remembrance and historical narratives. The government's commemoration of National War Heroes stands in contrast to the solemn observance of Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day. This divergence highlights the differing perspectives on the conflict's end and the ongoing struggle for a shared national memory that acknowledges the suffering of all communities. The critical issue of accountability and justice for wartime atrocities remains a point of contention. Despite reports by the United Nations detailing credible allegations of war crimes committed by both state forces and the LTTE, domestic mechanisms for accountability have been widely criticised as insufficient and lacking independence. Even after 16 years, victim families, particularly within the Tamil community, continue their long-standing calls for credible investigations and prosecutions. Canada has designated May 18 as Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day and also inaugurated the Tamil Genocide Monument in Brampton. It has endorsed independent international initiatives aimed at achieving accountability. In response, Sri Lanka has expressed its 'strong objections', arguing that such measures 'complicate and undermine' the government's endeavours for reconciliation and national unity. For India, the human cost of the Sri Lankan conflict was officially recognised in April this year when Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute at the Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) Memorial in Sri Lanka. This event honoured the Indian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during India's intervention in the conflict in the late 1980s, underscoring India's long-standing historical and humanitarian connection to the Sri Lankan civil war. India has consistently advocated for the full implementation of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution, which proposes devolution of power to provincial councils, as a means to address Tamil political aspirations. Prime Minister Modi reportedly reiterated this stance and emphasised the importance of holding provincial council elections to ensure greater political representation for the Tamil community. Meanwhile, many in Tamil Nadu too marked Mullivaikkal Remembrance Day. The emotional observances in the state highlight the deep linguistic, cultural, and familial ties with Sri Lankan Tamils and the enduring impact of the conflict on the Indian Tamil population and their continued solidarity with their kin across the Palk Strait. The contrasting nature of these commemorations underscores the ongoing process of healing and reconciliation in Sri Lanka. While the government's focus remains on honouring the armed forces and the restoration of peace, the Tamil community's remembrance highlights the urgent need to address the loss of civilian lives and the enduring impact of the war on their community. It demonstrates that while the fighting has ended, the journey towards a shared understanding of the past and a unified future for all Sri Lankans continues to be a complex and sensitive undertaking. The calls for truth and justice, particularly concerning alleged human rights violations during the war, remain a significant aspect of the remembrance for many. The writer is associate professor, Centre for South Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
The Hindu
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Sri Lankan actor Malini Fonseka dies
Renowned Sri Lankan actor Malini Fonseka — who played the female lead in the Tamil film 'Pilot Premnath' [1978] starring Sivaji Ganesan — passed away in Colombo on Saturday (May 24, 2025). She was 78. Having begun her acting career in the early 1960s in Sinhala theatre, Ms. Fonseka went on to become a sought-after artiste and film star, winning several awards. She became familiar to Indian audiences with her role in 'Pilot Premnath', a joint Indo-Sri Lankan production directed by A.C. Trilokachander, which was filmed across many scenic locations on the island. In a 2023 piece on actor Sivaji Ganesan, senior journalist D.B.S. Jeyaraj pointed to the lively song 'Udarata Menike' in the film, sung by L.R. Easwari and A.E. Manoharan, based on Sri Lanka's popular musical form 'Baila'. The film was a hit in both countries. Ms. Fonseka was also a Member of Parliament representing President Mahinda Rajapaksa's alliance from 2010 to 2015, through the 'National List', which allots seats to political parties based on their share of votes as per Sri Lanka's proportional representation system. She remained a staunch supporter of Mr. Rajapaksa. Years after the end of the civil war, Ms. Fonseka, along with other top Sri Lankan actors, invited their counterparts in Tamil Nadu to visit Sri Lanka and assess the post-war situation, when the South Indian Artistes Association observed a fast in support of the Sri Lankan Tamil cause. 'The Sri Lankan film industry has borrowed many ideas, techniques and technicians from Tamil Nadu. The two film industries have had a very friendly and positive relationship from the 1950s onwards. We want that to continue,' Ms. Fonseka told The Hindu in 2013. 'It was a delight working with Sivaji Ganesan,' she said. In 2019, Ms. Fonseka inaugurated the Women's International Film Fest organised by Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA) at St. Teresa's College in Kochi, and called for greater collaboration between technicians from India and Sri Lanka. Ms. Fonseka's final rites would be held with state honours on Monday, authorities announced.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
In Sri Lanka, Dissanayake's Honeymoon Period Might Be Running Out
