Sri Lanka spotlight: From crisis to 2024 election

Southasia Weekly - 10 April 2026. We've got Southasia covered. Support independent Southasian journalism. Support Himal.
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Sri Lanka’s battles over free education – Southasia Weekly #113

By
Raisa Wickrematunge
Pakistan brokers US-Iran ceasefire, violence in Manipur flares up again, electoral roll revisions in West Bengal and more
Wife of missing Sri Lankan cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda, Sandhya and media activists at a Black January vigil to commemorate abducted, tortured and killed Sri Lankan journalists. The vigil is at Viharamahadevi Park in Colombo, and it is evening. The Buddha statue at the park can be seen in the backdrop. Sandya holds a poster of her husband's face saying 'Disappearance of Prageeth, government is silent' in one hand, and a candle in the other.
Reportage

The battle for justice for the disappeared Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda

By
Dileesha Abeysundara
Sixteen years after Prageeth Ekneligoda’s abduction, his wife Sandya continues to fight for justice for him amid ongoing impunity for crimes against journalists in Sri Lanka under Anura Kumara Dissana ...
A schoolboy wearing a face mask and uniform walks past a colourful Sinhala-language mural featuring illustrated students.
Politics

The battle for the ideals of free education in Sri Lanka

By
Dhanuka Bandara
Angela W Little’s book spans the original vision and contemporary debates around Sri Lanka’s system of free education, but fails to fully capture its intertwined dynamics of learning, politics and nat ...
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The Southasian death toll in the Russia-Ukraine war – Footnotes

By
Raisa Wickrematunge
We take you behind the scenes on reporting new data from Ukraine revealing the death toll of Southasians fighting for Russia in the Russia-Ukraine war
Sri Lankans top the tally of deaths among Southasians killed fighting for Russia in the Russo-Ukrainian war, with at least 275 citizens killed in action according to new data provided by Ukraine. Suranjith Karunanayake (left) served in the Russian military for a year before his disappearance in mid 2025 after alleging theft by his commander.
Politics

Revealed: At least 455 Southasians killed fighting for Russia in Ukraine war, Ukraine says

By
Saroj Pathirana
New data from Ukraine shows Sri Lankans top Southasian death toll, accounting for 275 of 455 killed, while Southasian fighters and their families report human trafficking and coercion in recruitment
Southasia Weekly 20 February 2026. The only way to see Southasia. Support independent journalism. Become a Patron today.
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🇮🇳 🤖 Reality check at India’s AI summit – Southasia Weekly #106

By
Raisa Wickrematunge
Hype vs reality at India’s AI summit, Sri Lanka eliminates pensions for MPs, explosions and a gun battle in northwest Pakistan and more
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