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
Ambika Satkunanathan | 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
Gehan Gunatilleke | Feb 07, 2023
Unpacking the Maldives’ Transitional Justice Act
New legislation must provide meaningful redress for survivors of past abuses.
Mushfiq Mohamed | 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.
Makepeace Sitlhou | 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.
Mushfiq Mohamed | Aug 28, 2020
Prisoners in a pandemic
COVID-19 reveals structural and systemic inequalities in Sri Lanka’s prison system.
Ambika Satkunanathan | 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.
Azra Naseem | Jan 23, 2020
Kashmir switched off
A ground report from the Valley in the weeks following lockdown.
Basharat Ali Iqbal Sonaullah and Mudasir Amin | Sep 11, 2019
A conversation with Asma Jahangir
From our archives, when the human-rights activist spoke to author Ritu Menon.
Ritu Menon | Feb 11, 2018
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
