Economic sanctions have been used for foreign policy objectives since the time of Ancient Greece.

The idea that economic sanctions might be an alternative to the use of force received attention after the First World War, largely owing to President Woodrow Wilson’s advocacy. Since World War II, Economic sanctions have been employed to promote democracy and human rights, to end civil war, to stop drug trafficking, to fight terrorism, to combat weapons proliferation, and to promote nuclear disarmament. Since the creation of the United Nations in 1945, the Security Council has imposed sanctions in fifteen cases: Southern Rhodesia (1966), South Africa (1977), Iraq (1990), former Yugoslavia (1991), Liberia (1992), Libya (1992), Somalia (1992), Angola (1993), Haiti (1993), Rwanda (1994), Sudan (1996), …

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Short speech by Justice P N Bhagwati at the IIGEP’s final press conference, held this morning in Colombo.

Headphones recommended as the audio is weak.

If we knew the government will put us in an open prison, we would not have come, it would have better to die in the Vanni” Man being held in Kallimoddai after fleeing Vanni to “cleared” areas

Last year, I had helped a boy from Killinochi who was arrested in Pettah and kept in inhumane conditions, worse than a caged animal, in Welikada Prison. Treatment that should not be given to even a convicted criminal, though in this case, the boy was a suspect, the basis for suspicion being him being a Tamil and coming from Killinochi. He had fled the Vanni, as he feared recruitment by the LTTE. But only to fall prey to Sri Lankan security forces and suffer …

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Ruki Fernando of the Law and Society Trust speaks about the present situation in Mannar, Sri Lanka.

Click here for the video in Sinhala and here for more videos from Vikalpa Video.

For more articles by Ruki on the embattled North and East of Sri Lanka, click here.

By Benita Sumita

“Beware of suspicious looking objects” – this is a commonly heard public announcement these days in airports, markets and metro stations from New Delhi to London to downtown Chicago. One cannot escape the voice of the sweet lady reminding us of the volatile and precarious times we live in. There is a sense of constant caution. However in Colombo, Sri Lanka, the reminder is more personal with a visit from your friendly neighborhood cop (mostly to offices and commercial establishments). I have quietly sat through one of these sessions. In a 45-minute talk in Sinhala by your friendly neighbourhood cop you are also reminded of the terror and backlash that led to the bloodletting of the 1983 anti-Tamil …

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Prominant Civil Socity activist and Lawyer Nimalka Fernando speaks on the withdrawal of IIGEP (International Independent Group of Eminent Persons) and its implications for human rights protection in Sri Lanka.

The Rupavahini workers are being assaulted by goons. The workers allege that it is all the work of a Minister who stormed into their office a few weeks ago and intimidated their bosses for not publicizing his political speech. It is the fifth such attack and the politicized Police Force or Farce, seem to be in slumber. Hitherto it has been the Tamil and Muslim community that was at the receiving end of a murderous bunch cloaked with authority. Now it would seem it doesn’t’ matter if the victim is Sinhala Muslim or Tamil. All are fair game.

What has happened to the Rule of Law? Abductions, disappearances, extra-judicial killings are rampant. Journalists are being killed or assaulted. But the President …

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Bhavani Fonseka and Pradeep Peiris

Introduction
The global war against terrorism has lead to a situation where the use of force, pre-emptive strikes, display of military power are justified in the name of defeating evil and protecting national security. In the wake of 9/11 and the death and devastation, the global war against terrorism was fuelled, with only one goal in place: to defeat terrorism. In this single minded drive to eradicate ‘evil’ there was no space for issues such as human rights, fundamental freedoms and civil liberties.

The global war against terrorism has resonance in Sri Lanka, and has been conveniently used by the hawks within the present regime to justify and fuel the military campaigns. With the election of Mahinda Rajapakse …

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Member of Parliament and Convener of the Civil Monitoring Committee, Mano Ganeshan, speaks about the rising abductions of Tamils in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

For this interview in Sinhala, click here.
For this interview in Tamil, click here.

For more videos, please visit the Vikalpa Video Channel here.

ROHAN EDRISINHA & ASANGA WELIKALA

There has recently been speculation and media reports about the European Union’s system of tariff preferences known as the ‘GSP Plus’ programme, of which Sri Lanka is presently a beneficiary country. The tariff preferences create massive advantages in particular to our apparel industry, and have implications for the wellbeing and employment for thousands in that important sector of our economy. It is vital, therefore, that Sri Lanka retains this privilege.

The controversy relates to the fact that Sri Lanka’s continued beneficiary status comes up for renewal later in 2008, and whether Sri Lanka continues to qualify for the GSP Plus benefits in terms of the requirements that are set out for this by the European Union. One …

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