How to Improve Back to School Programme in Sri Lanka

Back to school programme which is also known as the catch-up programme is a great initiative by the Government of Sri Lanka to implement the Compulsory Education Policy. Yet back to school programme has not been able to yield the expected results.

Literacy Rates of Sri Lanka Do Not Reflect Quality of Education

Education is a key factor that contributes towards shaping the future generation of the country. Education does not mean the literacy rates we have achieved. Education should be the means to develop the total personality of young generation which should include initiative, creativity, discipline, team spirit, cultural values, religious values, respect and tolerance for others.

Sri Lanka boast of 92% literacy rate, 98% of the population completing primary education and 88% of the population completing secondary education in 2007 according to the 2009 Human Development Report. Yet the issues of unemployment, youth unrest, civil violence and poverty level of the country indicates that the country has not been able to deliver quality education that contributes towards total personality development.

Children are the Innocent Victims of a Divorce

Today, sitting in the courts for a final verdict of my divorce case I was feeling terrible. My throat is dry and heart is beating fast. I am feeling extremely guilty. It is not because of a failed marriage or social stigmatisation associated with being a divorced woman but because of making my son an innocent victim of divorce. Now it is too late to reverse the decision. Me and my ex-husband have made a grave mistake. Here I am sharing my mistake with you all as I don’t want any other child to be denied the right to fully enjoy family life due to mistakes parents make without proper foresight.

Why is the nuclear family important? Can a single parent fulfil the role of both parents? How can we prevent children being innocent victims of a divorce? How a Single Parent could contribute towards protecting the right to family life of the child are some of the issues addressed in this article.

Does all Children have Equal Access to Education in Sri Lanka?

Sri Lanka boasts about the free education system in the country and high levels of literacy rates. No doubt they are great achievements. It is not only free access to education institutions including Universities that have contributed towards achievement of high levels in the Human Development Index, free text books, free uniforms, free mid-day meal for children in primary school, IT facilities and recreation facilities in schools, catch up classes are some of the initiatives to promote free quality education that we should appreciate.

Yet, does this education system ensure equal access to education for all children?

Implementing National Action Plan for Reconciliation is a Need of the Hour

After four years of hard work, investments of millions of rupees in consultations Triple R, Reconciliation unit came up with a comprehensive Nationl Action Plan on Reconciliation in 2004. Yet as a result of the change of Government, this report was never utilized. Now after a war situation it is necessary to implement strong programmes on reconciliation in order to maintain sustainable peace in the country, to address grievances of the persons affected by the war and to bring about justice to the injustice caused during the war time. The report is public property. It is recommended that the Government consider the recommendations and implementation strategy that have been recommended in the report and strengthen the reconciliation process in the country.

A Web Platform for Child Rights Activists

Child Rights in Practice: Bringing Child Rights to Life is a great resource for all child rights activists. Through this user friendly, interactive web portal you can join or develop your own group on child rights, join forums, share videos, photos, events, news, chat and develop networks.

Child rights activists, check out this portal, join and contribute towards promoting and protecting child rights…. http://www.childrightsinpractice.org/

Sri Lankan’s Web-based Freedom of Expression Will Also Be Limited Soon

The Government is trying to limit the freedom of expression in the web to gain control of news websites. According to TRC sources specialists from China are due to visit the country soon to formulate firewalls. It will be made compulsory by the TRC for all news websites operating in the country to register with the Commission.


They are planning to adopt a similar system as followed by the Chinese Government to control information. According to the new system, news websites in the country should have to operate through an internet protocol address provided by the TRC. Meanwhile, the google search engine will also be blocked.

Funds for the new initiative in limiting freedom of expression will be taken from the Treasury on the basis of creating an internet super highway.

Freedom of Expression is one of the most important human right. Violations of other rights could be identified and expressed only if we have freedom of expression. Why is the Sri Lankan government trying to deny the right to freedom of expression?

Strengthen the National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka to Protect Human Rights

Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka is suppose to be an independent Commission established under the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Act No.21 of 1996; with a noble vision, strong mandate and wide powers to strengthen and protect human rights. But unfortunately currently we cannot say that we have an independent Human Rights Commission as the members are unconstitutional, political appointments made by the Sri Lankan President. According to the 17th Amendment to the 1978 Constitution of Sri Lanka members of the Commission should be selected by the constitutional council.


