Time may be running out for meaningful reforms, and transitional justice remains just out of reach.
by Alan Keenan, ‘The Diplomat,’ Tokyo, February 1, 2017
Sri Lanka’s Transition to Nowhere – Alan Keenan – Diplomat – Feb 2017
The momentum of the early months soon slowed, as deep political dysfunctions reasserted themselves in the face of reforms meant to shake up entrenched political practices and policies. Two years on, the bloom is off. Time is running out for any reform at all. Government leaders should remember how easily they were sidelined when Rajapaksa’s triumphalist majoritarian politics held sway. For their own survival and to deliver on at least some of their big promises, they must collectively reject narrow chauvinistic politics and daily bickering and invest their remaining political capital in promoting an inclusive vision to build a more accountable political order and mitigate the risk of future conflict.
Alan Keenan is a senior analyst and Sri Lanka project director with the International Crisis Group.