Centre for Policy Alternatives

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

19/05/2026

May 18th marked 17 years since the end of the war between the LTTE and the Sri Lankan armed forces. Although active fighting ceased in May 2009, true justice eludes the people of both the North and the South who suffered, lost their lives, or lost their loved ones. Families on all sides of the conflict are still searching for answers; in a tragedy of this magnitude, there are no winners. Ultimately, meaningful remembrance is not just about looking back, but about ensuring that the pain of the past forms the foundation for a truly just and healed nation.

The current government was elected on the explicit promise to deliver accountability. Their mandate included providing justice for political killings and enforced disappearances, releasing political prisoners, repealing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), restoring land rights, supporting war widows and displaced families, ensuring language rights, and establishing a functioning Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Yet, 17 years after the war’s end and nearly a year and a half into the NPP administration, Sri Lanka still struggles with systemic impunity, a lack of accountability, and persistent barriers to reconciliation. Having been elected to power on the promise of reform, the government must fulfill its commitments to its people without further delay.

Images from the Memorialisation events in Mullivaikkal and Wellawatte
Photo Courtesy@amila_udagedara

18/05/2026

This , we stand in solidarity with every person fighting for the right to live freely and authentically.

Equality is not a privilege — it is a fundamental human right that belongs to everyone, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression. When we protect the dignity and rights of all people, we build communities that are more just, inclusive, and resilient. Together, let us work toward a world free from discrimination, fear, and prejudice.

14/05/2026

පුරවැසි පෞද්ගලිකත්වය උල්ලංඝනය කළ පොලිස් නිලධාරීන්ට එරෙහිව ‘විකල්ප’ වෙබ් අඩවියේ සංස්කාරක මානව හිමිකම් කොමිසමට යයි.

14/05/2026

Sri Lanka is in the midst of a difficult recovery from national insolvency. Addressing the failures in governance that led to it is priority. However, Sri Lanka also needs to grow economically to improve its ability to service its debt, not to mention overall prosperity for all Sri Lankans. Land connectivity with India has the potential to unlock growth for Sri Lanka so it deserves some attention.

The Brief investigates benefits to Sri Lanka in Indo-Lanka trade, transshipment and tourism, arising from land connectivity. On the other hand, it evaluates the supposed threats to sovereignty and trafficking concerns that land connectivity with India evokes in public discourse. To cut a long story short, the economic benefits appear to be promising and the fears that Sri Lanka would be ceding its sovereignty to India seem to be misplaced.

Read Here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GbsExFjeQi51D6yeMfv2QG6Ks6h8qwDs/view

12/05/2026

The Centre for Policy Alternatives filed a petition in the Supreme Court to challenge the Financial Transactions Reporting (Amendment) Bill.

CPA highlighted that whilst the FIU has been given such broad and vague powers, the bill place no checks and balances on the FIU to ensure that it acts in a manner that furthers the objectives of the bill and which is consistent with the provisions of the constitution. Accordingly, CPA sought orders from the Supreme Court determining that the Bill, in whole or in part, cannot be enacted into law unless it was approved by a two-thirds majority in Parliament and, where required, by the People at a Referendum.

The matter was taken up by the Supreme Court on 29th April 2026
Read the Petition and the Submissions made by CPA
https://www.cpalanka.org/financial-transactions-reporting-amendment-bill-sc-sd-18-2026/

12/05/2026

CPA is pleased to welcome Nehama Jayewardene as the new Senior Researcher of the Research and Advocacy team!

Nehama brings over two decades of experience spanning civil society, State structures, and the United Nations, where she served as a Human Rights Officer from 2007 to 2025. An Attorney-at-Law with a Masters of Laws (LLM) from the University of Sussex, her expertise spans legal and policy reform, human rights, justice, and accountability.

We are excited to have her insights and passion strengthen our work!

11/05/2026

The stated objective of the Bill is to align Sri Lanka’s legal framework with the requirements of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and to strengthen the country’s asset recovery and financial investigation regime, particularly in light of the Proceeds of Crime Act (2025). While compliance with international obligations is necessary, CPA reiterates its concern that such laws should not undermine existing constitutional safeguards including fundamental rights. CPA notes that the FATF framework also requires such laws to comply with local and international human rights standards.

Read the full statement here
https://www.cpalanka.org/cpa-statement-on-the-prevention-of-money-laundering-amendment-bill-tabled-in-parliament-on-5-may-2026/

04/05/2026

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) deeply mourns the passing away of Suriya Wickremasinghe, an icon of the local and international human rights world and an inspiration to CPA in its work.

The daughter of S.A. Wickremasinghe, the leader of the Communist Party and Doreen Wickremasinghe a Member of Parliament and the first president of the Suriya Mal Movement, Suriya was a founder member of the Bar Association, Secretary of the Civil Rights Movement (CRM) and a former chair of the International Executive Committee of Amnesty International. As the Secretary of the CRM, she was an indefatigable defender of fundamental rights, of political prisoners and a key campaigner against capital punishment. She worked with CPA and a number of independent media organizations to author the Colombo Declaration on Media Freedom and Social Responsibility.

Suriya was rigorous in her analysis and passionate in her beliefs. Quite often she was as incisive in her remarks as she was mischievous in her asides, punctilious in the use of language, particularly of grammar. She would regale us, in that inimitable fashion, of the coincidence of her birthday with that of Josef Stalin and go to great lengths, after great thought, to find the right birthday present on style and grammar.

Suriya believed deeply and fought resolutely for the defence and strengthening of the institutions of liberal democracy, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary without fear or favour.

Rest in peace, Suriya. Your contribution and legacy for a more decent society is unmatched and will always both warn and inspire generations to come of the challenges ahead to a vibrant and robust democracy.

02/05/2026

https://wp.me/p36loV-264
CPA is deeply troubled by the JVP–NPP government’s apparent insertion of a pervasive parallel layer of party bureaucracy into the apparatus of the state, from the highest levels of administration to the lowest. Through Praja Shakthi structures and Clean Sri Lanka implementation mechanisms, not to mention openly politicised appointments to senior administrative service positions, there is growing evidence of party-aligned actors being emplaced to exercise influence over decisions that properly belong to the professional public service.

2 May 2026, Colombo: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) expresses serious concern about the implications of the JVP–NPP government’s Praja Shakthi and Clean Sri Lanka programmes for the insti…