Repression of dissent on the rise as Sri Lanka nears elections

INFORM Human Rights Documentation Centre have just released their regular monthly report on repression of dissent in Sri Lanka for the month of May. It records an alarming uptick in incidents when compared to previous months. The graphs below illustrate some of the...

Sri Lanka’s slide into authoritarianism

Last Tuesday, on 2 June, Sri Lanka entered a period of unconstitutional executive rule. Following its dissolution for elections on 2 March, the country’s Parliament has now been suspended for more than the three-month period specified by the Constitution. Although...

Chilling effects under Sri Lanka’s new President

It’s been just under three weeks since Gotabaya Rajapaksa became President of Sri Lanka, and already there are some worrying signs of the chilling effect his victory is having on press freedom and civic space on the island. Several important commentators, from both...

Gotabaya’s Sri Lanka: the risks ahead and how to respond

On Sunday morning, Gotabaya Rajapaksa claimed victory in Sri Lanka’s Presidential elections having obtained 52.25% of the total votes cast. He did so with a significant margin on his closest rival, Sajith Premadasa, who walked away with a vote share of just 41.99%....