Centre for Policy Alternatives on 3 March, 2016

Voting in Hate: A study of hate speech on Facebook surrounding Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Election of 2015

 

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3 March 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) is pleased to release ‘Voting in Hate’ – a study of online hate speech surrounding Sri Lanka’s Parliamentary Election of 2015, authored by Roshini Wickremesinhe and Sanjana Hattotuwa. It is the latest of a series of studies published by CPA exploring the growth and effects of the phenomena of hate and dangerous speech on social media.

The 2015 Parliamentary Election witnessed social media as a key tool for political campaigning and election related activity. Facebook emerged the most used social media platform. Unsurprisingly, the relatively unshackled freedom of expression found in social media also invited unchecked expressions of hateful and defamatory material targeting candidates.

What effect, if any, did such alarming expressions of hate have on the outcome of the election? What effect, if any can it have on our society desperately in need of disentangling itself from the bonds of racist, extremist, and sexist divisions?

CPA’s new report examines 11 Facebook groups appropriated to promote hate speech thinly veiled as political speech, targeting political parties and candidates based on their ethnicity, religion or gender. The study covers a period of one month prior to the date of the 2015 Parliamentary Election on 17th August. English translations of relevant posts and responses as well as the original material posted to the groups (both text and visuals) are included.

It also looks at lessons learned from this experience for the future, in grappling with online spawning of hate speech and its effect on a growing following of youth, as well as challenges and implications of social media driven election campaigning which need to be addressed by the state, candidates and society at large.

Download the report in full here. Download the Executive Summary here.

Translation of the Executive Summary is available in Sinhala. Tamil translation will follow soon.

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 23 February, 2016

Opinion Poll on Constitutional Reform

Opinion Poll on Constitutional Reform

23 February 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka: In January 2016, Social Indicator, the survey research unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, conducted an opinion poll to gather views of the communities on key issues currently being discussed in Sri Lanka’s Constitutional reform process and what change they hope to see in the new Constitution. It recorded public perceptions with regard to the Bill of Rights, devolution, police and land powers, role of religion in the Constitution, merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces and other key proposals.

Article 9 of the present 1978 Constitution states that Buddhism shall be given ‘the foremost place’ and that it is the duty of the state to protect and foster the Buddha Sasana. 54.9% of Sri Lankans are extremely favourable towards the inclusion of the clause on Buddhism in a new Constitution while 18.2% are not at all in favour. From an ethnic perspective, the community that most favourable is the Sinhalese community with 70.4% rating extremely favourable. Majority from the Tamil (75.9%), Up Country Tamil (56.6%) and Muslim (62.8%) communities are not at all in favour of the inclusion.

When asked how they think police powers in Sri Lanka ought to be exercised, 41.2% of Sri Lankans said that it ought to be exercised exclusively by the Central Government while 23.6% said it should be shared between the Central and Provincial Governments. Almost 50% from the Sinhalese community and 31.3% from the Up Country Tamil community believe that it should be exercised exclusively by the Central Government.

Majority from the Tamil and Muslim communities however do not share this opinion – 31.8% from the Tamil community believe it should exercised exclusively by the Provincial Governments while 37.7% stated it should be shared between the Central and Provincial Governments. 34.1% from the Muslim community also stated that it should be shared.

On the power to allocate and administer State land, 37% of Sri Lankans believe that the power should be held exclusively by the Central Government, 23.3% said exclusively by the Provincial Governments while 24% said it should be shared between the two. From an ethnic perspective, once again we see a difference in opinion between the communities where most Sinhalese (42.4%) say that it should be held exclusively by the Central Government while 48.4% of Tamil, 38.6% of Up Country Tamil and 27.2% of Muslim communities believe that it should be held exclusively by the Provincial Governments.

36.3% of Sri Lankans are extremely agreeable to replacing the Executive Presidency system with one where the country is headed by a directly elected Prime Minister, while 29.4% say that they are somewhat agreeable.

When asked how agreeable they are towards a merger of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, 30.1% of Sri Lankans said that they are extremely disagreeable while 25.4% said extremely agreeable. Majority from the Tamil (73.2%) and Up Country Tamil (81%) communities are extremely agreeable towards a merger while 34.6% of Sinhalese are extremely disagreeable. Muslim opinion is divided on this, with 30.4% saying that they are extremely agreeable and 31% saying that they are extremely disagreeable.

Conducted in the 25 districts of the country, this survey captured the opinion of 1991 Sri Lankans from the four main ethnic communities. The selection of respondents was random across the country. Fieldwork was conducted from January 17 – 25, 2016.

Download the full report here.

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Social Indicator (SI) is the survey research unit of the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and was established in September 1999, filling a longstanding vacuum for a permanent, professional and independent polling facility in Sri Lanka on social and political issues. Driven by the strong belief that polling is an instrument that empowers democracy, SI has been conducting polls on a large range of socio-economic and political issues since its inception.

