DOCSLIB.ORG

BACKGROUNDER No

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
BACKGROUNDER No BACKGROUNDER No. 3393 | MARCH 14, 2019 Sri Lanka: A Test Case for the Free and Open Indo–Pacific Strategy Jeff M. Smith Abstract Sri Lanka, an island nation straddling the Indian Ocean’s crucial trad- Key Points ing routes, witnessed a substantial expansion of Chinese influence during the tenure of President Rajapaksa from 2005 to 2015. Sev- n Sri Lankan–U.S. ties have flour- eral multibillion-dollar Chinese investments in critical infrastructure ished since President Mahinda resulted in the rapid accumulation of debt, “white elephant” projects, Rajapaksa was ousted in 2015. Sri Lanka has become a new and widespread corruption, offering a model case study for the risks logistics hub for the U.S. Navy in associated with China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Since Rajapaksa the Indian Ocean. lost his re-election bid in 2015, Sri Lankan–U.S. relations have flour- n ished, and Sri Lanka has become an important partner in the Trump During the Rajapaksa era, Sri Lanka was saddled with Chinese Administration’s vision for a Free and Open Indo–Pacific. In late 2018, debt and “white elephant” infra- the country’s politics were thrown into turmoil when President Sirisena structure projects. The current attempted to install Rajapaksa as prime minister via a soft coup. The government has tried to improve unconstitutional effort failed, yet political forecasters are predicting governance and renegotiate the the return to power by the influential Rajapaksa family in forthcoming terms of engagement with China. elections. If mishandled, a return of the Rajapaksas could jeopardize n After a failed attempt at a soft recent gains in Sri Lankan–U.S. relations, offer Beijing another foot- coup in late 2018, Rajapaksa is hold in the Indian Ocean, escalate the rivalry between China and India, threatening a comeback in 2019. and pose a setback for the Trump Administration’s regional strategy. Washington must ensure that the Moving forward, the U.S. must: (1) hold any future Sri Lankan govern- democratic process is respected ment accountable to basic democratic and humanitarian standards, (2) in forthcoming elections. prioritize diplomatic and military engagements with Sri Lanka, and (3) n Rajapaska and various fam- leverage regional alliances and new development finance tools to provide ily members were accused of Sri Lanka with alternatives to the BRI that value sovereignty, sustain- human rights abuses, political repression, and autocratic ten- ability, transparency, and democratic governance. dencies, but they remain genu- inely popular in Sri Lanka. ver the past three years, Sri Lanka has been a bright spot for n U.S. strategy must deepen U.S. foreign policy in the Indo–Pacific. The coalition govern- O diplomatic and military engage- ment with Sri Lanka, draw This paper, in its entirety, can be found at http://report.heritage.org/bg3393 contrasts between the U.S. and The Heritage Foundation Chinese development models, 214 Massachusetts Avenue, NE and improve coordination with Washington, DC 20002 regional partners. (202) 546-4400 | heritage.org Nothing written here is to be construed as necessarily reflecting the views of The Heritage Foundation or as an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill before Congress. BACKGROUNDER | NO. 3393 MARCH 14, 2019 MAP 1 Sri Lanka Overview • Population: IRAN PAKISTAN 21.4 million CHINA • 25,332 square miles (similarly sized to Strait of Hanoi West Virginia) Hormuz INDIA BURMA • 2019 Index of OMAN BANGLADESH Economic Freedom Score: 56.4 (Mostly Unfree), ranked 115 Arabian Bay of Bengal Bangkok out of 180 nations Sea • GDP (PPP): $274.7 billion Sri Lanka Malacca • GDP per capita Colombo Strait (PPP): $12,811 Kuala • Unemployment: 4.1% Pacific Ocean Lumpur Singapore SOURCE: Terry Miller, Anthony B. Kim, and James M. Roberts, 2019 Index of Economic Freedom (Washington: The Heritage Foundation, 2019), http://www.heritage.org/index. BG3393 heritage.org ment led by President Maithripala Sirisena and the and parliamentary elections scheduled to take place more reform-minded prime minister, Ranil Wick- in 2019 and 2020, followed by a deeper dive into the remesinghe, has expanded relations with the U.S. history of the family and their controversial role in and India to balance the country’s firm embrace of Sri Lankan politics. A comprehensive review of Sri China during the tenure of President Mahinda Raj- Lankan–U.S. relations is then offered before moving apaksa (2005–2015). to policy recommendations for the U.S. government In