Sri Lanka
The Women Who Clear Mines
Sri Lanka’s devastating civil war left an estimated 89,000 widows as their families’ sole breadwinners. But this need to keep going in the face of injury, displacement and loss has resulted in opportunities, including the land mine clearance that provides a livelihood to many.
Trouble in Paradise
While Sri Lanka aims to attract millions of tourists to boost its economy, concerns are rising about tourism’s impact on local communities — from the displacement of local businesses by those catering to outsiders, to the exploitation of local resources and the segregation of spaces to make them exclusive to foreigners.
In Sri Lanka, the Army Is Engaging in a New War on Drugs
Extrajudicial executions, police raids on low-income neighborhoods, media demonization of addicts and court-mandated rehabilitation at army-run centers have raised concerns about the criminalization of substance abuse in Sri Lanka.