SCC Elankovan

A lawyer and activist based in Jaffna, worked in the NGO sector for more than 20 years in various local, national & international organizations.

[SCC Elankovan @sccelankovan]

Lanka has many challenges 2 overcome. One positive is Tamil signs & announcements in many spaces & places. Neither AirIndia nor Indigo hav a single crew who speaks either Tamil which is an official language of India or Sinhala th language of the majority in Lanka. SAD.

[Milo Shake🐦‍🔥 @Judith_utterly]

Interesting that SriLankan Airlines displays safety instructions in Tamil, while many Indian airlines still don’t.

[LankaFiles @lankafiles]

Another skeleton was found today when excavation work led by archaeologist Prof. Raj Somadeva resumed at Sri Lanka’s 2nd largest mass grave after a 3 week break. So far, 262 bodies including those of children have been identified from the work carried out in Chemmani for 67 days.

[Aingkaran Kugathasan @AingkaranK]

Forty-five years after the burning of the Jaffna Library, Tamils are still asking for the same thing: justice. What is most infuriating is not just the history of state-sponsored abuses, but how little the mindset behind them appears to have changed.

[Aingkaran Kugathasan @AingkaranK]

I disagree with many of AKD’s policies, but I want him to succeed; his failure would further erode people's faith in meaningful political change.

My concern is that the post-election honeymoon, when govts have the greatest public goodwill for tough reforms, may already be gone.

[SCC Elankovan @sccelankovan]

@MASumanthiran In th event GoSL under NPP holds PC elections which is looking less likely, going back 2 th old system will exclude youth & women. A party which has always sought progress must to work towards implementation of the new act through a delimitation process going forward.

[Marianne David @MarianneDavid24]

The Shame of a Nation

“The case of Child X and the head-monk of Atamasthana is a test case for the government, the opposition, the Sasana, the country and each one of us citizens.”

https://t.co/lZ41Q6HALa

[Canada in Sri Lanka and Maldives @CanHCSriLanka]

We met with the 'Association of Relatives of the #EnforcedlyDisappeared' (ARED) and listened to representatives from across the #North and #East share their experiences and ongoing efforts.

[Amnesty International South Asia, Regional Office @amnestysasia]

Sri Lanka: A new Amnesty International report finds that Malaiyaha Tamil workers on private tea estates in Southern Sri Lanka are facing labour abuses that may amount to forced labour under International Labour Organization (ILO) standards.

The findings expose not only exploitative labour practices, but systematic failures of enforcement, accountability, and worker protection. Read our report here: https://t.co/qV42WCmT3E

[nillanthan @Nillanthan]

17ஆவது நினைவு நாள்:  சுகப்படுத்தவியலாத காயமாகிய  நினைவுகள்  https://t.co/2PcpMe7U3P முள்ளிவாய்க்கால் இடத்தின் பெயரல்ல.அது ஒரு புவியியல் பதம் மட்டும் அல்ல.அது அரசியல் பதம்.தமிழர்களின் போராட்டத்தோடு,இன அழிப்போடு,தொடர்புபட்டு மேலெழுந்த வார்த்தைகளில்,இடப்பெயர்களில் அதுவும் ஒன்று.

[AruniW @aruwij]

The institutional failure goes beyond the courtroom, extending into political discourse and public rhetoric. Public figures and legal representatives have utilized deeply harmful strategies to minimize the severity of the case against the now infamous monk:

Victim Shaming by Public Officials:
Former Minister and Sarvajana Balaya National Organizer Dilum Amunugama sparked heavy social media backlash during a press briefing by asserting that the monk was detained based on a statement by a "sex worker". Following widespread condemnation for describing a minor in such degrading terms, the Ministry of Women and Child Affairs requested an official police probe into whether his comments violated the Victims of Crime and Witnesses Protection Act. Amunugama was subsequently summoned by the Police Children and Women's Bureau.

Normalisation of Abuse:
Defence attorneys have faced intense criticism for attempting to downplay the case in media side-lines. They have used gross generalizations, arguing that minor exploitation is a broad country-wide issue—effectively signaling that this highly specific instance should not receive distinct public or legal scrutiny.