order to maintain positive momentum in bilat- and a conclusion. eral relations and prepare for a potential return to power by Rajapaska and his family, the U.S. will have Background on Sri Lanka to employ a comprehensive strategy that elevates the A democratic nation of 22 million citizens (70 per- importance of diplomatic and military engagement cent Buddhist, 13 percent Hindu, 10 percent Muslim, with Sri Lanka, draws contrasts between the U.S. and 7 percent Christian) with a gross domestic product Chinese development models, deploys new tools of of roughly $90 billion, Sri Lanka’s modest stature development finance effectively, and improves coordi- obscures its substantial geostrategic potential. A nation with regional partners, such as India and Japan. central hub positioned at the mid-point of the Indian This Backgrounder examines recent trends in Sri Ocean, Sri Lanka lies halfway between the east coast Lankan politics and foreign policy as well as the state of Africa and the Strait of Malacca. of Sri Lankan–U.S. relations while offering policy rec- Some 30,000 naval vessels, 45,000 aircraft, and ommendations to the U.S. government. It begins with 4,500 oil tankers traverse Sri Lanka’s 200-nautical- a brief overview of Sri Lanka’s growing geopolitical mile exclusive economic zone each year, connecting profile before reviewing the political crisis sparked energy consumers in East Asia with energy suppli- by President Sirisena’s attempt to install ex-Presi- ers in the Middle East. “You can’t get from Hormuz dent Rajapaksa as prime minister in October 2018, to Malacca—or from the Red Sea to the South China an attempt that ultimately failed. Sea—without going near Sri Lanka,” observed the The Backgrounder then explores the prospects that former head of U.S. Indo–Pacific Command (USIN- the Rajapaksas will return to power in presidential DOPACOM), Admiral Harry Harris. He calls it “the 2 BACKGROUNDER | NO. 3393 MARCH 14, 2019 MAP 2 Major Trans-Pacific Shipping Routes Pass Sri Lanka Tehran IRAQ AFGHANISTAN IRAN CHINA Cairo PAKISTAN New Delhi Dubai SAUDI ARABIA INDIA Mumbai Bay of Bengal Arabian Bangkok Sea Sri Lanka South China Colombo Kuala Sea Lumpur Indian Ocean Jakarta NOTE: Trade routes are approximate. SOURCE: Heritage Foundation research. BG3393 heritage.org pearl of the Indian Ocean on one of our planet’s most vast majority of these projects are not conventional critical trade routes.”1 investments but loans to Sri Lanka at commercial Before 2009, Sri Lanka was perhaps best known interest rates.) for the government’s decades-long counterinsurgency These projects remain the subject of intense con- campaign against the Tamil Tigers. A terrorist group troversy and international debate. They even made claiming to defend the rights of the country’s Hindu their way into an October 4, 2018, speech by Vice Tamil minority, the Tigers led the world in suicide President Mike Pence, who used China’s infrastruc- bombings from 1980 to 2003.2 When the group was ture projects on the island as a warning of the risks decisively crushed by a military offensive ordered associated with Beijing’s expansive Belt and Road by then-President Rajapaksa in 2009, international Initiative (BRI).3 China, he argued, had saddled Sri attention shifted to China’s expanding footprint on Lanka with unsustainable debt, which it then lever- the island, and its multibillion-dollar “investments” aged to pressure Colombo into transferring the Chi- in Sri Lankan ports and infrastructure projects. (The nese-built Hambantota port to a Chinese firm on a 1. Harry B. Harris, Jr., “Sri Lanka Galle Dialogue,” U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, speech, November 28, 2016, http://www.pacom.mil/Media/ Speeches-Testimony/Article/1013623/sri-lanka-galle-dialogue/ (accessed January 30, 2019). 2. National Public Radio, “Tamil Tigers: Suicide Bombing Innovators,” May 21, 2009, https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story. php?storyId=104391493 (accessed February 27, 2019). 3. Hudson Institute, “Vice President Mike Pence’s Remarks on the Administration’s Policy Toward China,” video and transcript, October 4, 2018, https://www.hudson.org/events/1610-vice-president-mike-pence-s-remarks-on-the-administration-s-policy-towards-china102018 (accessed January 30, 2019). 