Crisis in Sri Lanka: Aragalaya, Lankan democracy at a crossroads

Asia’s oldest democracy has had a long history of ethnic conflict and corruption at the highest levels of the state. In response to the harshest economic crisis their country has ever experienced, Lankans took to the street last year, launching a protest movement called ‘Aragalaya’ (Sinhala for ‘struggle’). In a headline-grabbing turn of events, the protesters managed to oust the ruling Rajapaksa family, with the hope for system change. But one year later, the epilogue is bittersweet. In this last episode of the MD’s series on Sri Lanka, Jonathan explores the political aspect of the crisis. They tell the story of the Aragalaya with the help of anecdotes from activist Father Rohan Silva, chairman of the Centre for Society and Religion; and they discuss what’s next for Lankan democracy with Dr. Asanga Welikala, senior lecturer at the University of Edinburgh’s School of Law.Link to sources: https://linktr.ee/lkpodcast3