Cultural and Religious Justifications: Prominent public figures, including popular biology tutor Dinesh Muthugala, have gone as far as utilizing ancient Buddhist cultural tales to shape public opinion. They have actively nudged audiences toward forgiving the perpetrator rather than demanding structural accountability.

The profound structural breakdown evident in this case proves that Sri Lanka's justice system is facing an unavoidable test. When the protective shield of religious sanctity and political alliance is used to buffer individuals from the consequences of severe criminal misconduct, the state loses its moral authority.
If Sri Lanka is to step out from the long shadow of institutional decay, its governance, legal machinery, and civic society must firmly assert a singular principle: child safety and the impartial rule of law must permanently supersede social hierarchy, political privilege, and religious status.

[SCC Elankovan @sccelankovan]

The arrogance of position and power.

[Satish Acharya @satishacharya]

How can anyone be so insensitive? 😰
10-year old girl was sexually assulted & brutally killed.
And these police officers were cracking jokes & laughing hysterically at the press briefing.

[Satish Acharya @satishacharya]

How can anyone be so insensitive? 😰
10-year old girl was sexually assulted & brutally killed.
And these police officers were cracking jokes & laughing hysterically at the press briefing.

[SCC Elankovan @sccelankovan]

We probably should have recognised that NPP was for local & against provincial elections. Only time will tell if they will keep their promise and implement the provisions of the country's constitution.

[Aingkaran Kugathasan @AingkaranK]

In 2023, @NPPSLOfficial went to court arguing that postponing the local government election violated their fundamental rights.

Good times indeed. @Dr_HariniA
@sunilhandunnet1
NPP’s FR petition against deferment of LG election fixed for consideration https://t.co/ECtGuzWUPJ

[Aingkaran Kugathasan @AingkaranK]

In 2023, @NPPSLOfficial went to court arguing that postponing the local government election violated their fundamental rights.

Good times indeed. @Dr_HariniA
@sunilhandunnet1
NPP’s FR petition against deferment of LG election fixed for consideration https://t.co/ECtGuzWUPJ

[Jim McDonald @jmccdon]

#Justice4theTrinco5! Ask #SriLanka to bring to justice those responsible for the murder of the #Trinco5 students. Also, join our photo action for them. Thanks. #lka https://t.co/zeDlhYkhO5 #warcrimes #impunity #humanrights #amnestyinternational

[Rajni Gamage @Rajni_Gamage]

Alleged plans to amend the RTI Act have triggered growing concern .. that proposed changes could undermine the independence of the RTI Commission .. under the guise of amending the RTI Act No.12 of 2016.

https://t.co/ykGm2zIb1K

[LankaFiles @lankafiles]

Free Media Movement releases summary of 26 incidents related to media freedom in Sri Lanka reported during the month of April including 14 incidents that threaten the freedom of expression.

[Centre for Policy Alternatives Sri Lanka @CPASL]

Read the Full Statement here: https://t.co/0QLNmUdh3l
Establish a clear and time-bound roadmap for the completion of the delimitation process or alternative legal arrangements;

Ensure that all official policy positions are articulated and communicated by constitutionally accountable office-holders, in keeping with principles of good governance and democratic accountability;

Publicly reaffirm its commitment to holding Provincial Council elections without further delay and ensure transparency in all actions taken towards this end; and

Respect the democratic rights of the people of Sri Lanka by restoring elected provincial governance as a matter of urgency.

[Aingkaran Kugathasan @AingkaranK]

Pretending not to see the correlation between monk politics and state patronisation of Buddhism protects neither the state nor Buddhism.

There is no stronger evidence than our lived experience.

👇 Monks cremating another monk, violating a court order, while the police watch.

[Maatram @MaatramSL]

NPP ஆட்சியின் கீழும் நீதி என்பது தேர்ந்தெடுக்கப்பட்டதாகவே இருக்கிறது; அது பாதிக்கப்பட்டவரின் மற்றும் குற்றம் சாட்டப்பட்டவரின் அந்தஸ்தைச் சார்ந்தே உள்ளது. மறுமலர்ச்சி என்ற பதாகைக்குப் பின்னால், பின்னடைவே ஆட்சி செய்கிறது.

Read full article 👉https://t.co/zmi6b2m4JX

#lka #SriLanka