Sri Lanka
Freedom at a Glance
Global Freedom
54 / 100
Partly Free
Internet Freedom
52 / 100
Partly Free
Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as president in 2019 and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s (SLPP) victory in the 2020 parliamentary polls emboldened the Rajapaksa family. While Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from their posts in the face of the Aragalaya (“Struggle”) protests in 2022, the family appears to maintain significant control through the SLPP.
Research & Recommendations
Sri Lanka
Partly Free
54
100
| PR Political Rights | 22 40 |
| CL Civil Liberties | 32 60 |
Last Year's Score & Status
54
100
Partly Free
Global freedom statuses are calculated on a weighted scale.
See the methodology.
Overview
Sri Lanka experienced improvements in political rights and civil liberties after the 2015 election of President Maithripala Sirisena. However, the Sirisena administration was slow to address the aftermath of a 26-year civil war between government forces and ethnic Tamil rebels, who were defeated in 2009. Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as president in 2019 and the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna’s (SLPP) victory in the 2020 parliamentary polls emboldened the Rajapaksa family. Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa resigned from their posts in the face of the Aragalaya (“Struggle”) protests—prompted by economic troubles, government mismanagement, and corruption—in 2022. While the government has since brought about relative stability, it has operated in ways that curtail civil liberties.
Freedom in the World 2024 Policy Recommendations
Provide steady support and flexible funding to those on the front lines of the struggle against tyranny.
Democratic governments and donors must increase and sustain support for those working to defend and promote fundamental freedoms around the world. Failure to do so emboldens autocrats and can result in the loss of hard-won progress.
Uphold the rights of people living in disputed territories.
The events of the past year in places such as Nagorno-Karabakh and the Gaza Strip provided stark evidence that populations without self-determination are at greater risk of extreme human rights abuses or atrocities.
Protect free and fair elections in 2024.
At least 40 countries are holding national-level elections in 2024, and many more will conduct other types of balloting. Free and fair elections are a cornerstone of any democracy, and independent and transparent electoral processes are necessary to foster genuine competition and public trust.
Sri Lanka
Partly Free
52
100
| A Obstacles to Access | 12 25 |
| B Limits on Content | 22 35 |
| C Violations of User Rights | 18 40 |
Last Year's Score & Status
48
100
Partly Free
Scores are based on a scale of 0 (least free) to 100 (most free).
See the research methodology and report acknowledgements.
Overview
Internet freedom in Sri Lanka improved slightly during the coverage period. The government no longer blocked social media and other communications to repress protests, and the historic Aragalaya (Struggle), a countrywide peaceful mobilization calling for reforms to the country’s political culture and economic policies, continued during the coverage period. Following the resignation of Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in response to the protesters' demands, former opposition leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who was sworn in as acting president following Gotabaya fleeing the country, was appointed president through an election by Parliament. Wickremesinghe’s government implemented emergency regulations to bar purportedly false information, continued the brutal crackdown on online activists and journalists reporting on the Aragalaya movement, and introduced draft laws that could encroach on online expression and user privacy. Despite these continued restrictions, Sri Lankans continued to engage in digital activism around a range of issues.
Freedom on the Net 2023 Policy Recommendations
Promote freedom of expression and access to information.
Freedom of expression online is increasingly under attack as governments continue to restrict connectivity and block social media platforms and websites that host political, social, and religious speech. Protecting freedom of expression will require strong legal and regulatory safeguards.
Defend information integrity in the age of AI.
Even before the new wave of generative artificial intelligence (AI) products, AI was a key factor in the crisis of information integrity, serving as an intensifier in environments that were already vulnerable to manipulation. However, advancements in generative AI will supercharge the creation and dissemination of false and misleading content.
Combat disproportionate government surveillance.
Governments worldwide have passed increasingly disproportionate surveillance laws, and can access a booming commercial market for surveillance tools, giving them the capacity to flout the rule of law and monitor the private communications of individuals inside and beyond their borders.
News and Updates
Freedom House Perspectives
News Releases & Media Coverage
Country Facts
Basic Facts
Global Freedom Score
54
/ 100
Partly Free
Internet Freedom Score
52
/ 100
Partly Free
Population: 22,180,000
Internet Facts
Status
Partly Free
Networks Restricted
No
Social Media Blocked
No
Websites Blocked
Yes
Pro-government Commentators
Yes
Users Arrested
Yes
Election Facts
Status
Currently Tracking
Date of Election
September 21, 2024
Type of Election
Presidential
Internet Penetration
56.30%
Election Year
2024
Vulnerability Index
59
/ 100
Transnational Repression
Status
Not Tracked