Sri Lanka’s President Anura Kumara Dissanayake says his country is confronting a disaster “beyond our control” as it struggles to recover from the catastrophic impact of Cyclone Ditwah while still emerging from years of financial turmoil, political upheaval and public distrust. In a wide-ranging and unusually candid interview with Newsweek inside the stately bilateral meeting room of the Presidential Secretariat in Colombo, Dissanayake described a country caught in overlapping crises yet determined to forge a more resilient and equitable future. Sitting beneath high ceilings and the formal quiet of the Secretariat, he spoke openly about climate shocks, debt restructuring, geopolitical pressures and the profound social wounds left by decades of conflict and mismanagement.
The president began by reflecting on the political transformation that brought him to office in 2024, following massive protests two years earlier that toppled the long-ruling Rajapaksa establishment. “The protests of 2022 were born not only from power cuts and long queues for fuel and medicine, but also from a deeper frustration with corruption, unequal opportunity and decisions made without transparency or accountability,” he said. According to him, by the time the election arrived, that anger had evolved into a collective insistence on a different type of leadership—one rooted in honesty, responsibility and a commitment to fairness. “Our victory was a call for cleaner governance, economic fairness and a break from politics as usual,” he explained. “People wanted leaders who are like normal people, who would tell them the truth and accept responsibility. I see our mandate as a contract of trust.”
That trust has been tested severely in recent weeks. Cyclone Ditwah, which tore across Sri Lanka in late November, killed hundreds, left tens of thousands homeless and caused billions of dollars in damage, according to initial government assessments. The disaster struck just as Sri Lanka completed a historic restructuring of $25 billion in debt, a process that included $3 billion in forgiveness. Dissanayake said the storm exposed the vulnerability of countries like his, whose debt burdens collide with extreme weather intensified by climate change. “Initial estimates indicate that the damage may well be beyond any natural disaster that our island has endured,” he said. “We will have to service debt while simultaneously rebuilding from climate disasters. This is why debt sustainability frameworks for climate-vulnerable countries must change.”
Despite the destruction, the president noted that regional partners moved quickly. India launched Operation Sagar Bandhu, deploying aircraft, helicopters, naval vessels including the aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, and disaster-response personnel. Pakistan and the Maldives also rushed assistance. Dissanayake said the response reflected Sri Lanka’s position at the confluence of major powers and its need to maintain relationships that are diverse rather than dependent. “We don’t look at our relations with these important countries as balancing,” he said. “Each of our relationships is important to us. We work with everyone, but always with a single purpose – a better world for Sri Lankans, in a better world for all.”
That vision for Sri Lanka’s place in the world now involves a deeper engagement with Washington, especially in light of President Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Dissanayake has already written personally to Trump, urging relief on tariffs affecting Sri Lankan exports, and says the new administration represents an economic opportunity. “For Sri Lanka, success means market access and renewed investment flows,” he said. “We are engaging with President Trump’s administration to position Sri Lanka as a stable and reliable partner and an Indian Ocean hub.” Asked what Colombo seeks from Washington, he was direct: access for textiles and value-added goods, climate finance to rebuild after Ditwah, investment in renewable energy and manufacturing, and technology transfers. “What we offer is a strategically placed, stable, democratic partner in the Indo-Pacific,” he said. “We are committed to freedom of navigation.”
On China, Dissanayake was measured but clear. Beijing remains Sri Lanka’s largest bilateral lender, and its role in major infrastructure investments—such as Hambantota Port and Port City—has long prompted external concerns about leverage and “debt-trap diplomacy.” The president pushed back against that narrative. “These projects are realities that we must manage intelligently,” he said. “The Hambantota Port operates transparently, like any other port terminal in Sri Lanka. Our Navy and customs are in control. The lease is commercial, not military.” He stressed that Sri Lanka prohibits any foreign military bases and enforces that policy. Port City, he said, is “primarily a commercial development” and will help generate jobs and investment. What matters, he added, is maintaining sovereignty and ensuring that operations comply with Sri Lankan law.
Yet even before Ditwah, the president had been confronting significant pressure at home. Opposition groups staged a major rally in October accusing him of failing to curb corruption, deliver safety or stop abuses by security agencies. Dissanayake said he intends to reform the Prevention of Terrorism Act and restrictive online safety rules, which he described as relics of undemocratic governance. “These laws have been used as tools of repression,” he admitted. “They are out of place in a democracy. We are committed to comprehensive reform.” He said rights-conscious international partners should look at “our actions,” pointing to the release of detainees, strengthened independent institutions and a systematic review of politically tainted cases. “The political culture of control and institutional habits don’t change overnight,” he said. “It requires sustained effort.”
On transitional justice, the president acknowledged the depth of trauma left by Sri Lanka’s civil war and decades of abuses. “You can’t overcome the loss of thousands of lives in conflict,” he said. “The best we can do is acknowledge that pain exists and ensure that it wasn’t in vain by making sure that things like this don’t happen again.” His government is consulting victims’ groups, civil society and international experts to design a credible domestic mechanism to address past violations. He insisted Sri Lanka can build institutions that protect all communities, saying the goal is not to “forget” the past but to prevent its repetition.
The interview also touched on sensitive corruption allegations, including the arrest of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Critics claim the case is politically motivated. Dissanayake rejected that characterisation. “Whether Mr. Wickremesinghe’s arrest is justified depends on evidence, and that should be tested in court—not the media or political pressure,” he said. He argued that the scale of entrenched institutional corruption means reforms must be systemic, not symbolic. “Putting things right requires systemic change, not just arrests,” he said, pointing to new digital procurement systems, strengthened oversight bodies and mandatory asset declarations.
Economically, Sri Lanka faces an uphill battle. Youth unemployment remains high, over 300,000 people left for foreign jobs in 2024 and large swaths of the population remain vulnerable after years of austerity. The president said the solution lies in structural transformation. “We must create a country where young people see a bright future full of opportunities,” he said, listing meritocracy, better education, entrepreneurial support and globally connected industries as priorities. He admitted that even with reforms “some will still leave,” but insisted the government’s aim is to make staying “a competitive choice and not a sacrifice.”
At the heart of the president’s messaging is a belief that Sri Lanka must break the cycle of climate disasters followed by desperate reconstruction. Ditwah destroyed roughly 273,000 acres of rice paddies and battered two million people, making climate resilience central to every policy—from agriculture to infrastructure. “We will be trapped if we don’t act now,” he warned. “Sri Lanka contributes negligibly to global emissions, but we face existential climate shocks that can destroy years of development progress overnight.” He called for global help to build flood-resistant homes, coastal defenses, better forecasting, and natural mitigation systems such as mangrove restoration and reforestation.
Towards the end of the conversation, Dissanayake reflected on the challenge that defines his presidency. “Our biggest challenge is achieving sustainable and equitable development while dealing with overlapping crises,” he said. The country’s debt remains above 100 percent of GDP, the economy is fragile, and more than a million people now need urgent assistance after the cyclone. Yet he stressed that Sri Lankans possess remarkable resilience and that the state must match that spirit with long-term planning. “We must prove that Sri Lanka remains resilient and viable,” he said. “That we can withstand climate disasters. That we can offer young people a future worth staying for.”
As he concluded, the president framed his mission not as overcoming the past but ensuring that its darkest chapters are never repeated. “We can’t erase the past,” he said. “But we can refuse to repeat the bad things by learning from the past and reforming so they don’t get passed on to future generations.” With Sri Lanka battered yet again by forces beyond its control, that commitment, he argued, is the only path toward a stable and hopeful future.