JAFFNA, Sri Lanka—It's been a busy few months at the polls for Sri Lanka, which recently capped off its third set of elections in under eight months, capped by local elections held on May 6. The voting determined the makeup of local councils across the island, and the outcomes signaled that while President Anura Kumara Dissanayake continues to enjoy popular support, his honeymoon period may be nearing its end. The series of polls began last September, when Dissanayake—popularly known as AKD—swept to power on a lasting wave of discontent following the collapse of Sri Lanka's economy in 2022. That crisis saw the country default on its international debt amid soaring cost-of-living conditions and a currency collapse, leading to public protests that unseated then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. As the longtime leader of the traditionally marginalized leftist party Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, or JVP, Dissanayake was perceived as a political outsider, positioning him well in the runup to the first presidential election since the 2022 protests, known as the Aragalaya movement. His JVP-led National People's Power, or NPP, alliance subsequently earned a supermajority in November's parliamentary elections, winning 159 seats out of 225 on 62 percent of the vote. In the local elections held earlier this month, the NPP still won the largest vote share, taking over councils in the Sinhala heartlands and upcountry areas. But it fell to 43 percent overall, raising the question of where Dissanayake's NPP government stands after six months in power. To get more in-depth news and expert analysis on global affairs from WPR, sign up for our free Daily Review newsletter. According to Nishan De Mel, executive director of Verité Research in Colombo, the local election outcomes reflects 'a slight cooling of sentiment' toward the government. 'Not that people have become oppositional or turned against it,' he added, describing the shift instead as a slowly building impatience. De Mel acknowledged that the NPP had 'reaffirmed its mandate' in the polls, but the fact that it had lost some of its vote share to the four opposition parties meant that it wasn't as resounding a victory as in the general election. The shift was most notable in the Tamil-majority Northern province, where most councils saw Tamil parties winning the largest vote share and shutting the NPP out of local governments. Upon taking over in November, Dissanayake's NPP government inherited many daunting challenges, primarily the task of repairing Sri Lanka's economy. Following two consecutive years of contraction, the economy grew 4.6 percent in 2024. While presenting the budget for 2025, Dissanayake said the economy is expected to grow a further 5 percent this year. However, little has changed for the poorest in the country, who drove the Aragalaya protests that ousted Rajapaksa in 2022 and have been most affected by the economic collapse. Though Dissanayake's government has attempted to ease the pressure by increasing minimum wages in the public and private sectors, the cost of living remains extremely high. An April 2025 report by the World Bank stated that although poverty was forecast to decline by 1.8 percent over the course of the year, a third of Sri Lankans were 'living in poverty or one shock away from falling back into it.' The report also highlighted an increase in malnutrition in 2024. Ahead of the September presidential election, Dissanayake promised to renegotiate Sri Lanka's bailout agreement with the International Monetary Fund, which has led to punishing austerity measures, including a hike in fuel and electricity prices. But he reneged on that promise after the parliamentary elections, saying the economy was 'in such a state that it cannot take the slightest shock.' A further increase in electricity rates is thought to be on the agenda in the next few months, according to local media. For Ahilan Kadirgamar, a lecturer at the University of Jaffna, the conditions of the IMF bailout agreement are not sustainable. 'The sooner they come out of it, the better it would be,' he told WPR. Kadirgamar said the IMF program's austerity measures were 'counterproductive' for Sri Lanka and that 'the burden is being borne by the working people and the marginalized sections of society.' He also dismissed the celebratory coverage of the country's economic growth, pointing out that it was 'starting from an extremely low base.' However, not everyone agrees. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, described Dissanayake's U-turn as 'a very pragmatic decision' taken by 'a very pragmatic politician.' Staying within the IMF framework, Saravanamuttu added, allowed him and the NPP to avoid 'political turmoil in the country when they came into office.' Saravanamuttu nevertheless criticized the NPP for being slow to act on some of its other electoral promises, particularly repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act, a controversial law often historically used to arrest dissidents. Not only has the government taken no steps to do so, but arrests have continued under its tenure. Saravanamuttu credited the government with having taken positive action to combat corruption, but added that 'they need to do the actual tangible policy reform that they promised.' In the meantime, he told WPR, 'there is a creeping disillusionment with regard to the way that the government is operating. And the JVP has to do something fast to stem that.' Dissanayake also courted controversy in the runup to the local elections, with allegations lodged by opposition parties that he had threatened to withhold government funding from 'corrupt' local councils. The insinuation was that only NPP-led councils could be trusted. De Mel said that he did not believe the NPP would prevent disbursements to councils led by other parties, but rather that Dissanayake was emphasizing the NPP's anti-corruption stance. De Mel added that the NPP may have over-promised on the timeline and scope of its plans for its parliamentary term, but that 'the challenge for the government is that they must convince the people that these adjustments to their positions are reasonable.' Comparing the NPP's first six months in power to the 2015 government of former President Maithripala Sirisena, who similarly represented a landmark shift away from the Rajapaksa political dynasty when he came to power, De Mel said the NPP had achieved comparatively less. 