By Dr G K Nathan, SAAG, 22-May-2012 - Sri Lanka Tamils worldwide have a strong affinity towards India, most of them follow with interest actions taken by or policy of the Government of India to advance an equitable solution to the long standing Sinhala-Tamil conflict; as well as take notice of views of political parties of different persuasions, writings and media presentations of opinion makers in India with a glimpse of hope that India’s intervention will bring about a just outcome.

By Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah, SAAG, 30 April 2012 - It is hard for a man to keep a straight face and tell a lie but President Rajapakse manages to do it every time he has to face the Indians and the International community about devolving power to the Tamil NorthEast. He just did it again when he had breakfast with Sushma Swaraj on the last day of the Indian delegation’s visit to Sri Lanka. There is now a huge confusion as to who said what. Sushma says Rajapakse talked about devolution and mentioned 13th +Amendment and Rajapakse through the Island denies he said that: “The Sri Lankan government on Monday strongly denied a statement attributed to Indian Opposition Leader Sushma Swaraj, that her delegation had received an assurance from Mr. Rajapaksa on his commitment to the 13th Amendment, and his readiness to go even beyond it.”

By Col R Hariharan, SAAG, 26 March 2012 - We will have to consider the impact of India’s demonstrated support to the U.S. at the UNHRC on the strategic security picture of the region. When the U.S. introduced a similar resolution on Sri Lanka using Czech Republic as a proxy in the UNHRC in 2009, it was Indian initiative and help that defeated it. So the positive Indian response now probably came as a refreshing relief for the U.S., particularly after India’s reluctance to toe the U.S. line on Iran and Syria. This augurs well for furthering India-U.S. strategic ties in the region. This is yet another aspect that would be taken into consideration by both China and Sri Lanka in their strategic construct on India.

By V. Suryanarayan, SAAG, 24-Mar-2012 - Human Rights organizations and Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora have valid reasons to be jubilant about the outcome of the 19th Session of Human Rights Council held in Geneva on March 22, 2012. There was intense lobbying by the Sri Lankan Government to defeat the US sponsored resolution to promote reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka. On the other hand, activists in the Tamil diaspora ceaselessly campaigned, supported by human rights groups, to hold the Sri Lankan Government accountable for the gross human rights violations and the killing of nearly 40,000 innocent civilians during the last stages of the Fourth Eelam War.

by Usha S Sri-Skanda-Rajah, SAAG, 23 March 2012 - The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolution against Sri Lanka, at its 19th session, has opened a small window of hope, where there was none before, for truth and justice to finally triumph; not now but in the foreseeable future when the Sri Lankan government is expected “to implement the LLRC recommendations” and “fulfill its relevant legal obligations and commitment to initiate credible and independent actions to ensure justice, equity, accountability and reconciliation for all Sri Lankans.”

By Col R Hariharan, SAAG, 06 March 2012 - President Mahinda Rajapaksa confronted his moment of truth at Geneva on February 27 when the 19th meeting of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) started discussing Sri Lanka. It was third time Sri Lanka’s accountability issue had figured at the 47-member body. This time it is going to be difficult for Sri Lanka to ward off discussion as the U.S. has circulated a draft resolution that questions Sri Lanka’s accountability during the last days of Eelam War in May 2009.

By V. Suryanarayan and Ashik Bonofer, SAAG, 06 September 2011 - The need of the hour is for New Delhi to say good bye to its policy of ambivalence on Sri Lanka and come out into the open to expose the true nature of the Sri Lankan Government. In Geneva when the matter comes up for discussion in the UN Human Rights Council India should take the lead and call for the institution of an international enquiry under the UN auspices. History will not forgive us if we try to shield the tyrannical Sri Lankan Government once again. The Government of India should also simultaneously encourage eminent jurists like Justice Bhagawati and Justice Rajinder Sachar to visit foreign countries to awaken the conscience of the world. The expertise of South Asia specialists associated with Jawaharlal Nehru University and Madras University, non-governmental organizations like the Asian Centre for Human Rights and the Center for Asia Studies in Chennai should be harnessed to provide the much needed intellectual inputs.

By V. Suryanarayan and Ashik Bonofer, SAAG, 05-Aug-2011 - The results of elections to local bodies, held on March 17, 2011 and July 23, 2011 and subsequent comments made by Sinhalese and Tamil leaders clearly indicate that the ethnic divide in Sri Lanka is getting sharpened. Two years after the decimation of the Tigers the Government is determined to impose a solution which reflects the will of the Sinhala majority. There is no attempt to win the hearts and minds of the Tamils by convincing them that they are equal stake holders in the present and future of Sri Lanka.

By Sivanendran, SAAG, 18 May 2011 - “Whenever you do a thing, act as if all the world were watching.” – Thomas Jefferson

SAAG, 28-April-2011 - There have been enquiries from friends as to why South Asia Analysis Group is focussing on the Sri Lankan War and the UN Report. The answer is simple. We need to know the truth and why the massacre of civilians in the last days of the war was allowed to happen. This is not to absolve the LTTE who were equally ruthless and unmindful of civilian casualties. But we want to know why the world was a mute witness to this event? What was the role of UN-the Security Council and -above all India? These are legitimate questions.