Asanga Welikala

Asanga Welikala is a doctoral researcher at the University of Edinburgh, and a legal scholar specialising in constitution-making and peace processes. His recent publications include (with David Rampton) "Would the real Dutugemunu please stand up? The politics of Sinhala nationalist authenticity and populist discontent", in Jonathan Goodhand et al, Conflict and Peacebuilding in Sri Lanka: Caught in the Peace Trap (Routledge, 2011)

'Reconciliation in Sri Lanka means the youth must lead the way': a sceptical response

There is nothing objectionable in arguing for greater and more meaningful participation of youth in the political process, so long as this is not a substitute for a proper post-war constitutional settlement.

By Asanga Welikala

/ 5 Mar 2012

Inconvenient truths: international accountability and domestic politics in Sri Lanka

The Sri Lankan regime needs to be intellectually and electorally defeated. But in this task, the spectre of international intervention is not merely a distraction, but a hindrance.

By Asanga Welikala

/ 19 Aug 2011

Sri Lanka: war crimes and accountability

The report of an expert panel finds evidence of serious human-rights violations during Sri Lanka’s long civil war - but also that the political and legal environment conducive to investigating these is lacking. This situation presents all those who seek to develop a principled approach to post-war

By Asanga Welikala

/ 30 May 2011