National Press Club member-author writes about Sri Lanka’s struggles in new book

Bea Snyder

April 12, 2022

National Press Club member Asanga Abeyagoonasekera, author of "Conundrum of an Island: Sri Lanka’s Geopolitical Challenges," said he was motivated to write the book after “having first-hand witnessed the almost three-decade civil war, a youth insurrection and narrowly escaping the terror attack on Easter Sunday," that struck three churches and three luxury hotels in 2019.

"I wanted to capture and share the internal and external challenges Sri Lanka was facing,” Abeyagoonasekera told a virtual audience April 6 at a Headliners Member-Author event.

The book reveals domestic political disputes, terrorist attacks and national security challenges faced by Sri Lanka. It delves into security problems that have plagued the country, from dealing with Islamist extremists to “challenges in the aerial, maritime and cyber domains,” Abeyagoonasekera said.

The priority for Sri Lanka is national security both at home and in negotiations with foreign powers, he said. Sri Lanka does not want to be engaged in a major powers game, he added.

Sri Lanka, an island nation located at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, plays a role in world geopolitics as Chinese influence grows in the Indian Ocean region.

“Bombs and elections in South Asia pose a threat in the absence of regional security,” Abeyagoonasekera said.

Amid deteriorating economic conditions, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has refused to step down despite widespread protests and mass resignations from lawmakers, according to the BBC, instead first choosing to impose a curfew, “a draconian emergency law and a ban on social media” but he backed down when protests continued. His next move was to fire everyone in his cabinet except Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is his brother.

“This is an Arab Spring moment to defeat authoritarianism, corruption, and poverty,” Abeyagoonasekera said. He said he hoped the country would move away from ultra-nationalism dominated by irrational decision making.

Sri Lanka’s domestic security was the subject of a series of questions asked by Jerome Glenn, a member of the virtual audience. “Can the military step in to provide national elections?” he asked. Abeyagoonasekera answered that parliament still functions and can call a national election, noting that although the opposition party has a plurality, there are 20 candidates vying for power and thus far no one has lined up behind one candidate, consequently diluting support for the opposition.

Nilanthi Samaranayake, another member of the audience, asked about the delays in the ports and how these delays affect the domestic population. This situation has created shortages of imported food and goods and emphasized the importance of the ports, Abeyagoonasekera replied.

Joe Motheral, chair of the Member-Author Group, introduced Abeyagoonasekera, a Sri Lankan native, journalist and activist.

The Club’s Member Authors Group sponsored the event. The group produces events for Club members to promote their recently published books. The group usually meets – currently virtually -- at noon on the second Tuesday of the month. To inquire about the group, contact Joe Motheral at [email protected].