3 BACKGROUNDER | NO. 3393 MARCH 14, 2019 99-year lease. Separately, Chinese firms have been the more reform-minded United National Party accused of corrupt practices, making illegal cam- (UNP) assumed the role of prime minister later that paign donations to Sri Lankan officials, and includ- year. After years of personal differences and infight- ing sovereignty-violating provisions in deals negoti- ing, including over the prime minister’s attempts ated in secret.4 at economic liberalization, tensions came to a head After tilting toward China for years, President in October 2018. Rajapaksa witnessed a surprise upset in the 2015 To balance the billions in Chinse debt the Raj- presidential election, being narrowly defeated by a apaksa government had accrued, Wickremesinghe former ally, Maithripala Sirisena. After parliamen- sought to court new investments from India. During tary elections that year, Sirisena went on to form a a trip to Delhi in April 2017, he signed several tenta- coalition government with one of his political rivals, tive agreements outlining new infrastructure proj- Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe. The new gov- ects for Indian firms.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Combating the Drug Menace Together
    www.thehindu.com 2018-07-22 Combating the drug menace together Even as Colombo steps up efforts to combat drug peddling in the country, authorities have turned to India for help to address what has become a shared concern for the neighbours. Sri Lanka police’s narcotics bureau, amid frequent hauls and arrests, is under visible pressure to tackle the growing drug menace. President Maithripala Sirisena, who controversially spoke of executing drug convicts, has also taken efforts to empower the tri-forces to complement the police’s efforts to address the problem. Further, recognising that drugs are smuggled by air and sea from other countries, Sri Lanka is now considering a larger regional operation, with Indian assistance. “We intend to initiate dialogue with the Indian authorities to get their assistance. We need their help in identifying witnesses needed in our local investigations into smuggling activities,” Law and Order Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara told local media recently. India’s role, top officials here say, will be “crucial”. The conversation between the two countries has been going on for some time now, after the neighbours signed an agreement on Combating International Terrorism and Illicit Drug Trafficking in 2013, but the problem has grown since. Appreciating the urgency of the matter, top cops from the narcotics control bureaus of India and Sri Lanka, who met in New Delhi in May, decided to enhance cooperation to combat drug crimes. Following up, Colombo has sought New Delhi’s assistance to trace two underworld drug kingpins, believed to be in hiding in India, according to narcotics bureau chief DIG Sajeewa Medawatta.
    [Show full text]
  • Justice Denied: a Reality Check on Resettlement, Demilitarization, And
    JUSTICE DENIED: A REALITY CHECK ON RESETTLEMENT, DEMILITARIZATION, AND RECONCILIATION IN SRI LANKA JUSTICE DENIED: A REALITY CHECK ON RESETTLEMENT, DEMILITARIZATION, AND RECONCILIATION IN SRI LANKA Acknowledgements This report was written by Elizabeth Fraser with Frédéric Mousseau and Anuradha Mittal. The views and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of The Oakland Institute alone and do not reflect opinions of the individuals and organizations that have sponsored and supported the work. Cover photo: Inter-Faith Women’s Group in solidarity protest with Pilavu residents, February 2017 © Tamil Guardian Design: Amymade Graphic Design Publisher: The Oakland Institute is an independent policy think tank bringing fresh ideas and bold action to the most pressing social, economic, and environmental issues. Copyright © 2017 by The Oakland Institute. This text may be used free of charge for the purposes of advocacy, campaigning, education, and research, provided that the source is acknowledged in full. The copyright holder requests that all such uses be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, reuse in other publications, or translation or adaptation, permission must be secured. For more information: The Oakland Institute PO Box 18978 Oakland, CA 94619 USA www.oaklandinstitute.org [email protected] Acronyms CID Criminal Investigation Department CPA Centre for Policy Alternatives CTA Counter Terrorism Act CTF Consultation Task Force on Reconciliation Mechanisms IDP Internally Displaced Person ITJP International Truth and Justice Project LTTE Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam OMP Office on Missing Persons PTA Prevention of Terrorism Act UNCAT United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment UNHRC United Nations Human Rights Council 3 www.oaklandinstitute.org Executive Summary In January 2015, Sri Lanka elected a new President.
