Self-Destruction of Sri Lanka
By George Katsiaficas
Overview:
This short book was written in December 2014 after a month-long research trip to Sri Lanka. Soon thereafter, President Mahinda Rajapaksa was ousted in a surprise election defeat. By 2022, the Rajapaksa family was back in power, with Mahinda’s brother Gotabaya as president, and other brothers as finance minister, prime minister and agriculture minister. A nephew is sports minister. Their corrupt policies have led the country to its worst financial crisis in history. Necessities such as fuel, medicines and even paper are in short supply. Militant and increasingly large protests occur, but as of April 25, 2022, they have failed to oust the Rajapaksa clan. I locate present troubles with a long history of self-destructive behavior by the island’s elites. My heartfelt thanks to all those who helped me better understand the complicated past and troubling future prospects.