With the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and an economy on the verge of collapse, Sri Lanka faces perhaps its worst crisis since independence in 1948. The aftershocks of the 2018 Easter Bombings, the COVID-19 pandemic and the global fallout from the Russian invasion of Ukraine — compounded by the Rajapaksa administration’s gross economic mismanagement and high levels of external debt — have left what was once one of South Asia’s most promising economies reliant on foreign aid to import necessities like food and fuel. As Sri Lanka’s parliament prepares to elect a new president and the Janatha Aragalaya (People’s Struggle) movement looks to the future, where does Sri Lanka go from here?

On July 25, USIP hosted a discussion on what’s next for Sri Lanka — from reforming the constitution to lessen the power of the presidency to finalizing a deal with the International Monetary Fund and Sri Lanka’s creditors to secure relief to the immediate economic crisis. The conversation also touched on how the United States, India, China and other international actors are addressing Sri Lanka’s crisis.

Continue the conversation on Twitter using #SriLankaUSIP.

Speakers

Amb. Prasad Kariyawasam
Former Foreign Secretary and Former Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the United States

Bhavani Fonseka
Senior Researcher, Centre for Policy Alternatives

Akhil Bery
Director of South Asia Initiatives, Asia Society Policy Institute

Ambika Satkunanathan
Former Commissioner of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka

Tamanna Salikuddin, moderator
Director, South Asia Programs, U.S. Institute of Peace

Related Publications

Tamanna Salikuddin on the Crisis in Sri Lanka

Tamanna Salikuddin on the Crisis in Sri Lanka

Wednesday, August 3, 2022

By: Tamanna Salikuddin

Despite loosening former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa family's powerful grip on Sri Lankan politics, there's still "a crisis of legitimacy in the country, where people see the leadership can’t deliver" on issues like reconciliation, political reform and addressing the devastating economic crisis, says USIP's Tamanna Salikuddin.

Type: Podcast

Global Policy

Sri Lanka Teeters on the Brink

Sri Lanka Teeters on the Brink

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

By: Ashish Kumar Sen

Sri Lanka is grappling with its most serious political and economic crises since its independence in 1948. Navigating these interlinked crises will require reforming the South Asian island nation’s constitution to reduce the power of the executive presidency and securing a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), according to experts.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & GovernanceEconomics

Five Things to Know about Sri Lanka’s Crisis

Five Things to Know about Sri Lanka’s Crisis

Friday, July 15, 2022

By: Tamanna Salikuddin

Following months of escalating protests, and the May resignation of his brother Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country on July 13. Sri Lanka’s economy has hit rock bottom as it defaulted on international loans and is facing rampant fuel and food shortages, and the government imposed a state of emergency. Gotabaya’s flight from the country leaves the government in further disarray. How did Sri Lanka get here and what does this political and economic crisis mean for the country and the region?

Type: Analysis and Commentary

Democracy & GovernanceEconomics

Two Years After Easter Attacks, Sri Lanka’s Muslims Face Backlash

Two Years After Easter Attacks, Sri Lanka’s Muslims Face Backlash

Thursday, April 29, 2021

By: Jumaina Siddiqui;  Melissa Nozell

Two years after the Easter Sunday attacks that left 269 dead and injured more than 500, Sri Lanka’s Christian community is still waiting for justice while its Muslim community is reeling from the backlash that followed the bombings. Recent government restrictions targeting Muslims have exacerbated religious tensions in the South Asian nation and risk alienating large portions of the community.

Type: Analysis and Commentary

ReligionHuman Rights

View All Publications