Photo: Supplied
Sri Lankan president Gotabaya Rajapaksa has resigned, abruptly departing the country this week after his presidential palace was stormed by thousands of protesters. Days later people were still flocking to the palatial home, trying out gym equipment, swimming in the pool, and cooking in the kitchen - cleaning up after themselves as they went.
The dramatic scenes follow months of protests over the country's deepening economic crisis, which has seen the cost of food, fuel and other basic supplies soar for Sri Lankans.
Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa founded Sri Lanka’s first citizen journalism website Groundviews in 2006, and edited it until 2020. He is currently based in Dunedin, where he is a research fellow at The Disinformation Project.
Photo: AFP / Arun Sankar