    [Show full text]
  • Ocean Horizons: Strengthening Maritime Security in Indo-Pacific
    SPECIAL REPORT Ocean horizons Strengthening maritime security in Indo-Pacific island states Anthony Bergin, David Brewster and Aakriti Bachhawat December 2019 About the authors Anthony Bergin is a senior fellow at ASPI, where he was previously research director and deputy director. He was an academic at the Royal Australian Naval College and for 20 years was on the academic staff at the Australian Defence Force Academy, where he taught maritime affairs and homeland security. From 1991 to 2003, he was the director of the Australian Defence Studies Centre. He served for four years as an adjunct reader in law at the Australian National University (ANU) and for two years as a senior research fellow at the National Security College. Anthony has been a consultant to a wide range of public and private sector clients and has written extensively on Pacific security issues in academic journals, books and reports. He is a regular media commentator and contributes to ASPI’s analysis and commentary site, The Strategist. David Brewster is a senior research fellow with the National Security College, ANU, where he works on Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific maritime security. His current research focuses on island states, environmental security and China’s military presence in the Indian Ocean. David’s books include India as an Asia Pacific power and India’s ocean: the story of India’s bid for regional leadership. His latest edited book is India and China at sea: competition for naval dominance in the Indian Ocean, which examines maritime security interactions between those countries. David is the author of a recent report for the French Institute of International Relations, Between giants: the Sino-Indian cold war in the Indian Ocean.
    [Show full text]
  • NEWS SRI LANKA Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington DC
    December 2015 NEWS SRI LANKA Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington DC AMBASSADOR SAMANTHA COMMON VALUES BIND US, POWER VISITS SRI LANKA NOT POWER OR WEALTH “I cannot think of a country in the world today where there has been this much change in this short a period of time.” – PRESIDENT SIRISENA TO THE COMMONWEALTH – Ambassador Samantha Power, Colombo, November 23rd United States Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassa- dor Samantha Power visited Sri Lanka from November 21st to 23rd. Ambassador Samantha Power is the second cabinet Attending the opening ceremony of the Com- knowledge as the Head of the Commonwealth level visitor from the US Administration to travel to Sri Lanka monwealth Heads of Government Meeting in and a great leader for us in the Commonwealth. this year, following Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit in May. Malta on November 27th, President Maithri- During her stay in the country Ambassador Power had a Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen, Sri Lanka pala Sirisena, outgoing Chair-in-Office of the wide range of meetings with the Sri Lankan government, is a founding member of the Commonwealth, Commonwealth made the following statement. civil society and youth. She called on President Maithripala and we are very pleased about its growth over Sirisena, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and met Your Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Honorable Jo- the past few years. with Minister of Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera and seph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta, Hon- The influence of the Commonwealth has Leader of the Opposition R. Sampanthan. orable Kamalesh Sharma, Secretary General helped to guide the political and social behav- She travelled to Jaffna where she met with Governor of Commonwealth, Excellencies, Ladies and ior of all our members.
