Writer: Siena Iwasaki Milbauer
Welcome to “Eyes On,” a series from AAOP that provides compact rundowns of important conflicts or crises in our global community.
As engaged youth, it can be hard to stay informed about all that is worth knowing. We hope this series can provide user-friendly but well-rounded summaries of events, and empower youth readers to knowledgeably take action in our world. Check out all our “Eyes On” installments at http://aaopmn.org/tag/eyes-on/
1) In mid-July, a sea of protesters peacefully and somewhat spontaneously stormed the Presidential residence in Colombo, Sri Lanka. This collective action, which was enacted by an ethnically and religiously diverse group and enjoyed broad popular support, succeeded in forcing the resignation of now former-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa (who has since fled the country) as well as his brother, now former-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa.
2) A primary motivator behind this revolutionary act is Sri Lanka’s ongoing economic crisis. A number of factors, including over $50 billion in national debt, tax policies chosen for political advantage rather than economic wisdom, and the effects of the pandemic have created an economic calamity in Sri Lanka. For months, people in Sri Lanka have struggled to access basic needs such as food, fuel, and medicine. Frustration with the former government for being partially responsible for the crisis, and for failing to provide appropriate support during the crisis, led to revolution.
3) The unseating of the Rajapaksa brothers is important historically as well as politically. Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapksa and their allies have been dominant figures in Sri Lanka for decades, weaving in and out of the country’s most powerful political positions. The Rajapaksa’s were also major figures in Sri Lanka’s brutal Civil War (1983-2009). The Tamil Tigers, a fascist fighting force, was defeated by the Sri Lankan Armed Forces while Mahinda Rajapksa was President of Sri Lanka and Gotabaya Rajapaksa was serving in the Ministry of Defense and Urban Development. This brought an end to a conflict in which all parties were accused of perpetuating heinous human rights abuses, including the Tamil Tigers, the Sri Lankan military, and specifically the Rajapksas.
1) For the time being, Ranil Wickremesinghe has been appointed President of Sri Lanka. However, as a close associate of the Rajapksas and a member of the just-ousted government, Wickremesinghe is an unpopular choice among the Sri Lankan people and protests continue. The political situation in Sri Lanka is likely to remain contentious and fluid for months to come, especially as the acting government attempts to tackle the economic crisis.
2) One critical part of tackling the economic crisis is reckoning with the foreign nations that Sri Lanka owes much of its massive debt to (the biggest holders are China and Japan), and to whom Sri Lanka may need to turn for aid and further loans in order to lessen the immediate suffering of the people of Sri Lanka. This is a tough needle to thread. The Sri Lankan government must act immediately to support people during this dire time; many people in Sri Lanka cannot afford to wait for help. However, increasing the nation’s debt is not exactly desirable, and some nations may refuse to loan Sri Lanka anything until major financial restructuring occurs within the government.
As of now, neighboring India has extended a line of credit for the purpose of alleviating economic suffering to Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka is in talks with the Chinese government to negotiate aid despite the Chinese government’s hesitation to loan the Sri Lanakan government additional money. Meanwhile, the West has largely ignored the Sri Lankan crisis, with their attention and economic resources razor-focused on Ukraine. For example, while the U.S. has provided several million dollars in aid to Sri Lanka this year, compare this to India’s 2.2 billion in aid. How this geo-political and economic dance between Sri Lanka and the rest of the world plays itself out will have major impacts on Sri Lankan life and politics, as well as global relationships between nations.
Donate: If you are able and interested in providing financial support to folks struggling during the economic crisis, here is a collection of groups and individuals organizing aid efforts on the ground.
Listen and amplify: Listen to the demands of the people of Sri Lanka and amplify their voices (through social media and everyday conversation) as they continue to fight for safety, equity, and a worthy government.
Learn: As folks who, in ways big and small, are also engaging in change-making action, there is so much to learn from the revolution in Sri Lanka, a largely peaceful event organized by a diverse coalition of people in the midst of a humanitarian crisis. The innovation and determination of Sri Lankan activists, organizers, and ordinary folks working for change is a blueprint for us all.
Sources
Chakraborty, Subhayan. “India May Provide Emergency Food Aid to Sri Lanka as Situation Worsens.” Money Control, 12 July 2022, https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/economy/exclusive-india-may-provide-emergency-food-aid-to-sri-lanka-as-situation-worsens-8811051.html. Accessed 4 Aug 2022.
Chotiner, Isaac. “The Hope and Fear of the Sri Lankan Protest Movement.” The New Yorker, 22 July 2022, https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/the-hope-and-fear-of-the-sri-lankan-protest-movement. Accessed 2 Aug 2022.
Lopez, German. “Sri Lanka’s Uprising.” The New York Times, 24 July 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/24/briefing/sri-lanka-crisis.html. Accessed 2 Aug 2022.
Lun Tian, Yew. “Sri Lanka Asks China for Help with Trade, Investment, and Tourism.” Reuters, 25 July 2022, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/sri-lanka-asks-china-help-with-trade-investment-tourism-2022-07-25/. Accessed 2 Aug 2022.
Mallawarachi, Bharatha; Francis, Krishan; Kurtenbach, Elainne (Associated Press). “Sri Lankans Bide Time as Leaders Seek Fix for Economic Woes.” ABC, 2 Aug 2022, https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/sri-lankans-bide-time-leaders-seek-fix-economic-87788679. Accessed 2 Aug 2022.
Mogul, Rhea. “Sri Lankan Parliament Elects Ranil Wickremesinghe as President, but Some Protesters Vow to Fight On.” CNN, 20 July 2022, https://www.cnn.com/2022/07/20/asia/sri-lanka-presidential-election-result-intl-hnk/index.html. Accessed 2 Aug 2022.
Senanayake, Devana. “Inside Sri Lanka’s Devastating Economic Crisis.” Foreign Policy, 18 July 2022, https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/07/18/sri-lanka-economic-fuel-crisis-mass-protests-wickremesinghe-rajapaksa-politics/. Accessed 2 Aug 2022.“
The United States Announces Nearly $12 Million in Assistance to Respond to Sri Lanka’s Deteriorating Food Security and Economic Crises.” USAid, 21 June 2022, https://www.usaid.gov/news-information/press-releases/jun-21-2022-united-states-announces-nearly-12-million-assistance-respond-sri-lanka-crises. Accessed 4 Aug 2022. Press release.