Sri Lanka’s band of brothers

Even if President Gotabaya Rajapaksa does resign, he leaves the country in ruins. And although corruption played a big part in the disaster, the real causes were arrogance and ignorance.

Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, left, former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and their brother Basil. After 20 years with the Rajapaksa brothers in power most of the time, Sri Lanka today is bankrupt, writes Gwynne Dyer. Photographs courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Opinion

BY GWYNNE DYER

July 11, 2022

LONDON, U.K.—“How did you go bankrupt?” Bill asked, in Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. “Two ways,” Mike said. “Gradually and then suddenly.” Sri Lanka is much the same. The James brothers robbed banks. The Marx brothers made people laugh. Sri Lanka's Raja...

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