Sri Lanka

Rights groups say the military has sought to curb protests through intimidation, surveillance, and arbitrary arrests since Ranil Wickremesinghe became president in July.

China is using Buddhist narratives to promote its soft power in Sri Lanka – and bolster its image as a harmonious regional power.

The vote on the 22nd Amendment to the constitution lays bare the declining grip of the Rajapaksas over the SLPP.

A constitutional amendment to curtail presidential powers – again – was a key demand of the protests that drove the previous president and prime minister from office.

The project cost Sri Lanka $113 million, maintenance costs are reportedly huge and annual revenue is pegged at present at around $8.2 million. When will it recover its expenditure?

Sri Lanka is nearly bankrupt and has suspended repaying its $51 billion foreign debt, of which it must repay $28 billion by 2027.

Once again, the country is forced to seek a bailout from the IMF – with all the costs and benefits that entails.

The country has always has a sizable diaspora of migrant workers. But now many people are leaving not just to better themselves but out of sheer necessity.

Only a few months ago, Sri Lankans were grateful to India for its help during the economic crisis. Now the mood is changing.

In a recent address, President Wickremesinghe defended the Chinese-built Hambantota port but pledged to address India’s security concerns.

For far too long Sri Lanka has been a stage with the Rajapaksas as the only meaningful actors. A democratic renewal may be all that can save the country in the long run.

The Japanese strategy allowed Chinese projects to be responsive to preferences of Sri Lankan leaders but paved the way for political capture, inflated costs and corruption.