    [Show full text]
  • Ranil Wickremesinghe Sworn in As Prime Minister
    September 2015 NEWS SRI LANKA Embassy of Sri Lanka, Washington DC RANIL WICKREMESINGHE VISIT TO SRI LANKA BY SWORN IN AS U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARIES OF STATE PRIME MINISTER February, this year, we agreed to rebuild our multifaceted bilateral relationship. Several new areas of cooperation were identified during the very successful visit of Secretary Kerry to Colombo in May this year. Our discussions today focused on follow-up on those understandings and on working towards even closer and tangible links. We discussed steps U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for taken by the Government of President South and Central Asian Affairs Nisha Maithripala Sirisena to promote recon- Biswal and U.S. Assistant Secretary of ciliation and to strengthen the rule of State for Democracy, Human Rights law as part of our Government’s overall Following the victory of the United National Front for and Labour Tom Malinowski under- objective of ensuring good governance, Good Governance at the general election on August took a visit to Sri Lanka in August. respect for human rights and strength- 17th, the leader of the United National Party Ranil During the visit they called on Presi- ening our economy. Wickremesinghe was sworn in as the Prime Minister of dent Maithirpala Sirisena, Prime Min- Sri Lanka on August 21. ister Ranil Wickremesinghe and also In keeping with the specific pledge in After Mr. Wickremesinghe took oaths as the new met with Minister of Foreign Affairs President Maithripala Sirisena’s mani- Prime Minister, a Memorandum of Understanding Mangala Samaraweera as well as other festo of January 2015, and now that (MoU) was signed between the Sri Lanka Freedom government leaders.
    [Show full text]
  • Structural Violence Against Children in South Asia © Unicef Rosa 2018
    STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN SOUTH ASIA © UNICEF ROSA 2018 Cover Photo: Bangladesh, Jamalpur: Children and other community members watching an anti-child marriage drama performed by members of an Adolescent Club. © UNICEF/South Asia 2016/Bronstein The material in this report has been commissioned by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) regional office in South Asia. UNICEF accepts no responsibility for errors. The designations in this work do not imply an opinion on the legal status of any country or territory, or of its authorities, or the delimitation of frontiers. Permission to copy, disseminate or otherwise use information from this publication is granted so long as appropriate acknowledgement is given. The suggested citation is: United Nations Children’s Fund, Structural Violence against Children in South Asia, UNICEF, Kathmandu, 2018. STRUCTURAL VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN IN SOUTH ASIA ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS UNICEF would like to acknowledge Parveen from the University of Sheffield, Drs. Taveeshi Gupta with Fiona Samuels Ramya Subrahmanian of Know Violence in for their work in developing this report. The Childhood, and Enakshi Ganguly Thukral report was prepared under the guidance of of HAQ (Centre for Child Rights India). Kendra Gregson with Sheeba Harma of the From UNICEF, staff members representing United Nations Children's Fund Regional the fields of child protection, gender Office in South Asia. and research, provided important inputs informed by specific South Asia country This report benefited from the contribution contexts, programming and current violence of a distinguished reference group: research. In particular, from UNICEF we Susan Bissell of the Global Partnership would like to thank: Ann Rosemary Arnott, to End Violence against Children, Ingrid Roshni Basu, Ramiz Behbudov, Sarah Fitzgerald of United Nations Population Coleman, Shreyasi Jha, Aniruddha Kulkarni, Fund Asia and the Pacific region, Shireen Mary Catherine Maternowska and Eri Jejeebhoy of the Population Council, Ali Mathers Suzuki.
