Updated June 25, 2020
Sri Lanka
Background and Historical Setting
including efforts to reduce the authority of the executive
The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, known as
presidency.
Ceylon until 1972, is a constitutional democracy in South
Figure 1. Sri Lanka In Brief
Asia with relatively high levels of development. It is
strategically located in the Indian Ocean off the
southeastern tip of India’s Deccan Peninsula. The island
nation was settled by successive waves of migration from
India beginning in the 5th-century BC. Indo-Aryans from
northern India established Sinhalese Buddhist kingdoms in
the central part of the island. Tamil Hindus from southern
India also settled in northeastern coastal areas and
established a kingdom on the Jaffna Peninsula. Beginning
in the 16th century, Sri Lanka was colonized in succession
by the Portuguese, Dutch, and English.
Although Ceylon gained its independence from Britain
peacefully in 1948, succeeding decades were marred by
ethnic conflict between the country’s Sinhalese majority,
clustered in the densely populated South and West, and the
largely Hindu Tamil minority living in the North and East.
Following independence, the Tamils—who had attained
educational and civil service positions under the British—
increasingly faced discrimination from the Sinhalese-
dominated government, which made Sinhala the sole
official language and gave preferences to Sinhalese in

university admissions and government jobs. The Sinhalese,
Sirisena’s governing coalition began to fracture after a poor
who had deeply resented British favoritism toward the
performance in February 2018 local elections, losing to the
Tamils, saw themselves not only as the majority in Sri
newly-formed Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party,
Lanka, but also as a minority in a larger regional context
which capitalized on rising Sinhalese ethnic nationalism. In
that includes over 60 million Tamils in southern India.
late 2018, Sirisena sparked a political crisis when he tried
unsuccessfully to dismiss then-Prime Minister Ranil
Civil War and Subsequent Political
Wickremesinghe of the opposition United National Party
Developments
(UNP), and replace him with Mahinda Rajapaksa.
For 26 years, from 1983 to 2009, Tamil militant separatist
The 2019 Presidential Election
group the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) sought
to establish a separate state or internal self-rule in the
Gotabaya Rajapaksa, brother of former President and
Tamil-dominated areas of Sri Lanka. Political, social, and
current Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa was sworn in as
Sri Lanka’s new president in November 2019. Gotabaya
economic development was constrained by the ethnic
conflict and war between the government and the LTTE,
won the election with 52.3% of total votes, while his main
which cost an estimated 70,000-130,000 lives.
political rival, Sajith Premedasa of the UNP, received 42%
of the vote. Gotabaya Rajapaksa campaigned heavily on a
After a violent end to the civil war in May 2009, when the
platform of national security, pledging to suppress Islamist
military crushed LTTE forces and precipitated a
extremism. His and his brother’s key base of support is the
humanitarian emergency in Sri Lanka’s Tamil-dominated
Sinhalese Buddhist majority. Most Tamils, who are largely
north, attention turned to whether the government had the
Hindu or Christian, as well as most Muslims, voted for
ability and intention to build a stable peace in Sri Lanka.
Gotabaya’s opponent. Former Prime Minister Ranil
Former President (2005-2015) and current Prime Minister
Wickremesinghe of the UNP announced his resignation
Mahinda Rajapaksa faced criticism for an allegedly
following the election. This move opened the way for
insufficient response to reported war crimes by government
Gotabaya to select his brother as prime minister. The
forces, a nepotistic and ethnically biased government,
Rajapaksas’ political base is expected to be further
increasing restrictions on media, and uneven economic
strengthened in 2020 when the SLPP is projected by
development. In the January 2015 presidential election,
observers to win a majority of seats in parliament. The
Mahinda was defeated by Maithripala Sirisena.
Parliamentary election initially scheduled for June 2020
Parliamentary elections later in 2015 led to the formation of
was rescheduled to August 2020 due to the novel
a unity government supportive of Sirisena’s reform agenda,
coronavirus pandemic.
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Sri Lanka
Many observers fear that Gotabaya’s election could lead to
publication of the Report of the U.N. Office of the High
a return to nepotistic and authoritarian style government, an
Commissioner for Human Rights Investigation on Sri
end to the limited democratic reforms, and limited
Lanka and was viewed by many at the time as a positive
reconciliation measures with the ethnic Tamil community
step toward justice in Sri Lanka. Following the adoption of
that occurred under former President Sirisena. Gotabaya is
the resolution, however, former President Sirisena backed
reportedly seeking to repeal the 19th Amendment, a key
away from supporting any significant involvement of
reform of the previous government that curtails some of the
international judges in a special judicial mechanism to
powers of the president and makes the office more
prosecute war crimes. The High Commissioner for Human
accountable to parliament. For the location of his swearing-
Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, noted steps taken by Sri
in ceremony, Gotabaya chose a sacred Buddhist shrine in
