LIRNEasia Data, Algorithms, and Policy (DAP) Team Lead and Research Manager Merl Chandana was featured in ‘The Morning’ newspaper on 28 December 2025, in an article by Nelie Munasinghe, where he underscored the urgency of moving from AI policy discussions to real-world implementation. “The perception that Sri Lanka has not yet widely adopted AI is inaccurate. While it may not be as visible as in other countries through large AI-focused companies, AI is already being integrated across sectors like health, retail, transport, finance, and e-commerce. The potential benefits and risks of this technology are already present. Viewing AI-related risks as a distant concern does not reflect our current reality. 
LIRNEasia Data, Algorithms, and Policy (DAP) Team Lead and Research Manager Merl Chandana was featured in ‘The Morning’ newspaper on 28 December 2025, in an article by Nelie Munasinghe, where he underscored the urgency of moving from AI policy discussions to real-world implementation. “The perception that Sri Lanka has not yet widely adopted AI is inaccurate. While it may not be as visible as in other countries through large AI-focused companies, AI is already being integrated across sectors like health, retail, transport, finance, and e-commerce. The potential benefits and risks of this technology are already present. Viewing AI-related risks as a distant concern does not reflect our current reality. 
This report on data governance in Sri Lanka is part of the “Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia” (D4DAsia) project, which aims, inter alia, to create and mobilize new knowledge about the tensions, gaps, and evolution of the data governance ecosystem, taking into account both formal and informal policies and practices. This report is also part of a broader comparative effort that includes case studies from India, Indonesia, Nepal, South Korea, Thailand, and the Philippines. The report provides contextual information about Sri Lanka’s constitutional and governance framework and discusses laws and policies that promote openness or access to data, as well as those that facilitate interoperability or cross-border data transfers. It also examines the opposite; laws, policies, and practices that restrict openness or access to data. The report emphasizes the significance of data governance in shaping Sri Lanka’s digital future. 
On 15 October 2025, the Asian Development Bank’s Serendipity Knowledge Program (SKOP) hosted a high-level event on Digital Transformation, Cybersecurity, and Data Protection for Digital Economy Development in Sri Lanka. Professor Rohan Samarajiva, Chair of LIRNEasia, participated as a panelist in the discussion on the need for a security-first and privacy-respecting culture from schools to workplaces, including government institutions. The other panelists were Shariffah Rashidah binti Syed Othman (Commissioner of Personal Data Protection, Department of Personal Data Protection, Ministry of Digital, Malaysia), Rajeeva Bandaranaike (Chairman, Data Protection Agency, Sri Lanka), and Avanthi Colombage (Country Manager, Visa Sri Lanka). The panel, moderated by Antonio Zaballos (Director of the Digital Sector at ADB), explored challenges, opportunities, and priorities in creating a resilient digital economy. The SKOP event provided a platform to share international best practices and innovative solutions, advancing dialogue on a secure and trusted digital economy in Sri Lanka. 
This report is part of the “Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia” (D4DAsia) initiative, which critically examines how data governance is evolving across the region, including both formal frameworks and informal norms. In the Philippines, the absence of a comprehensively organized legal or policy framework has resulted in a patchwork of approaches shaped by sector-specific laws, presidential directives, and administrative regulations. In recent decades, policies have emerged in response to growing data use, such as updates to intellectual property laws aligned with international practices and the enactment of personal data protection legislation addressing cross-border data processing. Despite recent developments, the Philippines still lacks a unified data governance framework. The only broad measure is the 2016 presidential ordinance on public access to government data. 
The Forum on Data Governance in Thailand, held on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, at the Sigma Room (6th floor), Pullman King Power Bangkok, brought together experts from government agencies, academia, and private organizations to exchange their knowledge, perspectives, and experiences on data policymaking and the design of data governance systems in Thailand. The forum was hosted by LIRNEasia (an independent think tank working across the Asia Pacific), in collaboration with the Department of International Studies at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (Republic of Korea), Privacy Thailand, and the Institute of Public Policy Studies (IPPS), Thailand. Funding support was provided by the International Development Research Centre (a Crown Corporation of the Government of Canada). The Forum explored the inherent tensions that arise in governing data in light of competing interests and policy objectives – that of collecting, storing, using and sharing data to support development and growth objectives, and of protecting privacy and other human rights that are vital but can be violated through the release of data. LIRNEasia and affiliated researchers explored such tensions as well as the practical ways these tensions are resolved across seven countries – Thailand, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan and the Philippines. 
This report is part of the Data for Development project which aims, inter alia, to create and mobilize new knowledge about tensions, gaps, and the evolution of the data governance ecosystem taking into account formal and informal policies and practices. This regional synthesis report explores the intricate web of data governance systems and their potential to contribute to more democratic and inclusive societies. It examines the tensions that arise between various data-related policies, such as personal data protection, competition law, open data initiatives, cybersecurity measures, and AI and innovation strategies. While developed countries may have mechanisms to address these conflicts, many nations in South and Southeast Asia face significant hurdles in creating and implementing effective data governance frameworks. The report seeks to uncover the unique challenges faced by countries in the region, including opaque policy-making processes, limited stakeholder participation, and policies that may not always align with local contexts or implementation capacities. 
Aslam Hayat (Senior Policy Fellow LIRNEasia, Country Researcher for Pakistan), and Pranesh Prakash (Policy Fellow LIRNEasia, Co-Principal Investigator), drew on research carried out under LIRNEasia’s ‘Harnessing Data for Democratic Development in South and Southeast Asia’ project to discuss aspects of data governance in Pakistan and other countries. This was part of a forum hosted by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) in Pakistan, under the theme, “Public-Private Dialogue (PPD) on Data Governance in Pakistan.” The forum brought together key voices from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector in Pakistan, and was held on 23 April 2025. Aslam Hayat highlighted key findings from the research carried out in Pakistan, outlining the data governance framework in the country, identifying policy gaps and good practices. Pranesh Prakash gave an overview of the research carried out by the Harnessing Data for Democratic Development project, and discussed concepts related to data governance, privacy, and open standards. 
In an insightful 50-minute discussion, Principal Presidential Advisor on Digital Economy Dr. Hans Wijayasuriya sat down with LIRNEasia Chair Prof. Rohan Samarajiva to share his insights on the key priorities and challenges in shaping the nation’s digital transformation. From bridging the country’s digital skills gap and fostering a thriving innovation ecosystem to implementing effective policy reforms, the conversation explores the steps needed to propel Sri Lanka into a competitive position on the global digital stage. Both experts bring a wealth of experience in technology, telecom, and policy, offering a thought-provoking dialogue on what it takes to drive meaningful change.