Documentarymaker/writer/researcher: Visiting Fellow:https://teapawt.org/t.co/xnzlw5glor
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Joined January 2010
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A trailer on my latest documentary, #Pettah which is the busiest and most vibrant market in Sri Lanka. I chose to tell the story of mostly Indian-origin minority communities who run businesses in Pettah, making huge, invaluable contributions to the country’s economy. But we have been “othering” them too long, post-independence.
Incredibly lucky to have worked with a talented bunch of production and post-production team.
(rotate phone anti-clockwise for full-screen viewing)
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
What does system change mean?
For many people that meant fairer institutions, less political interference and equal treatment before the law. Does system change mean transferring detention authority from a minister to a ministry secretary?
-Lionel Bopage groundviews.org/2026/10/30/t…
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Total loss to island due to climate change since 2020- got to be over $10 billion. Dithwa alone over $6 Billion.
Expenditure by State for MET Dept-our first and last line of Defense?
Primary operating systems themselves over 20 years old. No Doppler Radar too.
Getting in 2027.
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Sickening to see puny and puerile defense by the heads of Depts about the pathetic performances by Wild life Dept and MET Dept, primarily dues to sheer limitations in resources. Unless 100 Heads open up on the lack of highly crucial resources how on earth the State would know?
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
The suffering of 30 October 1995 was real, and it deserves to be remembered. But the account above leaves out who actually gave the order to leave.
The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) is arguably the most credible on-the-ground human rights organization of the war. It documented atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan government, the Indian Peace Keeping Force, the LTTE and other non-state actors alike. According to its Special Report No. 6, the exodus was ordered by the LTTE.
On the evening of 30 October, LTTE loudspeakers in Jaffna town told residents to “evacuate for Thenmaratchi and Vadamarachi this same night.” Cadres then went from house to house warning that the Chemmani (Navatkuli) bridge would be blown up at 4.00 a.m. and that anyone left behind would “face the consequences.” The bridge was never blown up. In Uduvil, people were told the army would shell the area. Residents later identified the four shells that fell there as LTTE shells.
The LTTE publicly denied ordering the exodus for days. Then, in a recruitment appeal published in Eelanadu on 9 November, it admitted that “it became inevitable for us to order the people to move.”
Those who refused to leave were pushed out over the following 16 days. Patients at Jaffna Hospital, including elderly people, sick children and women recovering from caesareans, had their drips and feeding tubes pulled out under LTTE pressure and were driven to Chavakachcheri. The LTTE told the ICRC the hospital was empty when doctors counted 30 patients still inside. Displaced families were met at Navatkuli with recruitment banners, and the LTTE imposed a monopoly on gold purchases at roughly half the market rate from people who had just lost everything.
UTHR(J) does not excuse the government. It condemns the bombing and shelling of civilians as callous and calls it a war crime. It criticizes the censorship, the blocking of journalists and relief workers, the shortfall in food supplies, and the treatment of Tamils who reached Vavuniya and Colombo. Its conclusion is that both the government and the LTTE “were playing identical games with the people.” But on the question of the exodus itself, it is clear: “The roots of the exodus must be sought in the character of the LTTE’s politics.”
Even the numbers deserve care. UTHR(J) notes that the 500,000 figure was circular, with the Government Agent citing NGOs and the NGOs citing the GA’s office. It suggests 300,000 may have been more realistic.
The people of Jaffna were used as pawns by both sides. Remembering that honestly is the least we owe them. colombotelegraph.com/index.p…
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
We are proud to share that CEJ’s Executive Director, Shyamala Gomez, was appointed to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. A lawyer by training, Shyamala has spent her career as an academic, researcher, and activist, steadfastly defending human rights and fighting for fair
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Hasan Piker banned from entering Britain. Sally Rooney unable to sell her books here. Now Andreas Malm barred from the country.
All for speaking out against Israel’s genocide of the Palestinian people.
This is Andy Burnham’s Britain.
An authoritarian Labour government that continues to arm a genocide while criminalising those who dare to oppose it.
Shame on them all.
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Israel is “setting a permanent architecture of control made out of all the rubble and ruins of Palestinian homes” in Gaza, says @weizman_eyal, director of @ForensicArchi. “The shuffling of that rubble is destroying evidence for the genocide.”
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
TODAY: Dockworkers from more than 110 ports in 22 countries and regions are going on strike as part of an international day of action against militarisation and war. France’s main dockworkers’ union says that nearly all the country’s shipping capacity will be affected.
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
The Marxist Writer the British Government Doesn’t Want You to Read.
