History and Culture

Factum Perspective: When Conflict Becomes Routine: Structural Complacency in South Asia

History and Culture, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJanuary 18, 2026473Views 2Likes 0Comments

Written by Tarun Perera South Asia is routinely portrayed as one of the world’s most unstable regions, due to it being the location of nuclear rivalry, a hotspot for radicalized militant groups, and a geopolitical landscape where some of the most intractable territorial disputes in modern international politics remain unresolved. Despite the frequent escalation dynamics and internal…

Factum Perspective: The Clash of Civilisations and New Identity Conflicts in Global Politics

History and Culture, Peace and ConflictOctober 26, 2025783Views 0Likes 0Comments

Written By M.Kasun Sankalpa The current world is marked by a series of long-standing and destructive conflicts that threaten to reshape the global balance of power. Examples include the Israel–Palestine conflict in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine in Eastern Europe, and the border tensions between India and Pakistan in South Asia. Each of…

Factum Perspective: How a Colonial Scar Is Driving Afghanistan and Pakistan to War

History and Culture, International Development, Peace and ConflictOctober 19, 2025686Views 3Likes 0Comments

By Uthpala Wijesooriya The night sky over Kabul on October 9, 2025, was torn apart by explosions. The unacknowledged airstrikes, which Islamabad later framed as a counter-terrorism operation targeting the leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), were a shocking escalation. For the first time, a regional power had struck the Afghan capital. The Taliban’s response…

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.…

Factum Perspective: Lions, enchantresses, and princesses – The Mythic DNA of the Sinhalese Origin Story

History and Culture, Peace and ConflictAugust 3, 2025962Views 0Likes 0Comments

Vinod Moonesinghe The chapters relating to the Sinhalese settlement of Sri Lanka in the Mahavamsa have sparked debates over its historicity, often polarising scholars. However, neither side understands the text as a historical narrative interwoven with mythological elements, reflecting broader Indo-European traditions. It should be remembered that the author of the Mahavamsa (like the slightly…

Factum Perspective: Caught in the Crossfire – Sri Lanka Amid the India-Pakistan Conflict

History and Culture, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJuly 6, 20251KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Hirun Matheesha Two months ago, Sri Lanka found itself in a particularly delicate diplomatic position as a result of the sharp rise in tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam attacks. Sri Lanka has long taken pride in remaining non-aligned with rival regional powers. Yet throughout its modern history, it has been caught…

Factum Perspective: Pageant diplomacy and women’s empowerment – Pleasing yet paradoxical

History and CultureJune 15, 2025951Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Chathushika Wijeyesinghe The recently concluded Miss World 2025 contest sparked a discussion in Sri Lanka, seemingly for two reasons. The first reason was the pre-hyped publicity given by the organizers. This hype lasted up to eight months. The second reason is that, after many years, Sri Lanka had its hopes high for the Sri…

Factum Perspective: The Meaning of Bandung in our Times

History and Culture, International Development, Peace and ConflictMay 25, 20252KViews 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 Perspective: Decolonisation Delayed – The Ongoing Struggle for the Chagos Islands

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, History and Culture, Maritime Security, Regional GeopoliticsMarch 30, 2025975Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Hannes Romare Exclusive to Factum from EPIS Thinktank on Foreign and Security Policy The Chagos Islands, or The British Indian Ocean Territory? Is the Chagos archipelago a part of Mauritius or does it belong to the United Kingdom? These questions will soon get a definite answer as a deal on the status of the…

Factum Perspective: Tindals, Dhonis, and Sampans – The interconnectedness of historical Indian Ocean commerce

History and Culture, UncategorizedMarch 3, 20251KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Vinod Moonesinghe In the days of the British Raj, bullock carts were used to transport goods inland and to bring coffee beans (and later tea) from the montane plantations down to Colombo, for shipment overseas. The distance from the coffee plantations to the main seaport of Galle caused the colonial government to override the…

Factum Perspective: Hallyu’s Hold – South Korea’s Cultural Conquest

History and Culture, UncategorizedFebruary 23, 20251KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By Deshani Samaragunarathna The world has been Hallyu-woodised! From the global phenomenon of K-pop groups like BTS and Blackpink (and their passionate fandoms) to the record-breaking success of K-dramas like Squid Game, South Korea has rapidly emerged as a global force, shaping not only the economic and political landscape but also significantly influencing popular culture…

Factum Perspective: Putting Jimmy Carter in Perspective

History and Culture, Peace and ConflictFebruary 2, 2025833Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Aakil Riyaz Jimmy Carter Jr., the 39th President of the US, was born on October 1, 1924. He stands out in American history as the longest-living former president. Carter’s accession to the Oval Office in 1977 came after a decisive victory over Gerald Ford, which marked a rupture in US politics. Carter’s presidency was…