Sri Lanka reconciliation remains fragile as Lasantha Mendis warns that jobs, trust and northern development are vital to prevent deeper inequality.
Sri Lanka reconciliation remains incomplete nearly two decades after the war ended, with civil society activist Lasantha Mendis warning that the country risks deepening inequality unless it rebuilds trust, creates jobs, and addresses long-neglected grievances in the north and east.
Mendis, the founder and chairman of the Avanka Lanka Foundation and director of the Knowledge Lanka Research and Development Institute, said Sri Lanka’s economic collapse and widening social fractures cannot be understood only through financial mismanagement. According to him, they are also rooted in inequality, marginalisation, and the steady erosion of public integrity.
Speaking at the Jaffna Press Club, Mendis delivered a strong assessment of Sri Lanka’s path since the end of its three-decade civil conflict. His remarks echoed growing concerns among activists and development advocates that the northern and eastern regions continue to face neglect, unemployment, and unresolved grievances despite repeated national promises of reconciliation.
Mendis argued that the country’s downfall was not merely the result of bad economic decisions, but part of a broader collapse of integrity within political and social institutions. “Lack of integrity is the fall of Sri Lanka,” he said, adding that oppression of minorities and the exclusion of vulnerable communities had contributed directly to national instability and eventual bankruptcy.
He said the hope that emerged after the war ended in 2009 faded quickly. At that time, many believed Sri Lanka was moving toward becoming an Asian economic success story. Instead, years later, the island was thrown into its worst economic crisis since independence, revealing what Mendis described as unresolved structural weaknesses and failures in governance.
At the centre of his message was the argument that Sri Lanka cannot achieve sustainable national development unless the northern province, eastern province, and plantation communities are fully included in the country’s economic future. Mendis said the long-term exclusion of these regions has weakened Sri Lanka both socially and economically, leaving thousands trapped in poverty and unemployment.
He explained how his organisation began working in the north after seeing the hardships faced by war-affected communities. Among those the foundation sought to support were tens of thousands of widows, rehabilitated former combatants struggling to secure employment, and families of the missing who continue to search for answers many years after the conflict ended.
Mendis also spoke about the difficulties southern activists faced when trying to build trust in the north. He acknowledged that communities in Jaffna were initially doubtful of outsiders who arrived with promises of assistance, especially from the predominantly Sinhalese south. To overcome that suspicion, the Avanka Lanka Foundation first focused on small community projects aimed at proving commitment through action rather than rhetoric.
One such initiative was carried out in a village in Vaddukoddai South in Chankanai, where the foundation renovated homes, repaired roofs, improved sanitation facilities, and provided bicycles for schoolchildren. Mendis said those efforts were intended to show solidarity with ordinary families instead of seeking political visibility.
He noted that the organisation’s work also holds symbolic value because of the backgrounds of some of its members. Two widows of senior Sri Lankan military officers are actively involved in the initiative, including the widow of a decorated navy commodore and the widow of an air force group captain. Mendis said their involvement reflects an effort to bridge divisions created during decades of conflict.
The organisation, he said, functions without foreign funding and depends instead on crowdfunding and donations from supporters. Administrative costs are covered separately by members, ensuring that all public contributions are directed fully toward development projects. Since formally launching its northern engagement in 2019, Mendis and his team have made regular monthly visits to Jaffna to maintain close relationships with local communities.
A significant turning point came in 2023, when a provincial initiative focused on poverty alleviation through employment creation was launched with the support of the then governor of the Northern Province. Mendis said Avanka Lanka played a leading role in implementing projects across 20 villages in all five districts of the province.
However, the programme came to a halt after political changes within the provincial administration. Mendis said he spent more than two years trying to revive the initiative before finally receiving approval under the current governor to restart the work.
His proposed model gives priority to community employment creation rather than direct financial aid. Mendis said that although the Sri Lankan state is facing severe financial constraints, the country still has extensive human resources within provincial and local administrative systems. If those resources are mobilised more effectively, he believes rural employment and village development can be accelerated at relatively low cost.
Another major issue raised in the speech was the situation facing farmers in the north. Mendis said agricultural communities remain economically vulnerable despite the region’s long history of cooperative farming structures. Paddy and vegetable farmers, in particular, have struggled with poor savings, weak access to markets, stray cattle problems, and inadequate protection from imports.
Following consultations with farmer organisations across several divisions in the Jaffna district, his team concluded that poor coordination between agricultural banks and farming groups was contributing to financial insecurity. Mendis said his organisation had already submitted recommendations to both the Minister of Agriculture and the governor of the Northern Province, seeking reforms to strengthen rural savings and improve support systems for farmers.
He said many problems faced by farmers can be managed if institutions function properly and communities are given access to stronger organisational support. Excessive market commissions, weak infrastructure, and inadequate supply chains, he warned, continue to damage the livelihoods of rural producers.
Beyond economic concerns, Mendis presented the issue as one connected to national reconciliation and social cohesion. He warned that unresolved grievances in the north continue to drive frustration, pointing to protests held during recent Independence Day commemorations. Instead of dismissing such demonstrations, he said authorities must understand the deeper reasons behind them.
“The issues are not that big, but they are diverse and numerous,” he said, arguing that government institutions often fail to respond effectively because administration remains fragmented and poorly coordinated.
Mendis called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s administration to create a dedicated northern development task force capable of coordinating solutions across multiple sectors. He also urged the Sri Lankan diaspora to become more involved in grassroots economic development initiatives, rather than restricting its engagement to political advocacy abroad.
Without employment and rising household incomes, Mendis warned, children from marginalised communities are more likely to leave school early and enter low-paying work, allowing poverty to continue across generations. Breaking that cycle, he said, requires sustained investment in local employment, education, and infrastructure.
