Europe Solidaire Sans Frontières
, by KADIRGAMAR Ahilan
Since the end of the war, Sri Lanka’s economy is being transformed through a rapid process of financialisation. Such widespread financialisation facilitated infrastructure development, a real estate boom linked to urbanisation and expansion of credit leading to increasing indebtedness of the (…)
, by Socialist Peoples’ Forum (LK)
Charith Dilshan, an engineering student of the Sabaragamuwa University, ended his life by suicide after severe ragging by members of the student body. We stand with the family of Charith Dilshan in their fight for justice and demand an independent impartial inquiry into the tragedy. The (…)
, by Coalition of Trade Unions and Mass Movements
On May 4th, 1896, workers in Chicago held a protest at Haymarket Square demanding an eight hour workday. However, faced with brutal police attacks, these workers sacrificed their lives to make the eight hour workday a reality. In Sri Lanka and around the world, all workers enjoy the eight hour (…)
, by PHILIPS Rajan
In a powerful convergence of history and remembrance, a recent gathering in Colombo honored the life of Kumar David, whose passing last October left an indelible void in Sri Lanka’s intellectual and political landscape. This article explores the celebration of life held on April 5th—a date of (…)
, by SILVAPULLE Taniya
Introduction
On 2 April 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced the ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs, imposing trade measures on partners across the globe. The policy included a baseline 10% tariff on all imports, along with strict, country-specific ‘reciprocal tariffs’ aimed at reciprocating (…)
1. Introduction
‘Budget 2025’ – delivered before parliament on 17 February by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) in his capacity as Minister of Finance and passed on 21 March – is the first concretisation of the economic agenda of the new government in national office. Prima facie, it is (…)
, by LECAMWASAM Hasini, PERERA Kaushalya
The public discourse on higher education in Sri Lanka cleaves along the false dichotomy of public versus private universities, which masks the many subtle ways and forms in which privatisation of higher education manifests. This misunderstanding has allowed policy makers to introduce or push (…)
In his spirited Budget speech, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake described the priority for the first Budget of the NPP Government as thus: “Mass struggles and last year’s election saw people asserting their political rights. What is necessary is for economic rights to be similarly asserted. (…)
, by The Feminist Collective for Economic Justice
The 2025 budget reflects the constraints placed by the IMF. It does not deviate from the previous austerity budgets we have experienced since the economic crisis. Half of the expenditure allocated is for debt servicing and the amount allocated for public investment is negligible.
While the (…)
, by TOUSSAINT Éric
Éric Toussaint reviews the situation in Sri Lanka since 2022. From the popular revolts to the new centre-Left government elected in late 2024 and the negotiations with the creditors, this overview provides a better understanding of a country whose social, economic and political situation has (…)
, by Movement for People’s Council (Sri Lanka)
Following is a public petition from the Movement for People’s Council to repeal the PTA and remove VAT, signed by more than 1,300 people, and handed over February 11 to the Presidential Secretariat
The main objective in passing the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) of 1979 was to suppress the (…)
, by BIYANWILA Janaka
Sri Lanka has embarked on a democratic transition following the election of a new president in September last year, then a new parliament in November. The ruling party, National Peoples Power (NPP), increased its seats from 3 to 159, forming a majority in the 225-seat parliament.
Despite this (…)
, by The Island
The JVP-led NPP government has announced certified prices of paddy at long last. Minister of Agriculture K. D. Lalkantha said yesterday that the Paddy Marketing Board (PMB) would purchase nadu, samba and keeri samba varieties at Rs. 120, Rs. 125 and Rs. 132 a kilo, respectively. Curiously, there (…)
, by GUNAWARDENA Charith
Sri Lanka has agreed with the International Monetary Fund to raise the withholding tax on deposits from 5% to 10%, while providing exemptions for lower-income brackets. The Government should consider higher rates for dividend payments, royalties, rent and sale of real estate. Revise withholding (…)
, by SENANAYAKE Devana
During the 2024 Generation Pride march, participants held up posters demanding labour rights and abortion rights, and chanted in solidarity with Palestine. As part of the ongoing struggle for the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships, Sri Lankan activists across generations are continuing (…)
The political movement in Ceylon against British rule began on the 2nd March of 1915, exactly 100 years after losing independence to the British in 1815. A group of educated youth, led by A.E. Goonesinha, a 24-year-old from Kandy, gathered in the Pettah Public Library and founded the Young Lanka (…)
, by MOORE Mick
How did spectacular fiscal incompetence and a revolution replace the old political elite and ruling class with the new National People’s Power government?
It is not quite a miracle. But it is certainly a very impressive turnaround. From around 1970 until 2021, Sri Lanka seemed to be on an (…)
, by Daily FT
While the world continues to progress towards greater acceptance of diverse sexual orientations, Sri Lanka remains steadfast in holding on to colonial-era laws that criminalise same-sex relations. As neighbouring Thailand, the largest Theravada Buddhist country in the world, this week took a (…)
, by KUMARASINGHE Uditha, SILVA Tilvin
Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva in an interview with the Sunday Observer shared his perspectives on the current political developments in the country and the Government’s way forward. He said during its short tenure in office, the Government has put an end to the (…)
, by DASSANAYAKE Harindra B, GAMAGE Rajni
In an effort to rally the momentum gathered during the election campaigns, the National People’s Power (NPP) Government launched Clean Sri Lanka as its flagship project on 1 January.
At its opening ceremony, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake announced that the aim of the project was to make (…)
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