'In that period, even without having a parliamentary majority, that change in presidency brought much more rapid structural changes in governance than what we have seen in the current government in the first six months,' De Mel told WPR. He added, however, that the need to prepare for the rapid succession of elections had left the NPP government with less time to deliver. Dissanayake's NPP government will also have many challenges ahead on the foreign policy front, particularly when it comes to charting its relationship with China, navigating increased tensions between India and Pakistan, and riding out the tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. All of these will have implications on the economic front, particularly the latter. 'This could mean increased unemployment or lowered levels of production or cost-cutting that could affect workers,' Kadirgamar said of the tariffs' impact. 'So we're looking at really choppy times ahead. And for all of this, the NPP really needs a plan, including for how they want to deal with the IMF program, because that's not helping at all.' Kadirgamar said progressive policies like a wealth tax and land redistribution, among others, would be positive steps for the NPP, while Saravanamuttu said an increased focus on digitalization as well as reforms of the public sector and state-owned enterprises were needed. The government will also need to interrogate its relationship with Tamil voters given its performance in the local government elections, although De Mel said this could partly be put down to a different dynamic at play, with people more likely to vote at the local level for parties and candidates they knew. However, given the JVP's history of Sinhala nationalism, it will be important for Dissanayake to build trust with Tamil voters, especially given his government's unwillingness to promise the devolved powers long sought by the Tamil regions. Above all, however, the NPP's mandate to tackle corruption will remain the primary barometer by which its performance will be measured going forward. To succeed on this front, De Mel said, the government will need to understand and 'neutralize' the workings of the 'deep state' that has driven corruption across successive previous governments. In one way or another, the NPP will have to show results soon, as in a post-Aragalaya political landscape, there is far less room for Sri Lankan politicians to maneuver their way out of tricky situations and failed promises. If Dissanayake's electoral successes have shown anything, it is that people are hungry for change. But this month's local election results made it clear that political goodwill does not last forever. Dissanayake and the NPP government know that, had it not been for the failings of their predecessors, they would not be in power today. The flip side of that coin remains that, if they fail to deliver, they could quickly find themselves back on the outside. Jeevan Ravindran is a journalist and researcher based between London and Jaffna, focusing on human rights. She has worked extensively with Reuters and CNN, and most recently as a researcher at Amnesty International, focusing on Malaiyaha Tamils. The post In Sri Lanka, Dissanayake's Honeymoon Period Might Be Running Out appeared first on World Politics Review.
Listly
20-05-2025
- Listly
5 Seasonal Travel Tips & Weather Insights: Best Time to Visit Bentota
Timing your visit with local festivals can provide a richer, more immersive travel experience. April, for example, brings Sinhala and Tamil New Year, an important cultural event featuring traditional games, food, and rituals. While some businesses may close briefly for celebrations, the atmosphere is festive and inviting. Similarly, the months of December and January host a number of religious and cultural observances, often accompanied by local fairs and processions. The combination of cultural vibrancy and temperate weather during these months offers a multi-dimensional travel experience that goes beyond the beach.
The Print
18-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Sri Lanka marks 16th anniversary of victory over Tamil separatist movement of LTTE
The grieving relatives of Tamil civilians gathered at the site of the final battle at Mullaivaikkal in the northeastern Mullaithivu district. On 18 May 2009, the Sri Lankan Army declared victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which for three decades had run a parallel administration in the northern and eastern part of the country in their quest to set up a separate Tamil homeland. Colombo, May 18 (PTI) Sunday marked the 16th anniversary of the Sri Lankan military victory over the Tamil separatist movement of the LTTE. Several hundreds of them gathered at the site lighting lamps in their memory calling it the 'Tamil Genocide Day'. In the capital Colombo at the Tamil-dominated city ward, a small ceremony was held amidst demonstration by a small number of Sinhala majority protesters. The state ceremony to pay tribute to government troops will take place at the war hero memorial near parliament here on Monday at 4 pm local time. President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who was initially to skip the ceremony, will take part, his office said. Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa in a statement said all those who had sacrificed their lives for the victory need commemorating. Some 27,000 troops lost their lives over the three decades out of which over 6,200 soldiers and 22,000 LTTE cadres died in the final phase which began in July 2006. Indian Peace Keeping force, which was deployed as India's direct intervention in the Sri Lankan conflict between 1987-1990, saw over 1,100 Indian soldiers dying and over 3000 injured. PTI CORR GSP GSP This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
