Factum Perspectives

Factum Perspective: The curious case of the “Online Safety Act”

Science and Technology, Tech Cooperation2 days ago93Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Darshatha Gamage The Online Safety Act No 9 of 2024 stands as one of the most debated and contentious pieces of legislation in Sri Lanka’s recent history. Gazetted on September 15, 2023, under the directive of the Ministry of Public Security, the Act was introduced with the stated objective of preventing the misuse of…

Factum Perspective: The Meaning of Bandung in our Times

History and Culture, International Development, Peace and ConflictMay 25, 2025285Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Ramindu Perera This year marks the 70th anniversary of the 1955 historic Afro-Asian Conference convened in the city of Bandung, Indonesia. The conference brought together delegates from 29 countries representing Asia and Africa. Most of them were newly independent states, having recently emerged from colonial rule. During the conference, delegates deliberated on the need…

Factum Special Perspective: The Politics and Geopolitics of Memory

Peace and ConflictMay 24, 202572Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya The response in Sri Lanka to the unveiling of a genocide monument in Brampton, Canada is predictable, but troubling. For its part the response of the government, led by a left-radical outfit which prided itself, before elections last year, on doing things differently, has opted for continuity from previous regimes. While there…

Factum Perspective: From Hashtags to Ballot Boxes – The Digital Battle for Australia 2025

Regional GeopoliticsMay 18, 2025138Views 1Like 0Comments

By Chenuka Elwitigala “They are delulu with no solulu, Mr Speaker.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese grabbed attention of netizens worldwide with this statement, a rather irresistible dish of Gen Z slang, during his 2025 budget speech. Within hours, memes flooded TikTok and Instagram reels spread far and wide, and the phrase was trending worldwide.…

Factum Perspective: When Borders Boil, Rivers Run Dry – Kashmir Tensions Shake India-Pakistan Water Diplomacy

Climate and environment, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsMay 11, 2025172Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Lakmali Bhagya Manamperi On April 22, a deadly terrorist attack in the Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, located in Indian-administered Jammu & Kashmir, resulted in the deaths of 26 individuals, the majority of whom were Indian tourists. This marked the deadliest incident in the contested territory since the 2019 Pulwama bombing, where a suicide attack…

Factum Special Perspective: Tempting Escalation – After Operation Sindoor

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsMay 9, 2025189Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya With India and Pakistan baying for each other’s blood and the media in both countries, and particularly in India, beating war drums, it would be futile to expect a lessening of tensions overnight. The problem is that this is not the world of 2016 or 2019: when disputes between the two countries…

Factum Perspective: Pope Francis and the Compassionate Papacy

Peace and ConflictMay 4, 2025177Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Dulmi Thimansa Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the late Pope Francis, was born on December 16, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He was the son of Italian immigrants who had settled in Argentina in search of a better life. After completing his secondary education, he pursued studies to become a chemical technician and worked for a…

Factum Perspective: India and Pakistan – The Razor’s Edge

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsApril 27, 2025186Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya Last week’s attacks in Kashmir have left India and Pakistan in a tangled web. More than anything, there remains a big question mark over the future of their relations with each other and the impact this is bound to have on South Asia and the wider geopolitics of Asia. The attacks in…

Factum Perspective: Facing the Far Right – Rethinking Sri Lanka’s Foreign Policy

Health and Economic Cooperation, Peace and ConflictApril 20, 2025281Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Nimendra Mawalagedara The recently imposed US tariffs on Sri Lanka are not merely an economic challenge - they are a signal of a transformation in the contemporary global political landscape. These tariffs should not be understood merely as trade measures, but also as political symbols that reflect the Trump administration’s broader diplomatic style, characterized…

Factum Perspective: Trump Tariffs and Sri Lankan Agrifood Exports to the US

Health and Economic CooperationApril 12, 2025324Views 2Likes 0Comments

By Lahiru Thilakarathna Is the Sri Lankan agrifood export sector in trouble due to the ongoing tariff encounters with the United States, and if so, to what extent? The answer depends on several factors, and a precise quantitative forecast of the effects is not possible given insufficient data. However, a general forecast of outcomes can…

Factum Special Perspective: Trump Tariffs Signal Increase in Geopolitical Tensions

Health and Economic Cooperation, International DevelopmentApril 9, 2025384Views 1Like 0Comments

By Dinouk Colombage Coated under the guise of economic rebalancing, the US tariffs have been described as a complete disregard of the rule-based order (RBO) that has governed global politics since the conclusion of the Second World War. On April 2, Donald Trump unveiled what he termed “reciprocal tariffs” for over 90 countries including China,…

Factum Perspective: Katchatheevu and the Indian Media – Some Candid Reflections

Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional Geopolitics, UncategorizedApril 6, 2025296Views 2Likes 0Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd.) The St Anthony’s Church festival in Katchatheevu recently wrapped up for the year. As has been the case for the past many years, both Sri Lankan and Indian Central governments worked hard to ensure that the festival took place with due respect for religious formalities, involving devotees from…