Factum LK – Page 5

Factum Perspective: Bright Potential, Dark Policy: The Cost of Rolling Back Energy Reform in Sri Lanka

Climate and environmentSeptember 14, 20252KViews 5Likes 0Comments

By Verangika Upananda Earlier this year, a nationwide blackout was famously triggered when a monkey entered a substation, highlighting the grid's continued instability. Blackouts, unpredictable supply, and the constant uncertainty of policy decisions demonstrate that Sri Lanka’s energy system is still struggling to keep pace with its ambition to achieve 70% renewable energy by…

Factum Perspective: The Global South’s New Axis? India-China Solidarity in the Era of U.S Protectionism

International Development, Regional GeopoliticsSeptember 7, 2025679Views 1Like 0Comments

By Madhuka Rukmalgama Introduction In 2025, Washington’s decision to dramatically increase tariffs on Indian goods up to 50 per cent, sent shockwaves across markets and strategic capitals alike. Initially targeted at curbing New Delhi’s Russian oil purchases and addressing trade imbalances, the move is producing unanticipated diplomatic reverberations. Rather than consolidating India's ties with the…

Factum Perspective: The Populist Surge, Europe’s Rightward Shift

International Development, Regional GeopoliticsAugust 31, 2025822Views 1Like 0Comments

By Chenuka Elwitigala Introduction to Right-Wing Populism Right-wing populism refers to the political ideology which unifies right-wing politics with the populist rhetoric often dubbed as right-wing nationalism. This rhetoric often reflects the anti-establishment sentiment in politics objecting to the elite capture of power in government and opposing establishment media escalating disconnection from the real people…

Factum Perspective: Mannar Wind Farm: A Green Revolution with Hidden Costs

Climate and environmentAugust 23, 20252KViews 3Likes 0Comments

By Kashia Dias Although a conversion to wind power might sound essential to future-proofing Sri Lanka’s energy systems, the extension of a wind power plant in Mannar has faced opposition by residents, who claim it threatens their environment and livelihoods. At the beginning of August this year, the second phase of the Mannar…

Factum Perspective: Border in Flames: The Thailand–Cambodia Conflict of 2025

History and Culture, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsAugust 16, 20251KViews 1Like 0Comments

By Deveen Balasuriya For over the decades, border between Thailand and Cambodia has been more than just a line on a map. It has been a fault line where history, culture, and politics collide. That tension erupted violently again in mid-2025, resulting in the bloodiest cross-border fighting between the two countries in over a decade.…

Call for Proposals: Countering Content Impacting Electoral Integrity in Sri Lanka

Call for ProposalsMarch 18, 20251KViews 1Like 0Comments

Factum, in collaboration with Democracy Reporting International (DRI), will monitor and analyse online political discourse and elections and report harmful content online (e.g. inauthentic behavior, disinformation and hate speech incidents) to tech platforms. The project is funded by the European Union (EU) and it will implement digital democracy activities in Sri Lanka until 2026. …

Digital Governance and Rights in South Asia, and the Path Forward

Special ReportsMarch 14, 20252KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Last year, 12 digital rights organizations across South Asia, including Factum, came together in Kathmandu to exchange lessons and learnings amid rising state-sanctioned and platform-mediated technology authoritarianism in the region. The discussions tackled a broad range of issues, from repressive digital laws and policies to whether or not existing models of platform accountability are working…

The Role of Nitrogen Pollution in Aggravating South Asia’s Climate Crisis

Special ReportsJanuary 25, 20251KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Over the next few years and decades, South Asia is expected to bear the brunt of climate change. In this Paper, authored by Gothamie Weerakoon, PhD of the United Kingdom and Adnan Remat of Pakistan, we explore potential impacts from nitrogen pollution, one of the leading, most distinct contributors to the climate crisis in the…

Factum Perspective: Out of the abyss and into BRICS

Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsOctober 27, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Shiran Illanperuma From October 22 to 24, the 16th BRICS summit was held in Kazan, Russia. Alongside the core group members of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, this year saw the formal addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates. During the summit, another 13 countries, including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand,…

Factum screens “Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines”

Press ReleaseJuly 25, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Colombo City Centre July 25, 2024 The inaugural international screening of "Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines", directed by Beena Sarwar (Sapan News Network and Southasia Peace Action Network) with a grant from the Pulitzer Center and institutional facilitation by Fact, took place on July 25, 2024 at the Colombo City Centre. The…

Factum Perspective: The Future of India-Sri Lanka Economic Relations

Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Regional GeopoliticsJune 16, 20242KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Rumeth Jayasinghe “Blood is thicker than water. It was natural for India to see what it could do to stand by Sri Lanka at this very difficult time” S. Jaishankar Sri Lanka’s relations with India go back a long way. The first inklings of trade consolidated economic, cultural, and religious ties in both countries.…

Factum Perspective: What Raisi’s Death Means

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsMay 26, 20241KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Nilanthan Niruthan The unexpected and tragic death of Ebrahim Raisi reveals the true brutality of geopolitics. While basic compassion dictates that we mourn the loss of human life first, almost all the media coverage on his death has focused instead on the political ramifications of the tragedy. Although unfortunate, this is also inevitable. Iran…