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

Maritime Security, Peace and Conflict, Regional Geopolitics, UncategorizedApril 6, 2025206Views 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…

Factum Perspective: Starlink in the Global South

Peace and Conflict, Science and Technology, Tech Cooperation, UncategorizedMarch 23, 2025264Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Brayan Jayawardhana Two weeks ago, on March 10, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sirkorski took to X to respond to Elon Musk’s claim that Ukraine’s “entire front line” would collapse if he turned Starlink off. Sirkorski, who seemed agitated if not angry, tweeted that Poland was paying for Starlink’s use in Ukraine, and that if…

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

History and Culture, UncategorizedMarch 3, 2025321Views 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, 2025201Views 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: Tourism in Sri Lanka: Learning from Thailand

History and Culture, UncategorizedDecember 29, 2024277Views 1Like 0Comments

By Britney Martil Sri Lanka’s tourism industry is on the cusp of a significant revival, driven by a renewed national commitment to leverage tourism as a key pillar of economic recovery. With its rich cultural heritage, breathtaking landscapes, and diverse attractions, the country has immense potential to position itself as a global tourism hotspot. The…

Factum Perspective: The Need for an Integrated Border Management System

Peace and Conflict, Regional Geopolitics, UncategorizedDecember 22, 2024289Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathne (Retd.) The launch of the book Labour Migrants from South Asia: Issues and Concerns (Consortium of South Asian Think Tanks: COSATT), on November 12, 2024, in Colombo, Sri Lanka got me thinking more about the subject, as the discussions during the ceremony highlighted various concerns on the question of…

Factum Perspective: In Sri Lanka, a new era of governance

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedNovember 24, 2024379Views 2Likes 0Comments

By Dulmi Thimansa On November 14, 2024, Sri Lanka held its first parliamentary elections after a four-year interval. The National People’s Power (NPP), also known as Jathika Jana Balawegaya, emerged as the dominant political force. The party secured 141 seats in parliament along with an additional 18 seats from the national list, for a total…

Factum Perspective: 2024 Sri Lankan Elections – The Momentous Rise of the Populist Left

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedOctober 13, 2024994Views 1Like 0Comments

By Ramindu Perera On September 23, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the 56-year-old leftist leader of the National People Power (NPP), was sworn in as President of Sri Lanka. The presidential election was a three-cornered contest between former President Ranil Wickremasinghe who stood for the elections as an independent candidate, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi…

Factum Special Perspective: Ethnic dimensions of the Sri Lankan presidential election

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedOctober 10, 2024394Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Sivashanti Sivalingam The 2024 Presidential Election in Sri Lanka brought significant shifts in voting patterns, particularly in the Tamil-speaking regions of the North, East, and Central Provinces, showcasing the aspirations of the minorities to be heard, yet again. Sajith Premadasa, a Sinhala politician, secured substantial support from the Tamil community despite ethnic divides. The…

Factum Perspective: Presidential Elections in Sri Lanka – Key Takeaways

Peace and Conflict, Regional Geopolitics, UncategorizedOctober 6, 2024495Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Mohamed Shafkath and Dulmi Thimansa On September 21, 2024, Sri Lankans elected their ninth Executive President, Dissanyaka Mudiyansalage Anura Kumara Dissanayake. His win was not a simple victory; rather, a phenomenal one. Dissanayake managed to secure 5,634,915 votes in the first preference votes itself, leading by more than a million votes than the candidate…

Factum Special Perspective: The Opening of a New Political Leadership and Political Culture in Sri Lanka

Regional Geopolitics, UncategorizedOctober 3, 2024743Views 0Likes 0Comments

By Rear Admiral Y. N. Jayarathna (Retd) The recently held presidential election in Sri Lanka has opened the doors for a new and younger political leadership in the island nation. Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s ascension from a third-party candidacy to President was not a journey of comfort and pleasure, since along the way he was pitted…

Factum Perspective: The Political Costs of Austerity Measures and Relevance of Ethno-electoral Blocs

Peace and Conflict, UncategorizedSeptember 20, 2024333Views 0Likes 0Comments

Harindra B Dassanayake On Saturday, that is tomorrow, Sri Lanka will vote to elect a president amid its first ever sovereign debt default as an independent nation. This election ends the four-year absence of any form of national or subnational election since 2020. During this period, the country experienced many extreme events such as the…