Featured stories about Sri Lanka
Stories about Sri Lanka
Sri Lankan state of emergency condemned locally and internationally
In the span of five weeks, the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declared another state of emergency amid ongoing anti-government protests highlighting the economic crisis in Sri Lanka.
Are ongoing peaceful, creative and spontaneous protests Sri Lanka's ‘Arab Spring moment'?
Peaceful and spontaneous protests have intensified across Sri Lanka over the past few weeks since March 31, 2022. The highlight of these protests is the protest at Colombo’s Galle Front.
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka briefly restricted amidst curfew and protests
Social media platforms in Sri Lanka, including Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Viber, have been restored after a 16-hour ban imposed to quell anti-government protests amidst the ongoing economic crisis.
Podcast: A crisis, a royal tour, and the pandemic's impact on disabled Latinas
Today we visit Jamaica and Sri Lanka, and then heard about Latinas in different parts of the world.
Shortages hit hard in Sri Lanka as citizens protest and the government seeks IMF bailout
Widespread shortages, such as fuel, gas, medicines, or even car parts triggered by higher prices and insufficient foreign currency for import are making everyday life miserable in Sri Lanka.
Redefining identities: Land encroachment in Sri Lanka's Eastern Province
Trincomalee’s claim to being at the centrality of Sri Lanka’s pluralistic and multicultural identity continues to be re-interpreted as a place homogenous to one race, one religion, one ethnicity.
To flee or not to flee? That is the question in Sri Lanka
Sri Lankans are facing the bleak prospect of a full-blown economic crisis, and one in four, mainly the young and educated, say they want to leave the country.
2021 in retrospective: Authoritarian practices threatened journalists and restricted media freedom in South Asia
In this retrospective, we will review issues of online and press freedom, censorship, the safety of journalists and digital rights in South Asia that we covered during the year.
Sri Lanka sacks agricultural scientist for raising concerns over agro-chemical ban
The sudden move to total organic farming could be one of the multiple triggers for a Sri Lankan food crisis that has affected the availability of essential food in the market.
Who’s trying to silence the fearless voice of Sri Lankan journalist Tharindu Jayawardhana?
One of Sri Lanka’s most promising young journalists is facing intimidation following his reporting on the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
Amazon Prime TV series dangerously misrepresents Eelam Tamil narratives and histories
An Indian TV show, which launched its second season on Amazon Prime recently, landed deep in controversy for portraying the Lankan Tamils in a highly colourist and problematic manner.
Accident on a chemical-laden ship triggers one of the biggest environmental disasters in Sri Lanka
Singaporean container ship X-Press Pearl had an accident near the Sri Lankan coast and has since sent waves of microplastics and charred debris along the coast of the country’s capital.
Burqa ban in Sri Lanka would undermine national security and human rights
Many in Sri Lanka and abroad are condemning the impending ban on wearing burqas and other full-face coverings in public as a breach of human rights.
Sri Lanka reverses decision to bury COVID-19 victims on remote island after protests
Iranaithivu islanders objected to the Sri Lankan government’s decision to allow the burial of COVID-19 victims, following the reversal of a ban on cremations that affected Muslim and Christian communities
2020 round-up: COVID-19 in South Asia
The COVID-19 pandemic swamped our coverage in the past 12 months as we highlighted the challenges people faced and the fight against the coronavirus across the region.
October – A bleak month for freedom of expression in Sri Lanka
This article offers a snapshot of challenges to freedom of expression in Sri Lanka during the month of October, 2020.
Understanding pandemic fatigue
As we continue to struggle to maintain safety measures, it is important for us to shift from a culture of blaming to one that supports and leads with kindness.
In Sri Lanka, affected families resist climate of fear on International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances
Thousands of people, primarily ethnic Tamils, are believed to have been forcibly disappeared while in state custody during the final years of the 1983-2009 civil war. Their families still seek answers.
Sri Lankan wildlife threatened by poaching during the pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic in Sri Lanka, rising unemployment has been linked to the surge in illegal wildlife poaching.
Sri Lanka prepares for twice-delayed poll amid militarized COVID-19 response
"The government will not hesitate to arrest opposition activists and voters for violating this or that anti-virus rule while giving a free pass to its own supporters."
Actually, anti-Blackness has everything to do with Sri Lanka
"As long as colonial legacies continue to govern our sense of identity, politics, and society. . . we will continue to be complicit in anti-Blackness."
