Explore every episode of the podcast What The Hell Happened to Sri Lanka? with Desh Amila

Episode 4 took us on a journey that explored the underbelly of racial discord often ignored in Sri Lanka’s tourism brochures. The story covered attacks from different communities, hidden factions, election winning propaganda and Rajapaksa notoriety.

From magic potions endorsed by Health officials, military lockdowns to forced cremations of Sri Lanka’s minorities and the deaths of thousands – the belief and conviction that once lied in the Rajapaksas began to crumble. A future for Sri Lanka now felt impossible and the resentment would ultimately lead to a National Protest that took the world by storm.

Speakers:

Anuruddha Bandara (founder of people’s protest site Gotagogama)

Asif Fuard (journalist, former war correspondent)

Dr Harini Amarasuriya (parliamentarian, activist)

Marlon Ariyasinghe (journalist)

Sandun Thudugala (researcher, activist)

Vraie Cally Balthazaar (researcher, politician)

Follow Desh Amila on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Desh_Amila

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdesh/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeshAmila/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deshamila/

Website: https://deshamila.com/

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qsEvaZYGeo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq3TN9xDkpU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udRiAEACJRk

Recap: Episode 3 tried to track the economic decisions that led to Sri Lanka’s money crisis that kicked off in 2019. From inflation to fleeting parliamentary policies to  fuel queues, it weighed the failures in the economy and the blame placed on the Rajapaksas, in an attempt to discern scapegoating from the truth.

The aftermath of the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks left ricochets across the world. It claimed more than 250 lives across the island. What followed was mayhem, with organized attacks against Sri Lanka’s minorities and violence ultimately leading to the foundation of Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s presidential campaign. A campaign he would win and reinstate the Rajapaksas into power again.

Speakers:

Asif Fuard (journalist, former war correspondent)

Marlon Ariyasinghe (journalist)

Sanjana Hattotuwa (founder of citizens journalism website Groundviews, advocate against online hate speech and extremism)

Follow Desh Amila on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Desh_Amila

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdesh/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeshAmila/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deshamila/

Website: https://deshamila.com/

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBf1tN8HhE8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJKIo_eTlC0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXkR2zqL3gU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZQcn0HI7jQ

Recap: Episode 2 was a walk down memory lane, exploring the political and personal echoes of Sri Lanka’s nearly three-decade-long civil war. It painted a portrait of that period, its leaders, its senseless violence, and the island nation’s relentless reach towards stability despite it all.

A line of bad decisions and fiscal policies ultimately paved the way for Sri Lanka’s economy to fall apart. We explore the poor policies carried out by the Gotabaya Administration, its impact across the country and debunk long standing myths of where it all really began. 

Speakers:

Ambika Satkunanathan (former commissioner of Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka)

Asif Fuard (journalist, former war correspondent)

Dr Harini Amarasuriya (parliamentarian, activist)

Eranda Ginige (founder of Social Enterprise Lanka, former advisor to Gotabaya Rajapaksa)

Marlon Ariyasinghe (journalist)

Sarala Emmanuel (researcher)

Follow Desh Amila on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Desh_Amila

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdesh/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeshAmila/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deshamila/

Website: https://deshamila.com/

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DX9cLlB96ec

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lznUgmKRCn8&t=51s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jyIAI9SL04

Recap: Episode 1 took us on an introductory deep-dive into Sri Lanka’s history with conflict and democracy. It touched on the holes in some of the foundational systems in Sri Lanka, from ethnic equality to the election process - a gentle reminder that some of the island’s problems are old issues in new clothing. 

Sri Lanka’s civil war spanned over the course of three decades. A turbulent time in the island's history, its effects still linger and touch every aspect of the island today. In Episode 2, Desh and his guests share personal anecdotes from their childhoods, speaking of the brutality of a war’s violence, of what it leaves behind and the legacy of the Rajapaksas.

Speakers:

Ambika Satkunanathan (former commissioner of Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka)

Asif Fuard (journalist, former war correspondent)

Sanjana Hattotuwa (founder of citizens journalism website Groundviews, advocate against online hate speech and extremism)

Follow Desh Amila on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Desh_Amila

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdesh/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeshAmila/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deshamila/

Website: https://deshamila.com/

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPIrg-3t1V4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2nf46cxsz4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDPpNb4bdWI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNx3dcF_Leg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gL5stPqdHo

Sri Lanka’s complex crisis did not happen overnight. Episode one provides insight into Sri Lanka’s ancient history and its patterns of conflict fueled by elite figures to maintain power and control. We unravel claims of corruption against the Rajapaksas and the island’s inability to maintain peace for its people.

Speakers:

Asif Fuard (journalist, former war correspondent)

Dr. Harsha De Silva (economist, parliamentarian)

Sarala Emmanuel (researcher)

Dr. Harini Amarasuriya (parliamentarian, activist)

Milinda Rajapaksha (former member of Colombo Municipal Council, former spokesperson for Gotabaya Rajapaksa)

Sandun Thudugala (researcher, activist)

Follow Desh Amila on:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Desh_Amila

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamdesh/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeshAmila/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deshamila/

Website: https://deshamila.com/

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4VfrBISfMI&t=16s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wt4Cvw4jx6w

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ptn8Jt5u4g8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJqTGYyV8vU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlTy--rxGfY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJSsq2fW5ZE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrajyHKWRWE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR3ZJ1wg6Hc&t=145s

A five-episode documentary audio series, moderated by Australian-Sri Lankan producer, filmmaker and entrepreneur Desh Amila, that attempts to investigate the domino effect of events particularly around the Rajapaksa regime, that led up to the island’s current economic and political crisis.