For the best interest of the country, it is necessary for us to strengthen the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka as an independent body with strong candidates to use its vast powers to protect and promote human rights.

Are Streets The Only Option for the Homeless?

Seeing people sleeping on the streets is a common site particularly in urban roads of Colombo. These people receive no attention of most by passers. In case if Police officers come across a person sleeping or begging in streets, they could be arrested according to the vagrants act. 


Thinking about the street dwellers, many questions came to my mind, for which I do not have proper answers-

Begging for Health

Right to health is a basic human right and Sri Lanka boasts of having a free health care system. Is the Sri Lankan health care system truely free and accessible for all? The picture dipicts an elderly person begging in front of a traffic post for an eye transplant.

Misusing Religious Freedom in Sri Lanka: Religious Conversion by Addressing Humanitarian Issues

The peaceful co-existence of religions in Sri Lanka is threatened by un-ethical conversions conducted by a few Christian religious missionaries and Christian faith based organizations. These missionaries and organizations try to un-ethically convert people from different faiths to Christianity by addressing humanitarian issues of vulnerablecommunities. Misusing religious freedom of the country for the purpose of un-ethical conversions is a root-cause for religious tensions.

We Need to Rescue Child Sex Workers in Sri Lanka

A child would never want to be a sex worker, if he or she had an option. It is the most margnialized and vulnerable children who become trafficked  as sex workers. Child sex workers do not have any hope about their futures. They dont have a chance to enjoy childhood. Life for a child sex worker is full of suffering.  Addressing issues of child sex workers is extremely risky and life threatening. Yet the children who are working in the sex industry badly need a helping hand to overcome the worst form of exploitation they are currently experiencing.

Protecting Victims of Trafficking in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is a destination and source for trafficking mainly women and children for involuntary servitude and commercial sexual exploitation (US Department of State: 2008) This article summerises the trafficking problems faced by Sri Lankans; prevention mechanisms, prosecution mechanisms and protection mechanisms adopted by the Sri Lankan Government to address trafficking issues; and effective recommendation to combat trafficking in Sri Lanka.

Rescuing Victims of Human Trafficking

Human trafficking is one of the worst human rights violations in our time. This has become one of the major illegal businesses in today’s world. Humans are trafficked for variety of reasons, such as prostitution, forced labour. It is mostly the socially marginalized and poorest women and children who are at the risk of human trafficking.

Is Institutionalization of Street Children the Best Option?

In August 2009, the Government of Sri Lanka announced a program on rehabilitating street children by institutionalizing all the children of the streets. Recent study carried out by Save the Children on Children on the Move in Hambantota District clearly pointed out that children are against being institutionalized. They want to live with their family.

Is all child work bad?

All forms of child work is not bad. It is only the severe forms of child work which is considered as child labour could have dangerous and negative implications for children.

Transitional Justice and Women Combatants in Sri Lanka

Book on Transitional Justice and Women Combatants in Sri Lanka was the outcome of a challenging and interesting research project conducted by me as part of WISCOMP annual fellowship for special projects- 2005. The study looks at how Sri Lanka could successfully Disarm, Demobilize and Reintegrate (DDR) Sri Lankan Army and LTTE women combatants after the civil war of the country. Strategically planned out DDR process considering the needs and rights of the targeted community is an important aspect after an end of a war situation in order to ensure sustainable peace and reconciliation.

Is Abortion Wrong?

Abortion is the termination of a pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo, resulting in or caused by its death (Dutt, T and Matthews, M.P.: 1998)

According to the Sri Lankan law, abortion is permitted only if there is a threat to woman’s life. It is not permitted if the pregnancy was caused due to rape, if there are fetal defects, reasons of physical and mental heath, socio-economic factors and on request. (Wikipedia: 2010)

By performing an abortion, the right to life of the fetus is denied. But in many a cases not allowing to perform an abortion deny the right of the woman to take decisions that relate to her body.

Protecting the Post-Tsunami Displaced Persons: Critical Analysis of the Sri Lankan Experience

The book on ‘Protecting the Post-Tsunami Displaced Persons: Critical Analysis of the Sri Lankan Experience’ written by me, will be published this month by Culcutta Research Group, India. It is an analysis of how and how not Sri Lanka has attempted to protect the victims of the Tsunami during the relief, rehabilitation and the reconciliation phases. The book is inclusive of an analysis of the human rights instruments, mechanisms established or mandated to protect IDPs; its applicability in the post-Tsunami context in Sri Lanka; and the human rights issues faced by the IDPs.

