Human Rights violations during foreign rule

by Rupa Banduwardena

Sri Lanka, the paradise isle, had been at one time in the middle of the maritime silk route from China to Europe, making it a hub for ancient trade. History reveals that Lanka was one of the great emporiums in the East. It is said that Lanka had indigenous products such as gems, pearls, elephants, ivory, valuable wood, textiles and spices such as cloves, cardamoms, pepper and specially cinnamon supposed to be "the finest in the world" in the words of the Dutch.

Trade has been the forte in Dutch history and cinnamon has been the very thing that brought the Dutch to explorers Sri Lanka. At a time when modern day aviation was unheard of, the natural harbours around Lanka such as Manthai (3-11 BC) in the north west Godawaya (1-10 BC) in the south and Gokanna in the East were the busy sea ports engaged in import and export trade.

There is a great deal of historical material from the Dutch period regarding spices and trade of the island. It is said that there are diary entries describing inspection tours made by Dutch governors to cinnamon plantations. Such information is of much use to trace the historical development in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka has experienced invasions. Starting with neighbouring South India in the deep ancient period and later with the Portuguese Dutch and the British. Going back to the Portuguese, the first Europeans to invade the island, they occupied the maritime provinces.

The Portuguese arrived in 1505. Their control of the area caused Sinhala people to move their capital to Kandy as the Hill Country was looked upon as safer and secure against foreign invaders. Those who disliked Portuguese welcomed any force which could redeem them. When the Dutch landed in Sri Lanka in 1602.

The King of Kandy appealed for help. To be very brief, the Dutch welcomed the idea. But it was not until 1660 that the Dutch could gain power. By then they controlled the whole island except the Kingdom of Kandy. It did not take long for the British, the last imperial power, to establish their might in Ceylon, as called by them.

The British East India Company gained control of the island in 1796 declaring it a Crown Colony in 1802. The fall of the Kingdom of Kandy in 1815 unified the island under the British.

Though the country benefited during the latter stages, the British rule was confined to the development of their own interests. It was nothing but colonialism of the imperial masters who owned an empire where sun never sets.

The most repulsive to hear, embedded in history bear testimony to the displeasure of the entire nation.

"The last king of Lanka who fled the capital of Mahanuwara to escape an enraged crowd was later located in a house at Meda Mahanuwara and along with his queens were deported to Vellore in the ship Cornwallis. His throne and crown were shipped to England. The flag of the nation, Mani Mekhala the jewelled underwear of the queens and other valuable possessions of the conquered race too were shipped and sold at London auctions" thus terminating the age old royalty.

The never ending grievances over the misuse of civil rights religious unrest, mistreatment and abuse of indigences by the imperial masters gave rise to a struggle for freedom. The battle against the imperialists began in 1817 in Uva culminating in the famous 1818 rebellion.

The next was the 1848 rebellion headed by great heroes such as Puran Appu and Gongalegoda Banda whose names shine in the history.

The Kandyan glamour and grandeur and the aristocracy disappeared. The most disgusting was their excise policy. Liquor was made available everywhere in villages exposing them to all the vices on earth. Soon there was evidence of discontent with British rule.

There was the Temperance Movement led by the Anagarika Dharmapala. Still later in 1915 racial rivalry erupted into a riot against Muslims which brought about the declaration of Martial Law, imprisoning of a great national heroes.

The majority were totally against British rule. Only students of history would know the exact truth whether there was even a wee bit of humanitarian consideration among the colonial masters. It was a case of human rights violations from the beginning to the end.