Sunday, July 13, 2025
Asia Democracy Chronicles
Follow Us
No Result
View All Result
  • Features & Analysis
    • All
    • Analysis
    • Articles
    Hidden in plain sight

    Hidden in plain sight

    Unwavering rainbow warriors

    Unwavering rainbow warriors

    Beyond queerness, solidarity

    Beyond queerness, solidarity

    A risky heating up

    A risky heating up

    Lives on edge

    Lives on edge

    Stateless, twice over

    Stateless, twice over

    Laboring under a tariff threat

    Laboring under a tariff threat

    Left out by the law

    Left out by the law

    Between memory and forgetting: Keeping the spirit of Tiananmen alive

    Between memory and forgetting: Keeping the spirit of Tiananmen alive

  • Countries
    • NORTHEAST ASIA
      • China
        • Hong Kong
        • Macau
        • Tibet
      • Japan
      • Mongolia
      • North Korea
      • South Korea
      • Taiwan
    • SOUTH ASIA
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Nepal
      • Pakistan
      • Sri Lanka
    • SOUTHEAST ASIA
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Timor-Leste
      • Vietnam
    • GLOBAL / REGIONAL
  • Issues
    • Elections
    • Access to Education
    • Access to Health
    • Authoritarianism and Abuse of Power
    • Civil Liberties
    • Discrimination Against Covid-19 Patients and Specific Sectors
    • Gender-based Violence and Child Abuse
    • Governance
    • Labor and Migrant Workers’ Rights
    • Media Freedom – Issues
    • Movement and Migration
    • Privacy and Surveillance
    • Social Protection and Inclusion
      • Peace and Diplomacy
  • Democracy Digest
    • Democracy Digest Archive
  • Asia Through The Lens
    • Northeast Asia
    • South Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • Regional / Global
  • Democracy Watch
  • Statements
    • Civil Society Statements
  • About
    • Pitch Us
    • Back to ADN
  • Features & Analysis
    • All
    • Analysis
    • Articles
    Hidden in plain sight

    Hidden in plain sight

    Unwavering rainbow warriors

    Unwavering rainbow warriors

    Beyond queerness, solidarity

    Beyond queerness, solidarity

    A risky heating up

    A risky heating up

    Lives on edge

    Lives on edge

    Stateless, twice over

    Stateless, twice over

    Laboring under a tariff threat

    Laboring under a tariff threat

    Left out by the law

    Left out by the law

    Between memory and forgetting: Keeping the spirit of Tiananmen alive

    Between memory and forgetting: Keeping the spirit of Tiananmen alive

  • Countries
    • NORTHEAST ASIA
      • China
        • Hong Kong
        • Macau
        • Tibet
      • Japan
      • Mongolia
      • North Korea
      • South Korea
      • Taiwan
    • SOUTH ASIA
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Nepal
      • Pakistan
      • Sri Lanka
    • SOUTHEAST ASIA
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Timor-Leste
      • Vietnam
    • GLOBAL / REGIONAL
  • Issues
    • Elections
    • Access to Education
    • Access to Health
    • Authoritarianism and Abuse of Power
    • Civil Liberties
    • Discrimination Against Covid-19 Patients and Specific Sectors
    • Gender-based Violence and Child Abuse
    • Governance
    • Labor and Migrant Workers’ Rights
    • Media Freedom – Issues
    • Movement and Migration
    • Privacy and Surveillance
    • Social Protection and Inclusion
      • Peace and Diplomacy
  • Democracy Digest
    • Democracy Digest Archive
  • Asia Through The Lens
    • Northeast Asia
    • South Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • Regional / Global
  • Democracy Watch
  • Statements
    • Civil Society Statements
  • About
    • Pitch Us
    • Back to ADN
No Result
View All Result
Asia Democracy Chronicles
No Result
View All Result
Home Special Feature

A community marches to change course

A long-marginalized community in Sri Lanka no longer wants to be persistently on the road to perdition.

Asia Democracy ChroniclesbyAsia Democracy Chronicles
August 30, 2023
in Equity and Inclusive Growth, South Asia, Special Feature, Sri Lanka
Reading Time: 6 mins read
A A
0
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

T

his year’s prospects for Sri Lanka’s tea industry are brighter than ever, with most observers predicting that the country’s main export and foreign revenue earner will more than recover from the setbacks it recorded in 2022. Yet the fortunes of the community that toils in Sri Lanka’s tea estates are nearly as dismal as they were two centuries ago — and its members are rejecting it as an inevitable fate. 

Just recently, hundreds of Sri Lanka’s Malaiyaha Tamil community finished a march that began in the northwestern coast of Mannar Island and ended in Matale, a city in the country’s central province. The symbolic walk, which spanned nearly 250 kilometers and took 16 days to complete, was meant not only to retrace the steps the Malaiyaha Tamils’ ancestors took 200 years ago when they came to Sri Lanka, but also to underscore the struggles of their community and their aspirations for a better future.  

Distinct from the Sri Lankan Tamils in the north and east who were caught in a decades-long separatist uprising, the Malaiyaha Tamils have a deeply intertwined history with Sri Lanka’s import-export economy. In the early 1820s, British companies brought Tamils from India to the island country to work in tea, coffee, and rubber plantations as indentured labor. Today many of the estimated one million Malaiyaha Tamils — also called Upcountry or Hill Tamils — still work at tea plantations under what many say are slave conditions.

“The Malaiyaha Tamil community played a pivotal role in Sri Lanka’s economy,” says Suresh Jeewaratnam, a social activist from the community. “However, they were discriminated against and not given the same rights and privileges as the rest of the Sri Lankans.”

