A conversation with:
Jeevan Thiagarajah
Chairman and Board Member
Institute for Human Rights
Stanley Samarasinghe
Faculty Member, Payson Center for International Development
Tulane University Law School
Bharathi Radhakrishnan
Program Assistant, Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management
Harvard Kennedy School Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy
Dhanya Ratnavale
Manager for Early Recovery and Development
Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies
Moderated by:
Bharath Gopalaswamy
Acting Director, South Asia Center
Atlantic Council Following Sri Lanka’s successful democratic elections in January, its new administration has signaled a desire to realign themselves with the United States and India. Under President Maithripala Sirisena’s leadership, Sri Lanka has already taken strides to rebuild its economy and further its strategic importance in the South Asian region. With his government’s one hundred day reform program in effect, immediate relief is the priority for Colombo, as is the formulation of a national policy framework which will guide the country for years to come. In this context, as the United States and Sri Lanka work to deepen their longstanding commitment to bilateral relations, the panelists will explore what opportunities lie ahead for Sri Lanka and the potential for the two countries to support one another in the transition toward a dynamic, emerging world order in Asia.