Cast
Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam (Academic, Politician)
Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam was a distinguished Sri Lankan lawyer and academic known for his work on human rights, constitutional reform, and conflict resolution. Tiruchelvam was tragically assassinated by the LTTE in 1999.
G.L. Peiris (Former Minister of Constitutional Affairs)
Gamini Lakshman Peiris is a Sri Lankan politician and academic. Under Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga government, Peiris served as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. Alongside Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, he played an instrumental role in formulating the Kumaratunga government's constitutional reform proposals known as the "Union of Regions" proposals.
Dr. Vasudevan Tiruchelvam (Doctor, Neelan's Brother)
Dr. Vasudevan Tiruchelvam, a practicing surgeon based in Pennsylvania, USA, is the younger brother of the late Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam.
Mithran Tiruchelvam (Lawyer, Son of Neelan Tiruchelvam)
Mithran Tiruchelvam is a practicing lawyer and the younger son of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam and Sithie Tiruchelvam.
Rohan Edrisinha (Constitutional Affairs Expert)
Rohan Edrisinha is the founder and head of the Legal Division at the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA). His work centers on constitutional reform, human rights, and conflict resolution in Sri Lanka.
Henry Steiner (Professor Emeritus, Harvard Law School)
Professor Henry J. Steiner is the Emeritus Jeremiah Smith, Jr. Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and founder of its Human Rights Program. His scholarship has significantly shaped global discussions on international law and human rights.
Rajavorthiam Sampanthan (Former Leader of the Opposition)
Rajavarothiam Sampanthan was a Tamil politician and lawyer who led the Tamil National Alliance from 2001 until his passing. He served multiple terms in Parliament and was Sri Lanka’s Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2018.
Veerasingham Anandasangaree (Leader of Tamil United Liberation Front)
Veerasingham Anandasangaree is a veteran Tamil political leader and lawyer, currently heading the Tamil United Liberation Front. He is widely recognized for his principled commitment to non-violence and his long-standing advocacy for a federal solution to Sri Lanka’s national question.
Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran (Politician - Tamil National Alliance)
Mathiaparanan Abraham Sumanthiran is a distinguished Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician who served as Member of Parliament for the Jaffna District. Renowned for his expertise in civil litigation, human rights, and constitutional law, he is a prominent advocate for justice and legislative reform in Sri Lanka.
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu (Executive Director of Centre for Policy Alternatives)
Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu is the founder and Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives and a prominent figure in Sri Lanka’s civil society. He also serves on the Foreign Policy Advisory Group and is a board member of the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute.
Devanesan Nesiah (Former Civil Servant)
Devanesan Nesiah is a distinguished former civil servant and academic whose principled dedication to justice, even at personal cost, earned him the title of “Deshamanya” in 2017—a title he later returned in protest against the undermining of democracy
Vasuki Nesiah (Professor)
Vasuki Nesiah is a professor at NYU Gallatin, where she teaches courses on human rights, legal theory, and feminist thought. A leading voice in global justice scholarship, she also directs the Gallatin Global Fellowship in Human Rights.
Sharika Thiranagama (Professor - Political Anthropology)
Sharika Thiranagama is a professor of anthropology at Stanford University, focusing on war, memory, and displacement. She is the daughter of Rajani Thiranagama, a noted human rights activist assassinated by the LTTE in 1989.
M.K. Eelaventhan (Politician)
Manicavasagar Eelaventhan was a Sri Lankan Tamil political figure and Member of Parliament who strongly voiced support for a separate state for the Tamil people in the North and East of Sri Lanka.
Ignacius Lokanathan (Journalist)
Ignacius Lokanathan is a journalist who extensively covered Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, with a particular focus on Tamil issues and human rights.
Erik Solheim (Peace Facilitator)
Erik Solheim is a Norwegian diplomat and former politician who played a central role in facilitating Sri Lanka’s peace process. As part of Norway’s Foreign Ministry, he worked to mediate between the government and the LTTE prior to the resumption of hostilities.
Steve Kanter (Law Professor)
Steve Kanter is the Emeritus Dean and Professor of Law at Lewis & Clark Law School. He collaborated with Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam in formulating the draft constitution of Kazakhstan.
Larry Garber (Independent Consultant, Election Monitoring)
Larry Garber is an independent consultant with over 35 years of experience in international development, human rights, democracy, and election-related work.
Ken Wollack (Former Chairman, National Endowment for Democracy)
Ken Wollack is the former Chairman of the National Endowment for Democracy and past President of the National Democratic Institute. He has spent over five decades advancing democratic governance worldwide and co-chaired the 2020 U.S. presidential debates.
Mario Gomez (Executive Director of ICES)
Mario Gomez is the Executive Director of the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES), a leading institution focused on peacebuilding, governance, and human rights in Sri Lanka.
Indran Amirthanayagam (Poet)
Indran Amirthanayagam is a Sri Lankan-American poet, essayist, and U.S. diplomat whose multilingual literary work spans continents. His poetry is deeply rooted in themes of displacement, memory, and his Sri Lankan heritage.
Arum Kandiah (Agricultural Expert)
Arum Kandiah is an agricultural expert and a former university roommate of Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam, maintaining close ties to Sri Lanka's intellectual and professional circles.
Roberto Unger (Law Professor)
Roberto Unger is a Brazilian philosopher, legal theorist, and professor at Harvard Law School. He was also Neelan Tiruchelvam's classmate at Harvard Law School.
David Collenette (Canadian Politician)
David Collenette served as Canada's Minister of Defense and also participated in monitoring the 1988 Chilean plebiscite alongside Neelan Tiruchelvam