    [Show full text]
  • Sri Lanka's Potemkin Peace: Democracy Under Fire
    Sri Lanka’s Potemkin Peace: Democracy Under Fire Asia Report N°253 | 13 November 2013 International Crisis Group Headquarters Avenue Louise 149 1050 Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 502 90 38 Fax: +32 2 502 50 38 [email protected] Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................... i Recommendations..................................................................................................................... iii I. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1 II. Northern Province Elections and the Future of Devolution ............................................ 2 A. Implementing the Thirteenth Amendment? ............................................................. 3 B. Northern Militarisation and Pre-Election Violations ................................................ 4 C. The Challenges of Victory .......................................................................................... 6 1. Internal TNA discontent ...................................................................................... 6 2. Sinhalese fears and charges of separatism ........................................................... 8 3. The TNA’s Tamil nationalist critics ...................................................................... 9 D. The Legal and Constitutional Battleground .............................................................. 12 E. A Short-
    [Show full text]
  • Politico-Constitutional Crisis in Sri Lanka and Its Implications on India-Sri Lanka Relations
    Artha-Journal of Social Sciences 2019, Vol. 18, No. 4, 133-149 ISSN 0975-329X|https://doi: 10.12724/ajss.51.9 Pangs of Proximity: Politico-Constitutional Crisis in Sri Lanka and its Implications on India-Sri Lanka Relations Manoharan N * and Riya Arundhati Pawar† Abstract The National Unity Government, formed by the traditional rivals UNP and SLFP, was a good example of „cohabitation‟. However, things started falling apart in due course due to new political realignments. It reached a stage where President Sirisena joined hands with the previous President Rajapaksa to oust Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe resulting in about a two-month- long politico-constitutional crisis. With judicial intervention, the crisis got over, but not permanently; the polity looks polarised. The crisis has wide-ranging implications, both at domestic and international levels, especially for India-Sri Lanka relations. Unprecedented political situation that has arisen in Sri Lanka has at least two broad implications on India-Sri Lanka relations: the state of Indian infrastructure projects in Sri Lanka and the ethnic issue in the island nation. Keywords: Wickremasinghe, Sirisena, SLFP, UNP, SLPP, Rajapaksa 1. Introduction In a surprising turn of events, on 26 October 2018 Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena dismissed Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe and appointed former President Mahinda *CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India; [email protected] †CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru, India; [email protected] 133 Artha-Journal of Social Sciences, Vol.18, No.4 ISSN 0975-329X Rajapaksa as the new Prime Minister. The deposed Prime Minister Wickremasinghe refused to step down claiming the move as unconstitutional.
    [Show full text]
  • Justice Delayed, Justice Denied? the Search for Accountability for Alleged Wartime Atrocities Committed in Sri Lanka
    Pace International Law Review Volume 33 Issue 2 Spring 2021 Article 3 May 2021 Justice Delayed, Justice Denied? The Search for Accountability for Alleged Wartime Atrocities Committed in Sri Lanka Aloka Wanigasuriya University of Copenhagen, Faculty of Law Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pilr Part of the Criminal Law Commons, Criminal Procedure Commons, Human Rights Law Commons, International Humanitarian Law Commons, International Law Commons, Law and Politics Commons, and the Military, War, and Peace Commons Recommended Citation Aloka Wanigasuriya, Justice Delayed, Justice Denied? The Search for Accountability for Alleged Wartime Atrocities Committed in Sri Lanka, 33 Pace Int'l L. Rev. 219 (2021) Available at: https://digitalcommons.pace.edu/pilr/vol33/iss2/3 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Law at DigitalCommons@Pace. It has been accepted for inclusion in Pace International Law Review by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Pace. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JUSTICE DELAYED, JUSTICE DENIED? THE SEARCH FOR ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALLEGED WARTIME ATROCITIES COMMITTED IN SRI LANKA Aloka Wanigasuriya* TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction .......................................................................... 221 II. National Action ..................................................................... 223 A. National Mechanisms............................................... 223 1. Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) ..............................................................