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) Promotes Social Activism in Resolving Human Rights Issues

Public interest litigation is a legal way of finding justice for incidence of violence, crimes, and issues rampant in society. PIL has generated much enthusiasm among the legal profession and the civil society groups.
“Public Interest Litigation” is a litigation filed by persons or groups that are not directly affected by the act, order or inaction that is sought to be challenged; and litigation filed by persons whose own rights are affected, but where the outcome of the case will also affect a much larger section of the public. Even one individual representing a marginalized group on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case can lead to vast changes for the whole group.

5 Methods Used to Document Human Rights Data by Sri Lankan Organizations

There are many human rights documentation methods used by human rights organizations to document human rights. In this article, 5 sucsessful methods used by Sri Lankan human rights organizations are discussed. The human rights documentation methods discussed in this article are, HURIDOCS, Early Warning System, Newspaper Clippings on Killings, Monitoring Reporting of Violations of Human Rights in the Print Media and Recording Past Violations of Human Rights.

‘Rakma’ a Software to Record and Analyze Human Rights Data

Rakma is a specialized Software to record and analyze human right data. This is a Sri Lankan invention by University of Colombo School of Computing with the funding of Asia Foundation.

Protecing Human Rights Effectively and Efficiently by Documenting Violations

Documenting human rights violations and acting on documented human rights violations is an effective way of protecting human rights.  This article discusses about what is human rights violations, why we should document human rights violations and give recommendations for effectively documenting and acting on human rights violations

Human Rights are Moral Entitlements of All Human Beings

Human rights can be defined as ‘the moral entitlements of all human beings to dignified living, full development of personality and social justice.’(Fernando, L: 2002) Human rights focus mainly on the individual. They are rights one has simply as a human being. Human rights are equal , inalienable and universal. (Donnelly, J. 2003: 10)In cases where a collective of people’s rights are suppressed or denied, group rights have articulated to protect individual rights collectively.

Introduction to Child Protection Work

Child protection means, creating a suitable and optimal environment where children can live without any physical and mental abuse and/or pain, by eliminating or reducing the factors that harm children.

Holistic protection and development of the child, (which includes, physical, mental, social and cultural aspects) are focused in child protection work.

Why should we work on protecting rights of street children?

A child take onto streets as he or she has no other option. Street children are one of the most vulnerable and oppressed segments of the society. It is the fault of the social system that had made the child so vulnerable. Street children are the most visible result of the increasing gap between the rich and the poor both in the North and the South. (Beers, V.H. 1996)

The vulnerabilities and problems experienced by street children are immense. These include separation from family, homelessness, lack of identification papers, lack of education, poverty, exploitation, the worst forms of labour, abuse, health issues, coercion, control by adult gangs and conflict with the law.

Who are Street Children?

A street child is defined as “any girl or boy who has not reached adulthood, for whom the street (in the broadest sense of the word, including unoccupied dwellings, wasteland, etc.) has become her or his habitual abode and/or sources of livelihood, and who is inadequately protected, supervised or directed by responsible adults” by the Inter NGO Programme for Street Children and Street Youth. (Inter-NGO, 1985).

Policy Recommendation for the Government and the Civil Society to Protect Displaced Persons More Effectively and Efficiently

These recommendations were developed based on my field experience; knowledge gathered in participating at grassroots level, district level, national level and international level workshops, conferences and working groups; and the understanding obtained regarding the shortcomings of instruments and mechanisms adopted to protect post-Tsunami displaced when analyzing the information gathered for my MHR thesis. All the given recommendations are practical and could be adopted by the Policy Makers, Government Authorities and Civil Society in order to react efficiently and effectively in a future disaster situation.

Juvenile Justice System in Sri Lanka

Juvenile justice is the criminal law applicable to children and young people, who are determined as not old enough to be held responsible for criminal acts.  Juvenile justice system in Sri Lanka as in any other country try to rehabilitate children who are under the perview of juvanile justice law rather than punishing them.

National Laws to Protect Rights of Children in Sri Lanka

National law in Sri Lanka has moved away from a position of exclusive faith in criminal processes to protect children to a more direct child- or victim-focused protective approach at the legislative and conceptual level (GOSL, 2008). National laws in Sri Lanka that cover child rights are as follows-