Lanka, but also called for a transitional justice mechanism
the ancient capital of Anuradhapura. The shrine
to deal with past human rights abuses. An Office of Missing
commemorates the defeat in 140 BC of King Elara, a Tamil
Persons was established, and a Right to Information law
Hindu king, by the Buddhist King Dutugemunu.
was passed during Sirisena’s term of office. Observers
believe President Gotabaya Rajapaksa will be reluctant to
The context for the Presidential election was at least
partially set by the April 2019 “Easter bombings” that
fulfill previous commitments made to the U.N. Human
Rights Council relating to a transitional justice agenda.
killed over 250 people at several churches and hotels in Sri
Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated in January 2020 that
Lanka, and highlighted security failures of the Sirisena
“Respect for fundamental human rights in Sri Lanka is in
government. As a result, security was a key theme in the
serious jeopardy following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election.”
election, which played in favor of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, a
HRW has also asserted that Gotabaya and his brother
former Secretary of Defense who is credited by many
Mahinda “were implicated in numerous human rights
Sinhalese with playing a central role in defeating the
violations during their previous years in power.” Ongoing
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 2009 and
ending the country’s
human rights concerns include unlawful killings, torture,
26-year-long civil war.
sexual abuse, arbitrary detention, and violence against
U.S.-Sri Lanka Relations
LGBTI persons.
Historically, U.S. policy toward Sri Lanka has included
Strategic Setting
focus on supporting Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions,
Sri Lanka is situated near strategically important sea lanes
encouraging its economic development, and promoting
that transit the Indian Ocean. These lanes link energy-rich
human rights. U.S. policy has also promoted bilateral trade
Persian Gulf states with the economies of Asia. Maritime
and addressed regional geopolitical dynamics. Through
trade is increasingly integrating the Indian and Pacific
foreign aid and diplomacy, the United States has supported
Oceans’ littoral regions. Sri Lanka and India share close,
initiatives intended to strengthen governance, democratic
long-standing historical, cultural, and religious ties. India
reform, rule of law, and human rights in Sri Lanka. The
became involved in the counter-insurgency war against the
United States is Sri Lanka’s single-largest market,
LTTE following the 1987 Indo-Sri Lanka Agreement.
accounting for approximately 25% of Sri Lankan exports.
Between 1987 and 1990, India lost over 1,200 soldiers in
U.S. Ambassador to Sri Lanka Alaina Teplitz reported in
this conflict before then-Indian Prime Minister Rajiv
June 2020 that the U.S. had given Sri Lanka $5.8 million
Gandhi was killed by an LTTE suicide bomber in 1991.
and 200 ventilators to assist its fight against COVID-19.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with President
Following the Easter 2019 bombings of several churches
Gotabaya Rajapaksa in November 2019 in an effort to
and hotels in Colombo, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
improve bilateral ties. A $400 million loan for
declared, “We stand with the Sri Lankan government and
infrastructure projects and a $50 million loan for security
people as they confront violent extremism and have offered
assistance reportedly were offered by Modi. India, along
our assistance as they work to bring the perpetrators to
with the United States, has been an active voice for
justice.”
reconciliation and fair elections.
Three key aspects of the U.S.-Sri Lanka bilateral
While a candidate, Gotabaya stated he would “restore
relationship include negotiations related to a new
relations” with China, which were not as close under
Acquisition and Cross Servicing Agreement and a new
Sirisena as they were under Mahinda Rajapaksa. Under
Status of Forces Agreement, and the implementation of the
Mahinda Rajapaksa’s presidency, there was concern over
Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Compact, which
Sri Lanka’s deepening relationship with China, including
was negotiated with the Sirisena government. The MCC
China’s 2014 naval submarine visit to Sri Lanka. Beijing
board approved a five-year $480 million compact in April
has invested significantly in Sri Lanka’s infrastructure. In
2019 aimed at reducing poverty through economic growth
2017, Sri Lanka leased port facilities at Hambantota to
by assisting Sri Lanka in dealing with transport logistics
China for 99 years for an estimated $1.1 billion. China’s
infrastructure and lack of access to land for agriculture,
activities in Sri Lanka are called part of Beijing’s Belt and
services and industrial investors.
Road Initiative aimed in part at gaining access to ports in
the Indian Ocean to help secure China’s interests along vital
The United Nations, Sri Lanka, and
sea lanes. China’s largely economic and investment
Human Rights
presence in Sri Lanka—and elsewhere in the Indian
Sri Lanka co-sponsored a U.N. Human Rights Council
Ocean—is causing increasing concern among some
resolution on accountability for human rights abuses during
strategic analysts and policymakers in Washington, New
the Sri Lanka civil war that was adopted by the Council in
Delhi, and other capitals.
October 2015. The resolution followed the September 2015
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Sri Lanka

IF10213
Bruce Vaughn, Specialist in Asian Affairs


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