Regional Geopolitics – Page 5

Factum Special Perspective: Sri Lanka’s trilemma

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Health and Economic Cooperation, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJuly 26, 2023549Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya Sri Lanka’s future lies in its ability to balance the three great powers in – and not of – the Indian Ocean: India, China, and the US, and in that order. Its dilemma has something to do with it being a small state, but more importantly with it being a small state…

Factum Perspective: Putting de-dollarization in perspective

Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Regional GeopoliticsJuly 23, 20232KViews 3Likes 3Comments

By Rumeth Jayasinghe “Our country is crashing and will soon no longer be the world standard, which will be our greatest defeat frankly in 200 years. There will be no defeat like that will take us away from being even a great power.” Donald Trump In its simplest sense, de-dollarization refers to the global shift…

Factum Perspective: Ranil Wickremesinghe’s mission to New Delhi

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Health and Economic Cooperation, International Development, Regional GeopoliticsJuly 16, 2023512Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya On July 2 and 3, Factum held its first Ambassadors’ Day at the Kataragama Esala Perahera. The event was attended by the Bangladeshi High Commissioner and the First Secretary to the Maldivian High Commission on the first day, and the Thai Ambassador on the second, which coincided with the final night of…

Factum Perspective: Modi in the White House – The role of China in Indo-US relations

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsJuly 9, 2023458Views 0Likes 0Comments

By P. K. Balachandran China’s aggressive posturing on the Sino-Indian border, its support to Pakistan-based anti-Indian Islamic terrorists, and its bid to encircle India in South Asia, are key factors pushing India into the waiting arms of the United States. But India is not entirely comfortable in the American embrace. And the reason, again, is…

Factum Perspective: Thai elections – A challenge to the military

Regional GeopoliticsMay 28, 20233KViews 0Likes 0Comments

By P. K. Balachandran In the May 14 elections to Thailand’s House of Representatives, the youth-led progressive Move Forward Party (MFP) emerged as the single largest group, getting 151 seats of the 500 up for grabs. The Pheu Thai party got 141, the Bhumijaithai 71, the United Thai Nation 36, the Democrat 25, and the…

Factum Special Perspective: Taiwan as a tool in the Indo-Pacific

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsMay 10, 2023901Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya During a recent conference at the Milken Institute, US Congressman Seth Moulton contended that if the Chinese army invaded Taiwan, the US should not hesitate to blow up Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). Moulton’s remarks were immediately noted by Taiwanese authorities. On Monday, May 8, the country’s Minister of National…

Factum Perspective: The impact of Vesak on international relations

History and Culture, Peace and Conflict, Regional Geopolitics, UncategorizedMay 7, 2023836Views 1Like 1Comment

By Vinod Moonesinghe The festival of Vesak celebrates the birth, enlightenment (nibbana), and demise (Parinibbana) of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, also known as Sakyamuni Buddha. It may be compared to a combined festival of Christmas, the Theophany, and Easter for Christians, or the Prophet's birthday, Hajj, and Ramazan for Muslims. Also known as Buddha Day,…

Factum Perspective: Reviewing a year in crisis

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsApril 30, 20232KViews 7Likes 1Comment

Photo by Dhananjaya Samarakoon By Rumeth Jayasinghe On March 31, 2022, Sri Lankans stormed the streets and held demonstrations in front of the then President’s private residence in Mirihana, demanding his resignation. The protest remained largely peaceful, until police attacked the protestors with tear gas and water cannons. It marked the beginning of a series…

Factum Perspective: Rethinking US-Sri Lanka ties

Belt Road Initiative and Indo-Pacific Policy, History and Culture, Regional GeopoliticsApril 24, 2023646Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Uditha Devapriya During a visit to Sri Lanka on December 14, 2015, then US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Designate Thomas Shannon announced the launch of the first US-Sri Lanka Partnership Dialogue. The Dialogue, held in February the following year at Washington , sought to enhance cooperation between the two…

Factum Special Perspective: The troubled history of Sri Lanka – DPRK relations

History and Culture, Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsApril 5, 2023571Views 0Likes 1Comment

By Chandani Kirinde The emphasis of the United Front (UF) government of Mrs Sirimavo Bandaranaike, which took office in May 1970, was to forge a new foreign policy that would move away from the pro-West policies of the UNP government, replacing them with a policy of non-alignment. While, theoretically, the focus was on non-alignment, in…

Factum Special Perspective: Safeguarding Sri Lanka

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsFebruary 22, 2023951Views 0Likes 0Comments

Read this article in Tamil: vidiyal.lk/post/--2816 By Vinod Moonesinghe Sri Lanka has, for 75 years, faced many internal and external threats, ranging from civil unrest, through insurgencies and military coup attempts, to overt acts of war or more subtle economic sabotage or sanctions by foreign powers. It has met them with varying degrees of…

Factum Perspective: The Chinese “spy balloon” saga

Peace and Conflict, Regional GeopoliticsFebruary 19, 20231KViews 0Likes 1Comment

Read this article in Tamil: vidiyal.lk/post/--2821 By Rathindra Kuruwita On February 1, 2023, former editor of Billings Gazette Chase Doak and Billings Gazette photographer Larry Mayer snapped a large flying object over Billings, Montana. Doak had initially thought it was a UFO. The photographs were published in the Gazette, and were soon picked up…