All Andreas Malm titles are now 40% off via our website, just follow the link below:
Verso Books condemns the Labour government’s decision to ban one of our leading authors, Andreas Malm, from entering the United Kingdom.
versobooks.com/blogs/news/a-…
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Japan is pushing to get Myanmar taken off the FATF blacklist to make it easier to do business there - the latest sign of countries jostling to normalize relations with the military-backed government.
reuters.com/world/asia-pacif…
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
‼️URGENT ACTION REQUIRED! - SL MIGRANT WORKER'S LIFE AT RISK‼️
Worker: Pramadi Madhumali Nisansala
Passport No: N8895047
SLBFE File: CD/334/2610 (CMS: 2026F034310)
Sponsor: MESHARI FALEH MUTLAQ ALRASHDI
Agency: Smart Travel Agency (Pvt) Ltd.,
Pramadi, a Sri Lankan migrant worker, currently in Saudi Arabia, has last contacted her family and friends in SL last evening around 6.27pm (SL time), and told them that she was facing numerous threats from her employer, and that she feared for her life and wanted to return home immediately. Thereafter, there has been no communication from her, except for a missed call from her number at 10.27pm (SL time). Her WhatsApp has since gone completely offline, and attempts to call her directly via her roaming number and even SMS messages have not been responded to.
Given the hostility, and violent and explicit threats made by her employer, her family and friends fear that her phone has been forcibly taken from her, or worse, that she has been physically harmed, restrained, or kicked out.
However, in response to desperate appeals by Pramadi to the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Saudi Arabia, the officer in charge of her case, had called her employer last morning (29), and instructed him to immediately hand Pramadi back to the agency that sent her, or to the SL Embassy, as the employer had not yet obtained an Iqama (official residence permit and smart-card ID) for her, as legally required. This is after she had worked there fore four months.
Having also incurred a foot injury, Pramadi was not even able to be hospitalised, as she requires an Iqama to access any services in Saudi. The Embassy official was also going to instruct the Agency that sent her, to get Pramadi back immediately, threatening to ban their agency if they did not comply.
Stories like Pramadi's one, are unfortunately very common, with SL migrant workers working in the middle east in particular, having NO safeguards or assurances in place whatsoever to ensure their safety or wellbeing!
We call on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Sri Lanka Vijitha Herath and the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment who are wholly responsible for the safety and security of migrant workers such as Pramadhi;
- To ensure her safe return home.
- To fast-track and intervene in all such urgent cases of migrant workers at risk, as they work under very unsafe circumstances, to send much needed foreign exchange to Sri Lanka.
- To give the highest priority to negotiations with the Saudi and other relevant Governments, to put in place at least basic bilateral safeguards and commitments to ensure the safety and security of all SL migrant workers working in the region.
(This is an urgent appeal on behalf of Pramadhi's anxious family, and all information via Chanu Nimesha who has been directly in touch with Pramadi, her family and officials from the SL Embassy in Riyadh and the SL Foreign Ministry.) -
Post by @EmDeeS11
facebook.com/share/p/1K4pHLx…
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
A new bill before Sri Lanka's Parliament threatens fundamental human rights by granting authorities sweeping powers and removing virtually all the safeguards designed to prevent the abuse of police power in the name of tacking 'organized crime'. Amnesty International is calling for the Prevention of Organized Crimes Bill to be immediately withdrawn.
ALT A graphic of a tattoo artist with text overlaid that says, In Sri Lanka, how you dress could make you a criminal suspect. The Prevention of Organized Crime bill allows clothing, tattoos and gestures to be used as evidence of organized crime links, risking discrimination and arbitrary detention.
ALT A photo of Sri Lanka police force, with text overlaid that says Organized Crime Bill risks reviving PTA abuses. The bill risks reinforcing impunity and reopening the door to arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment, and other abuses associated with the PTA.
ALT A photo of Sri Lanka police force with text overlaid that says, Guilt cannot be based on past conduct or association. Criminal guilt must rest on evidence of individual wrongdoing, and not appearance, association or suspicion, to prevent discriminatory profiling, arbitrary detention and unfair trials.
ALT A graphic of texts that says, Sweeping powers, weakened safeguards. The bill allows people to be held for up to two years without trial, risks allowing forced confessions as evidence, and limits media coverage of court proceedings. It also weakens existing legal protections on cases including intellectual property and Penal code offences, when linked to organized crime.
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Awakening.
Knowledge is power.
Lets use it.
Not as an act of charity toward the Palestinians - rather, as an act of self-preservation toward us and the rule of law.
#PalestineEffect
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Sri Lanka lost equivalent of over 120,000 jobs due to rising heat stress in 2023: ILO ift.tt/eLd3tU2
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Andreas Malm is a prominent academic at one of the top universities in the world. He was due to appear on Radio 4. This is an absolutely extraordinary attack on feee speech from Andy Burnham’s government: theguardian.com/uk-news/2026…
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Verso Books condemns the Labour government’s decision to ban one of our leading authors, Andreas Malm, from entering the United Kingdom.
versobooks.com/blogs/news/a-…
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
Some good news from Indonesia - A Constitutional Court ruling requires reform of the military justice system so that military personnel accused of ordinary crimes can be tried in civilian courts. This is a major step for justice in Indonesia.
hrw.org/news/2026/10/28/indo…
Sulochana Peiris retweeted
The groundbreaking documentary by Lebanese journalist @radwanmortada about Israel’s pager attacks is now available for English speakers.
3 weeks after it was released, the Israelis looted and then blew up Radwan’s house.
Tomorrow pro-Israel fanatics will release a propaganda film in U.S. theaters about the criminal pager attacks.
Watch Radwan’s movie instead ⬇️
aljazeera360.com/video/10423…
