© 2024 KALW 91.7 FM Bay Area
KALW Public Media / 91.7 FM Bay Area
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Your Call

Media Roundtable: What's next for Sri Lanka amid its worst economic crisis in decades?

Anti-government protests against president Gotabaya Rajapaksha.
Wikimedia Commons
/
AntanO
Anti-government protests against president Gotabaya Rajapaksha.

On this edition of Your Call's media roundtable, we'll go to Sri Lanka to get the latest on anti-government mass protests that led to the resignation of Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa. This week, former Prime Minister and Rajapaksa ally Ranil Wickremesinghe was officially sworn in as the next President. Protesters gathered outside the presidential palace demanding his resignation.

What's next for Sri Lanka as millions struggle with daily power outages and shortages of basic necessities, including fuel, food, and medicines?

Nearly five million people, or 22 percent of the Sri Lankan population, are in need of food and assistance, and 86 percent of families are resorting to at least one coping mechanism, including eating less, eating less nutritious food, and even skipping meals altogether, according to the World Food Program.

Guest:

Marlon Ariyasinghe, assistant editor of the Himal Southasian magazine

Web Resources:

CNN: Sri Lankan troops tear down protest camp outside the President's office

DW: Marlon Ariyasinghe describes the situation in Sri Lanka

Open Democracy: Sri Lanka’s protesters are demanding change. Here’s why

The Guardian: Sri Lanka’s old political order has collapsed. What happens next?

The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists: Sri Lankan power couple piled up luxury homes, artworks and cash offshore as ruling family rose and rose

Malihe Razazan is the senior producer of KALW's daily call-in program, Your Call.
Rose Aguilar has been the host of Your Call since 2006. She became a regular media roundtable guest in 2001. In 2019, the San Francisco Press Club named Your Call the best public affairs program. In 2017, The Nation named it the most valuable local radio show.