Sri Lanka’s Parliament has become the latest arena in a growing international conversation on colonial reparations, as the government signals it may seek compensation from Britain for damages inflicted during the colonial era.
Foreign Affairs Minister Vijitha Herath confirmed that the issue is under consideration, following calls from Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa to emulate African nations that have formally demanded reparations from former colonial rulers. The move reflects a broader reassessment of colonial history, as nations reassess the long-term economic and human costs of imperialism.
British colonial rule in Sri Lanka reshaped the island’s political economy in ways that continue to influence present-day challenges. While often portrayed as a period of administrative modernization, historians argue that colonial governance prioritized imperial profit over local welfare, producing structural inequalities that persist decades after independence.
The plantation economy introduced by the British transformed Sri Lanka into a mono-crop exporter dependent on tea, rubber, and coffee. This system relied on expropriated land and imported indentured labor, while profits flowed largely to British companies and the imperial treasury. At independence, Sri Lanka inherited an economy highly dependent on volatile global commodity markets, with limited industrial diversification.
Beyond economics, colonial rule involved widespread appropriation of cultural heritage. Archaeological expeditions conducted during the colonial period removed artifacts from ancient kingdoms such as Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa. Palm-leaf manuscripts containing Buddhist texts, medical knowledge, and historical chronicles were shipped to British libraries, where many remain inaccessible to Sri Lankan scholars.
The loss of life during colonial suppression campaigns is another unresolved grievance. The brutal response to rebellions in the 19th century, particularly in Uva-Wellassa, is increasingly cited as evidence of crimes that would today constitute violations of international humanitarian norms. Entire communities were displaced, leaders executed, and livelihoods destroyed as part of punitive military operations.
The reparations debate is not without challenges. International law offers limited mechanisms for historical claims, and Britain has previously resisted formal compensation demands, arguing that colonial actions occurred before modern legal frameworks. However, recent precedentssuch as compensation paid to Kenyan victims of colonial-era abuses have strengthened the moral and political case for redress.
Analysts say Sri Lanka’s approach is likely to combine diplomatic engagement, historical documentation, and coordination with other formerly colonized nations. Rather than immediate financial compensation, outcomes could include restitution of cultural property, development partnerships, debt relief, or formal acknowledgements of wrongdoing.
Minister Herath’s statement marks a shift from silence to scrutiny, signaling that Sri Lanka is prepared to revisit its colonial past not merely as history, but as an unresolved political and economic issue with contemporary relevance.
