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.