Please contact Iromi Perera at [email protected] for further information.

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 23 February, 2016

Citizen Survey on a New Sri Lankan Constitution

 

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The following is a brief survey conducted by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) on a new Sri Lankan constitution. Sri Lankans of all ages are requested to respond to the following questions. The findings of the survey would be shared with the Public Representations Committee (PRC) appointed by the Government of Sri Lanka to obtain citizen input for constitutional reform.

The survey can is available for use in English, Sinhala and Tamil.

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 19 February, 2016

International Mother Language Day: A Look at Language Rights in Sri Lanka​

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When asked about what the official language in Sri Lanka is, a majority of Sri Lankans said that it is Sinhala only while only 15% gave the correct answer of Sinhala and Tamil.

CPA has a long history of work in the field of language rights, one that speaks of great success for minority communities living in Sri Lanka. Through sustained advocacy on the part of Outreach teams and the Citizen Council initiative, the government has ensured the printing of the National Identity Card in all 3 languages, the provision of trilingual bus signs and pharmaceutical packaging as well as appropriate signage for newly-named roads in the estate sector.

This presentation has been made with Sway and is accessible here as well as embedded below.

https://sway.com/EmQSgCfzEsDQBUXO

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 17 February, 2016

The Centre for Policy Alternatives Vs. Kabir Hashim and others SC (FR) Application No.54/2016

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director filed a Fundamental Rights application challenging the appointment of Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka to fill the vacancy created by the death of Mr. M. K. A. D. S. Gunawardana, as a Member of Parliament elected in terms of Article 99A of the Constitution (the National List).

CPA’s position is that in terms of Article 99A of the Constitution, only a person whose name was included in the district nomination papers or national list submitted by the relevant political party, is entitled to be nominated to fill such a vacancy.

In its Petition, CPA stated that the appointment of a person as a Member of Parliament contrary to the provisions of the Constitution violates several rights guaranteed under the Constitution and in particular the franchise which is part of the sovereignty of the people. Furthermore, CPA argues that any attempt to interpret legislation in a manner contrary to the provisions of the Constitution would imperil the supremacy of the Constitution, which is the cornerstone of constitutional democracy.

Over the past two decades, CPA has filed several Public Interest Litigation cases relating to franchise and in particular the right to vote. The judgments emanating from these cases have recognized and protected the right to vote as a fundamental right. CPA has also on two previous occasions challenged attempts to appoint to Parliament and Provincial Councils, individuals whose names were not on the nomination papers submitted during the nomination period.

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 16 February, 2016

Convergence: On Religious Diversity and Freedom in Sri Lanka

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The last three decades of Sri Lanka’s history is largely defined by violent conflict, especially in the North and East of the country. Since that war came to an end in May of 2009, we have also seen the rise of extremist religious and other racist groups, including from within the Buddhist clergy.

CPA travelled to two of Sri Lanka’s most significant religious and cultural landmarks only to find that bitterness generated via viral slogans and fundamentalist movements is met with greater vigour by the spirit of harmony that pervades among the people who visit these sites.

Through narratives and images of pilgrims making the journey to Adam’s Peak and Kataragama – both landmarks that hold significance for many of Sri Lanka’s main faiths – and past research done by CPA on the policy and legal framework surrounding religious freedom in Sri Lanka, this piece hopes to highlight that people of all religions in Sri Lanka can respect the diversity in each other’s faiths, and indeed have been doing so for centuries.

The story can be accessed on Sway here and is embedded below.

Centre for Policy Alternatives on 15 February, 2016

The Road to Temple Trees – Sir Ivor Jennings and the Constitutional Development of Ceylon: Selected Writings

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Editor: Dr H. Kumarasingham, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) was pleased to publish the above volume on 18th December 2015. Sir W. Ivor Jennings (1903-65) was a critical player in the negotiations for Ceylon’s independence and the key architect of the constitution that was in operation between 1947 and 1972. Jennings contributed to the public life of the young Dominion not only as the first vice-chancellor of the University of Ceylon, but as an international authority on British and Commonwealth constitutions and politics, he quickly became the principal constitutional adviser and influential confidante of D.S. Senanayake since his arrival on the Island in 1941. In that capacity he provided invaluable advocacy and expertise that decisively influenced Ceylon’s case for self-government. First written in the late 1940s and published for the first time on his 50th death anniversary on 19th December 2015, this volume contains Jennings’ writings on his personal role in obtaining Ceylonese freedom and the high politics that characterised that era. Introduced and expertly edited by Dr H. Kumarasingham, this volume is a privileged and insightful first-hand account that uncovers the unique story of the road to independence.

Copies of the book are available free of charge at CPA. Those wishing to obtain copies are kindly requested to contact Asanka (Publications Department) on 0112081384-6 extension 119 or email on [email protected] or you could collect your copy from our Head Office located at No: 6/5, Layards Road, Colombo 05.