SBS Dateline | Interview with Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu

The violent civil unrest in Sri Lanka may be over, but the post-war freedom that people expected still hasn’t materialised, and it’s now the economic situation forcing many to flee the country.

That’s the insight of one expert, in an interview with Mark Davis for Dateline's special program on the wave of refugees fleeing the country for Australia.

Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu is the Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Alternatives - a research institute in the capital Colombo.

He’s not afraid to speak out about human rights in Sri Lanka, and says the legacy of disappearances and killings also still provoke fear and uncertainty.

So how, and when, does he see an end to the exodus of boat people?

WATCH - Click to see the interview, which was broadcast as part of Dateline’s special on Sri Lanka's asylum seekers to coincide with the series premiere of Go Back To Where You Came From.

INTERACTIVE MAP - Which countries do Australia's asylum seekers come from? And how does Sri Lanka rank in the list? Use our interactive map to find out.

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