    [Show full text]
  • RSF 190X270 Classement4:Mise En Page 1 31/01/14 15:47 Page 1
    RSF_190x270_Classement4:Mise en page 1 31/01/14 15:47 Page 1 WORLD PRESS FREEDOM INDEX 2014 RSF_190x270_Classement4:Mise en page 1 31/01/14 15:47 Page 2 World Press Freedom index - Methodology The press freedom index that Reporters Without occupying force are treated as violations of the right to Borders publishes every year measures the level of information in foreign territory and are incorporated into freedom of information in 180 countries. It reflects the the score of the occupying force’s country. degree of freedom that journalists, news organizations The rest of the questionnaire, which is sent to outside and netizens enjoy in each country, and the efforts experts and members of the RWB network, made by the authorities to respect and ensure respect concentrates on issues that are hard to quantify such for this freedom. as the degree to which news providers censor It is based partly on a questionnaire that is sent to our themselves, government interference in editorial partner organizations (18 freedom of expression NGOs content, or the transparency of government decision- located in all five continents), to our network of 150 making. Legislation and its effectiveness are the subject correspondents, and to journalists, researchers, jurists of more detailed questions. Questions have been and human rights activists. added or expanded, for example, questions about The 180 countries ranked in this year’s index are those concentration of media ownership and favouritism for which Reporters Without Borders received in the allocation of subsidies or state advertising. completed questionnaires from various sources. Some Similarly, discrimination in access to journalism and countries were not included because of a lack of reliable, journalism training is also included.
    [Show full text]
  • Human Capital Development Realizing the Promise and Potential
    Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Sri Lanka Human Capital Development Realizing the Promise and Potential Public Disclosure Authorized of Human Capital Harsha Aturupane, Hideki Higashi, Roshini Ebenezer, Deepika Attygalle, Shobhana Sosale, Sangeeta Dey, and Rehana Wijesinghe Public Disclosure Authorized INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN FOCUS Sri Lanka Human Capital Development Realizing the Promise and Potential of Human Capital HARSHA ATURUPANE, HIDEKI HIGASHI, ROSHINI EBENEZER, DEEPIKA ATTYGALLE, SHOBHANA SOSALE, SANGEETA DEY, AND REHANA WIJESINGHE © 2021 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 1818 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20433 Telephone: 202-473-1000; Internet: www.worldbank.org Some rights reserved 1 2 3 4 24 23 22 21 Books in this series are published to communicate the results of World Bank research, analysis, and oper- ational experience with the least possible delay. The extent of language editing varies from book to book. This work is a product of the staff of The World Bank with external contributions. The findings, interpre- tations, and conclusions expressed in this work do not necessarily reflect the views of The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent. The World Bank does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the data included in this work and does not assume responsibility for any errors, omissions, or discrepancies in the information, or liability with respect to the use of or failure to use the information, methods, processes, or conclusions set forth. The boundaries, colors, denominations, and other information shown on any map in this work do not imply any judgment on the part of The World Bank concerning the legal status of any territory or the endorsement or acceptance of such boundaries.
    [Show full text]
  • (ADO) Supplement
    DECEMBER 2016 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT OUTLOOK SUPPLEMENT HIGHLIGHTS ASIA’S ECONOMIES STEADY The outlook for developing Asia remains DESPITE GLOBAL UNCERTAINTY broadly as forecast in Asian Development Outlook 2016 Update. Despite an extraordinary and temporary growth dip affecting one of the region’s largest Growth outlook economies, this Supplement expects the region as a whole to expand by 5.6% in 2016, Developing Asia’s growth outlook continues to be stable despite a slight only 0.1 percentage points less than earlier downgrade to the 2016 forecast. The region is now expected to grow this year forecast, and by 5.7% in 2017, as forecast. by 5.6%, or 0.1 percentage points off the rate envisaged in Asian Development The People’s Republic of China is on Outlook 2016 Update as slower growth is now expected in India, one of the course to meet growth expectations of region’s largest economies. Growth is expected to edge back up to 5.7% in 2017, 6.6% in 2016 and 6.4% in 2017. East Asia as the pace envisaged in the Update. By subregion, growth forecasts are revised a whole is seen to expand by 5.8% this year slightly down for South Asia in 2016 and the Pacific in 2017 but otherwise and 5.6% in 2017 as growth stabilizes in the unchanged (Table 1). subregion in line with earlier forecasts. The combined growth forecast for the major industrial economies— India’s surprise demonetization of large the United States, the euro area, and Japan—is revised up from Update banknotes will likely dampen growth this projections as third-quarter outcomes in the US and euro area proved to be year, but South Asia remains the region’s stronger than expected.
    [Show full text]