Sri Lankans stunned the world–and probably themselves–when they voted to oust a quasi-autocrat from power. In January, a politician named Maithripali Sirisena engineered a surprise electoral upset against Mahinda Rajapaksa, an authoritarian and probable war criminal whose family long held a tight grip on power. In this episode, human rights lawyer and political scientist Kate Cronin-Furman explains how this upset occurred, what it might mean for other quasi-dictators around the world, and how this move might effect ethnic Tamils’ long quest for justice and accountability for crimes against humanity.

Episode 115: Jendayi Frazer
Episode 145: Richard Haass
Episode 60: Andrew Mack
My Wife Gave Birth to Our Son the Passenger Seat of Our Car, So This Episode is about Maternal and Newborn Health
