We are saddened to hear that Nirmani Liyanage passed away suddenly over the weekend. She was junior researcher at LIRNEasia for a brief time before leaving for her post-graduate studies to study what she was passionate about. We quote here what LIRNEasia alumnus Sriganesh Lokanathan wrote in his Facebook yesterday when he heard about her passing:
“Sad to hear of the sudden passing of Nirmani Liyanage. She worked briefly for me many years ago and in hiring her I remember her confidence and curiosity that struck me and stayed with me. She only worked a few months before she resigned to pursue higher studies after an opportunity arose. Many years later when she came back to Sri Lanka randomly ran into her at another colleagues wedding. The curiosity and confidence was still there but seemed even more honed. I’ve heard so many good things about her work in Sri Lanka, more so in this last year. Sad indeed that she has gone too soon. May she go to eternal rest from samsara and reach the supreme bliss of nirvana”
It was indeed a confident and purposeful Nirmani, Sri Lanka and the world saw during the Aragalaya. Her passing is a loss.
Rest in peace Nirmani.
2 Comments
Chintha Munasinghe
WHERE IS THE FUNERAL?
PLEASE SHRE THE ADDRESS OF THE VENUE.
Admin
Chintha: According to a former colleague: “Our beloved Nirmani Liyanage’s remains will lie for final respects at ‘The Respect by Jayarathne’ in Borella on Tuesday from 8.30am to 10:00pm and Wednesday from 8.30 am onwards. Time of final rites on Wednesday will be confirmed. “.
Missed opportunities in Philippine data governance
Even though the Constitution of the Philippines protects citizens’ right to access official records and research data used in policymaking, the absence of a comprehensive right-to-information law has left implementation subject to executive discretion. In a recent article published in InsiderPH on April 6, 2026, J.
Rethinking Sri Lanka’s Data Centre Hub Ambition
The idea of turning Sri Lanka into a regional data centre hub is an attractive one, particularly in the context of growing global demand for digital infrastructure and AI-driven services. However, it raises important economic questions, especially whether this is a viable and high-return investment strategy for a small, fiscally constrained economy like Sri Lanka.
Nepal’s digital crossroads: building a transparent data governance framework
Nepal’s evolving digital landscape highlights a growing tension between constitutional guarantees of privacy and access to information, and a fragmented, outdated data governance framework. In a recent article published in Republica on March 17, 2026, Avash Mainali, Country Researcher for Nepal for LIRNEasia’s D4D Asia project, argues that while the introduction of the Personal Data Protection Policy, 2082 (2025), marks a positive step, its impact will depend on whether it can move beyond aspirational language to enforceable rights.
Links
User Login
Themes
Social
Twitter
Facebook
RSS Feed
Contact
9A 1/1, Balcombe Place
Colombo 08
Sri Lanka
+94 (0)11 267 1160
+94 (0)11 267 5212
info [at] lirneasia [dot] net
Copyright © 2026 LIRNEasia
a regional ICT policy and regulation think tank active across the Asia Pacific