A Crisis of Governance and the Fluidity of Ethnic Identity: Understanding Modern Sri Lanka

Mark Salter, a journalist, analyst, and writer with over 25 years of professional experience in democratization, governance, and post-conflict peacebuilding, speaks to JURIST’s Senior Editor for Long-Form Content, Pitasanna Shanmugathas, about his upcoming book From Independence to Aragalaya: A Modern History of Sri Lanka. In this interview, Salter discusses the complex history of Sri Lanka’s ethnic conflict, examining the role of British colonialism, post-independence governance failures, and the evolution of Tamil political resistance. Drawing on his extensive experience in South Asia—particularly Sri Lanka, where he has lived since 2019—Salter offers insights into how bad governance and corruption have plagued the country for decades, culminating in the 2022 Aragalaya protests.

As the author of the acclaimed To End a Civil War: Norway’s Peace Engagement in Sri Lanka, Salter also reflects on missed opportunities for peace during the civil war, including the challenges of bipartisan political cooperation and the ultimate failure of negotiations between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE. The interview concludes with a discussion of current political dynamics under President Anura Kumara Dissanayake (AKD) and his National People’s Power (NPP) alliance, examining the transformation of the historically anti-Tamil, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), into a coalition that has gained significant support in Tamil areas while facing challenges in delivering promised constitutional reforms..…| read more on JURIST news