For more than three decades, Sri Lanka’s progress had been hampered by the civilian conflict between the Sinhala majority and the Tamil minority. The conflict erupted into full-fledged war when the terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), claiming to represent the minority population, took up arms against the state. The LTTE was finally defeated in 2009 under then-President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s leadership. After the civil war’s end, Sri Lanka continued to be somewhat of an international outsider, with Rajapaksa not enjoying the best of relations with the West. However, with the recent election of Maithripala Sirisena as Sri Lanka’s new president, questions arise as to whether political realignments will follow and how they will impact the business environment.
Read Kroll’s latest issue of Spotlight Asia, in which Senior Director Probal Dasgupta shares his insights on what the new government means for Sri Lanka as well as for businesses contemplating new investments in the country.