human rights

Sri Lanka continues to militarise the state, despite the Rajapaksas’ fall

Repressive legislation such as the Bureau of Rehabilitation Act and the Anti-Terrorism Act follow naturally from the Rajapaksas’ post-war militarisation of Sri Lanka’s North and East

| Jul 31, 2023

How a human rights law became a tool of repression in Sri Lanka

The ICCPR Act, modelled on an international human rights treaty meant to prohibit national, racial and religious hatred, has been distorted in Sri Lanka to punish blasphemy and target minorities

| Feb 07, 2023

Unpacking the Maldives’ Transitional Justice Act

New legislation must provide meaningful redress for survivors of past abuses.

| Jun 04, 2021

The state of suspension

The closure of Amnesty India is a rude reminder of the growing antipathy towards political freedoms and dissenting voices in the country.

| Oct 30, 2020

Maldives’ rocky road to transitional justice

A bill before the Majlis risks depriving hundreds of Maldivian citizens of their right to reparations.

| Aug 28, 2020

Prisoners in a pandemic

COVID-19 reveals structural and systemic inequalities in Sri Lanka’s prison system.

| Apr 03, 2020

A test for Maldivian democracy

A co-author of the critical Maldivian Democracy Network report reflects on the forced closure of the organisation.

| Jan 23, 2020

Kashmir switched off

A ground report from the Valley in the weeks following lockdown.

A conversation with Asma Jahangir

From our archives, when the human-rights activist spoke to author Ritu Menon.

| Feb 11, 2018

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Latest Articles

Disillusioned with the Taliban, Pakistan reverses its four-decade Afghan policy

As Kabul refuses to act against the TTP and Baloch militant groups, Pakistan is ending the support it has extended to the Taliban since 1994 and its welcome to refugees from Afghanistan since the 1980s

The limited genius of Geoffrey Bawa

‘Geoffrey Bawa: Drawing from the Archives’ allows an exploration of the rift between the celebrated architect’s vision for nation-building in Sri Lanka and the country’s present reality

Interview: The precarity of Afghan migrants in Pakistan

Political scientist and author Sanaa Alimia speaks of the long history of racial profiling, harassment and deportation of Afghan migrants, in the context of Pakistan’s recent crackdown

Bhutan took a step towards queer rights, but its LGBTIQ+ people want a giant leap

Bhutan celebrated the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2021 but LGBTIQ+ activists are pushing for the legal recognition of all gender identities and marriage equality