Sri Lanka is not India’s Macau — and never will be
The recent statement by casino tycoon Lawrence Ho that “Sri Lanka can be India’s Macau” is not just careless — it is dangerous on multiple fronts: political, economic, cultural, and strategic.
- Undermining Sri Lanka’s Sovereignty
Calling Sri Lanka “India’s Macau”:
- Implies Sri Lanka has becomea satellite state/economic colony for India’s elite.
- Treats Sri Lanka as atourist annex, rather than a nation with its own identity, vision, and development path.
- Reduces Sri Lanka to a gambling hub
- Promotes Vice-Driven Development
- Macau’s economy is dominated by casinos, gambling, and entertainment that often leads to:
- Money laundering
- Human trafficking and prostitution
- Organized crime
- Addiction and moral decay
- Turning Sri Lanka into a “casino haven” invites vice tourism, not value tourism, destroying cultural and religious values (especially in a predominantly Buddhist country).
Is this what we want for a country with over a 2500 Buddhist history?
Do we want to replace Buddhist principles & values for gambling vices?
This is not “value tourism.”
This is “vice tourism”
- Threatens Social Fabric and Local Livelihoods
- Casino-driven economies enrich only a few foreign-linked politically connected eliteswhile marginalizing local populations.
- Gambling zones often result in:
- Displacementof communities
- Exploitation of women and youth
- Rise in debt traps and family breakdowns
- Rise in corruption
- Foreign actors manipulating national priorities.
Where do Sri Lankan farmers, fishermen, teachers, or rural youth fit in such a model?
- Geopolitical Manipulation
- Labeling Sri Lanka as “India’s”anything, signals:
- Strategic takeoverof Sri Lanka’s economic assets.
- A push for regional dominanceby India under the guise of development.
- Redefining Sri Lanka’s tourism to cater to Indian upper-class tourism, not local empowerment.
- This could align with broader Indian interests in Trincomalee, ports, and economic corridors.
- Cultural Erosion & Identity Loss
- Sri Lanka has a deep civilizational heritage, Buddhist values, and a unique national identity.
- The promotion of mythical Ramayana Trails is a direct blow to the Buddhist heritage while gambling & nightlife is not part of that heritage.
- Comparing it to Macau — is an insult to our cultural legacy.
- Signals a shift from wholesome tourism(heritage, wellness, nature) to commercial and exploitative tourism that is likely to quicken the collapse of Sri Lanka’s society.
- Erosion of National Identity – a heritage & history that stood the test of time.
- Economic Risk & Collapse
- Macau is heavily dependent on one industry— casinos — making it vulnerable to external shocks. When COVID hit, the entire system collapsed.
- Replicating this in Sri Lanka would:
- Neglect national priority due to agriculture, fisheries, education etc.
- Make the country over-dependent on foreign tourists, especially from India & for the wrong reasons (Vice Tourism)
- Income is fragile – one shock can crashes entire economy.
- Promoting the wrong type of income rooted in vice & instability.
Political hypocrisy at its Peak
It is ironic that a so-called Marxist government, which led two armed rebellions against democratically elected governments and is yet to account for these crimes, is spearheading policy shifts more extreme and destructive than even pro-Western or pro-Indian governments have dared in 76 years of independence.
Who gave them this mandate?
Whose interests are they really serving?
We are not for Sale
Politicians / Political Parties must desist from turning Sri Lanka into their playground
We are a sovereign nation – our people have lived with dignity, heritage & proud history.
We have not forgotten who we are.
Only those who lack values, faith, roots are willing to embrace vices that artificially raise their status to gain what they cannot achieve through virtue or virtuous leadership.
Shenali D Waduge
