Photo courtesy of UNOPS
Pressure on the government is growing in the run-up to a United Nations Human Rights Council session in February-March 2021. People in Sri Lanka, diaspora members, human rights activists and officials and politicians internationally have been calling for action on past and present abuses. This has intensified in the month before the 46
th regular session of the UNHRC is due to begin on 22 February. The government withdrew from a previous deal and tough measures will be urged.
Criticism of the regime has been stoked by its unwillingness to make even token efforts on human rights, although leaders seem divided over this hard-line approach. Undermining of democracy, mistreatment of minorities and unwillingness to accept that it is accountable for what it does to those in its power have alienated some who might have been willing to seek consensus on next steps. It may perhaps intend, during the session, to announce some concessions on current abuses in the hope
Tamils and Muslims, divided by Tiger extremism, were brought together by Rajapaksa extremism
For the Rajapaksas, the minorities are aliens, permanent guests who will be allowed to live on sufferance, and on terms of manifest and submissive inequality. A case in point is the strangely similar genesis of the National Anthem and burial issues.
The Army Commander laid the foundation stone for a temple complex in Kankasanturai, Tissa Raja Maha Viharaya, named after King Devanampiyatissa. The construction of the 100-foot chaithya will be handled by the Army.
The National Anthem in Tamil was banished from Independence Day celebrations for the second successive year. President Gotabaya used his Independence Day speech to parade his Sinhala-Buddhist credentials.
”Law may say sing National Anthem in two languages but we will sing ONLY in Sinhaha” says Defence Secretary
”Law may say sing National Anthem in two languages but we will sing ONLY in Sinhaha” says Defence Secretary
But shouldn’t the National Anthem be sung in Tamil too, according to the Constitution of Sri Lanka?
A: That I don’t know. No point in talking about our Constitution because it was changed 20 times.
If you refer to the flag saying it should be the original flag that is in the Constitution. Then why not also sing the National Anthem in Tamil as it is also mentioned in the Constitution?