Three years after fall of Gotabaya; waiting for justice

14 July marks the third anniversary of one of the most momentous uprisings in Sri Lankan history—the people’s toppling of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The dramatic scenes of protestors storming the presidential palace, fuelled by economic devastation and political betrayal, were not merely acts of desperation. They were declarations of collective power. 

For a brief moment, our country shook off decades of impunity, corruption, and authoritarianism. The Aragalaya, an organic, people-led movement—gave voice to a generation long denied dignity, justice, and accountability.

Yet, in the months that followed, that collective hope was undermined. Through cynical political manoeuvring, Ranil Wickremesinghe, once rejected by the people, was installed as President by the remnants of the very regime the people had risen against. It was a betrayal, plain and simple. The institutions and individuals responsible for plunging the country into ruin remained untouched. Corruption flourished anew under the guise of stability, and justice remained elusive.

However, in a powerful rebuke to the political establishment, the people spoke again. This time through the ballot. They gave the Aragalaya’s mandate to its rightful stewards. President Anura Kumara Disanayake and the National People’s Power (NPP) Government. This historic victory is more than a political transition; it is a moral reckoning. It is a second chance for Sri Lanka—not merely to recover, but to rebuild, to reckon with its past, and to reimagine its future.

The NPP Government now bears the enormous responsibility of fulfilling the aspirations of the Aragalaya. Its mandate is clear and unequivocal: to fight corruption, dismantle the structures of patronage and impunity, and lay the foundation for a just, inclusive, and democratic society. The symbolism of this political moment must be matched with substance. The energy of the streets must be channelled into institutional reform.

Crucially, accountability must not be sacrificed in the name of reconciliation or political convenience. The crimes of the Rajapaksa era cannot be forgotten or forgiven without justice. These are not just crimes of financial corruption—though those alone have devastated the country’s economy and drained its public coffers. More gravely, they include war crimes and atrocity crimes committed during and after the civil war. For decades, these horrors have gone unpunished. Victims have been silenced, and perpetrators have walked free, some even hailed as heroes. This culture of impunity must end.

To achieve justice, the Government must strengthen independent judicial processes, ensure the protection of witnesses and victims, and cooperate with international mechanisms where necessary. This is not a matter of political revenge—it is a matter of national healing and moral clarity. Sri Lanka cannot move forward while the ghosts of its past continue to haunt its institutions and its conscience.

At the same time, the broader goals of the Aragalaya, economic equity, democratic reform, ethnic reconciliation, and youth empowerment, must become the pillars of policy. The new administration must resist the temptations of political compromise that derailed past reform efforts. The people have entrusted the NPP not because it promised convenience, but because it pledged courage.

Three years ago, the people of Sri Lanka lit a fire that spread from Galle Face to the world stage, a fire of resistance, of hope, of renewal. That flame must not be extinguished by inertia or betrayal. This anniversary is not only a time to reflect on what was achieved, but also a solemn reminder of what remains to be done.