Dear Friends,
I hope this finds you very well. According to the Economist, nearly two billion people in more than 70 countries will head to the polls in 2024. Almost all South Asian nations will have elections, including Sri Lanka. The election year will impact domestic and regional stability.
During the final quarter of 2023, I travelled to nine countries: the UK, Iceland, Netherlands, China, Bangladesh, India, Thailand, UAE and Sri Lanka. German Southeast Asia Centre(CPG), Thammasat University in Thailand, honoured me with the position of Senior Research Fellow.
My recent book 'Teardrop Diplomacy' was discussed in Thailand and Sri Lanka. The leader of the opposition, Hon.Sajith Premadasa, Dr Jehan Perera from the National Peace Council, and Sankhitha Gunaratne from Transparency International discussed my book. I thank them for their valuable insights. Sri Lankan opposition leader emphasised the "significance of expert-driven foreign policy and used the Yoshida Doctrine as a shining example of how tactical economic growth can be achieved through masterful public policy decisions". Here is the link for the Sri Lankan local news capturing the event.
At Cambridge University's 40th Economic Crime Symposium, I presented a perspective on 'Economic Crime and the Integrity of Law Enforcement Agencies in Sri Lanka'. Attending the Belt & Road Forum in Beijing, my paper on China's Shared Future was published by Xinhua Institute. In Dhaka, along with regional security experts, I discussed the Security Trends & Challenges in South Asia. I presented a Sri Lankan perspective at the first edition of the 'Chanakya Defence Dialogue' organised by the Indian Army in New Delhi and participated in the World Economic Forum in Dubai and New York.
I had the opportunity to meet with Sri Lankan President, Foreign Minister, Opposition Leader, Governor of the Central Bank in Sri Lanka, Founder of the World Economic Forum(WEF), Prof.Klaus Schwab, President of WEF Børge Brende, former Japanese Prime Minister H.E.Hatoyama, Prof.Kishore Mahbubani and many more who shared their geopolitical views with me. When I reflect, most interactions were unique & memorable; for example, my meeting with Prof Mahbubani was in a mini-bus travelling at a snail's pace in Beijing traffic for nearly an hour, and the rest of the seats were occupied by several former President's of Eastern Europe sharing the success of BRI in their own countries. Another memorable moment was meeting my friend Félix Maradiaga, who was released from a Nicaraguan exile.
I travelled to Sri Lanka in October after two years. The day I arrived in Colombo, a Chinese Research Ship, Shi Yan 6, arrived at Colombo Port, raising security concerns for New Delhi. The Diplomat article by Rathindra Kuruwita quoted me on the Chinese Research Ship in Sri Lanka.
The cost of living in Sri Lanka has increased significantly with rising Poverty & unbearable cost of living with an increase in crime rate, & much more social distress was captured from my interviews with government officials, politicians and civil society actors. The rise in electricity tariffs impacted 500,000 houses, disconnecting electricity. Even with IMF relief of $337m, the domestic economy is still struggling, and political instability is evident. The Sri Lankan crisis was captured in the IMF's Governance Diagnostic report. Sri Lanka was the first country in Asia to undergo the IMF Diagnostic exercise, to which I had the unique opportunity to contribute as a Technical Advisor for the report. Further, to understand the underlying challenges read the US Foreign Relations Committee report highlighting "corruption, financial mismanagement, failures in the rule of law, and predatory lending associated with China".
The Fund for Peace, in its Fragile State Index(FSI), identified Sri Lanka as one of the worst states in 2023. I analysed Sri Lanka and Myanmar's fragility with geopolitics and China's interest, published by NESA. Global Strat View published my commentary on the Sri Lankan President's new China tilt. Further, I have written on global geopolitical trends from the war in GAZA to the APEC meeting of Biden & Xi.
As always, you can keep up with my latest writings, appearances, book talks and analysis at www.asangaabey.com and find me on social media. Please visit South Asia Foresight Network(SAFN), our South Asia think tank in Washington DC, to read the latest commentaries on Maldives, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and India.
Thank you for subscribing to my mailing list; if you receive this quarterly newsletter and have not subscribed, I invite you to join today.
Thank you for all the kind support extended to my work in 2023!
I wish you and your family a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Warm Regards,
Asanga Abeyagoonasekera