Indeed, despite being the island country’s second largest ethnic group at the dawn of its independence, the Malaiyaha Tamils were unjustly denied citizenship at the time. This was further exacerbated by the Citizenship Acts of 1948 and 1949, which not only stripped them of their legal status, but also facilitated the repatriation (beginning in 1967) of approximately 40 percent of the community to India. 

Such forced repatriation significantly diminished the Malaiyaha Tamils’ political standing and socioeconomic well-being, perpetuating their marginalization. The longstanding issue of citizenship would not be fully addressed until 2003, but the Malaiyaha Tamils are still unable to fully enjoy their rights, and are further burdened by significant socioeconomic challenges. Asserts Jeewaratnam: “The government continuously treats the Malaiyaha community as second-class citizens.”

Plan fails to pan out

To be fair, there has been a National Plan of Action for the Social Development of the Plantation Community (2016-2020). The plan aimed to improve the living conditions of the community that made up 4.2 percent of Sri Lanka’s 23 million-strong population, through initiatives in education, healthcare, and housing, among others. It was partially implemented, but eventually faced challenges and was abandoned after the 2019 regime change. 

Millions of Sri Lankans, like this female worker in Maskeliya, are employed in Sri Lanka’s tea industry, which is largely propped up by the historically marginalized Malaiyaha Tamil community. (Photo: Shutterstock / Melinda Nagy)

This is not unusual for Sri Lanka, where successive governments introduce national action plans that are either partially implemented or abandoned, or even forgotten after a regime change. For the Malaiyaha Tamils, however, this has meant a continuation of poverty rates that far exceed the national average. 

Data from the Central Bank of Sri Lanka show that the estate sector is experiencing a significantly higher poverty rate of 33.8 percent compared to the national rates of 14.3 percent. While the tea industry earns the country hundreds of millions of dollars each year, plantation workers are still receiving LKR 700 (US$2.15) for a workday that often stretches beyond eight hours. That is, if they are paid at all; many are forced by sheer need to ask for wage advances from the estate management and end up in debt bondage. 

A 2022 paper reviewing the human rights situation of Malaiyaha Tamils noted that laws and regulations related to the plantation sector “have not been amended in keeping with the evolving context, and are a contributory factor for the marginalization of the hill country community for centuries.”

“Malaiyaha Tamils are also isolated from mainstream livelihood programs and have little or no access to alternative sources for earning extra income,” added the report by the Movement for Plantation Peoples’ Land Rights (MPPLR). “Due to the denial of land and housing, they are unable to access government subsidy programs for cultivation, assistance for small-scale cottage industries, self-employment opportunities, loans for housing construction, and more. All these deprivations and violations (have led) this community to abject poverty, malnutrition, poor performance in education, as well as health and hygiene challenges.”

Some half a million Malaiyaha Tamils currently reside in colonial-era plantation line rooms that are devoid of essential amenities like water and sanitation. In fact, as late as 2015, the World Bank was reporting that only 33.2 percent of the estate sector had access to safe drinking water, in stark contrast to the national average of 88.5 percent. 

Citing government statistics, the MPPLR report said that in the estates, the percentage of underweight children (30 percent), low weight births (31 percent), and maternal malnutrition (33 percent) were “high in comparison to urban and rural areas.”

In addition, apparently inadequate infrastructure and support have resulted in the exclusion of many plantation-based children from the national education system for extended periods, impeding their socioeconomic mobility and prospects for a better future. Not surprisingly, while Sri Lanka has achieved near-universal primary education, a different picture emerges from the estate sector. Dropout rates at the primary level stand at 1.2 percent in urban areas and 0.8 percent in rural areas; within the estate sector, the rate is at 3.8 percent, as reported by the 2016 Household Income and Expenditure Survey conducted by the Department of Census and Statistics.  

Meanwhile, World Bank data indicated substantial disparities in land ownership, with Malaiyaha Tamils accounting for a meager 36.5-percent ownership rate, compared to the national average of 84.4 percent.

While Ceylon tea, Sri Lanka’s main agricultural export, earns its economy hundreds of millions of dollars, many of its plantation workers continue to endure what many say is indentured labor. (Photo: Shutterstock / vicspacewalker)

Deep scars

Decades of being denied recognition as citizens have also scarred the community deeply and left members still vulnerable to social stigmatization. Remarks Jeewaratnam: “Even after 200 years, the government has yet to understand and implement specific measures to remedy this wrong. This injustice is not just a violation of their democratic and fundamental rights; it’s a disregard for a history spanning over two centuries. The fact that people who have contributed so much are still ignored speaks volumes about the ongoing injustice they face.”

Within the plantation community, longstanding social stigma and negative stereotypes about Malaiyaha Tamils have created an ongoing atmosphere of fear and inferiority. Years of being excluded from public governance have also deeply influenced their view of formal institutions as ineffective and hard to approach, leading to a sense of disempowerment. At the same time, a lack of proficiency in the Sinhala language, particularly among older generations, adds to their feeling of being left out, especially in institutions where business is conducted in Sinhala. This is even as Tamil is regarded as the other official language of Sri Lanka.

The recent march, however, seems to have made the Malaiyaha Tamils more determined to demand that they be noticed at last and treated better. Much of that confidence comes not only from the reflection afforded by the long days of walking, but also from the sense of unity and hope that filled the air as community members were greeted by various ethnic groups and civil society actors who had thoughtfully provided refreshments and arranged performances while demonstrating other acts of support and camaraderie along the way.

“Many religious and ethnic communities showed their solidarity and support,” says Suresh Nadesan, a member of the community and executive director of Uva Shakthi Foundation, which works on plantation community issues. “They also promised to support our demands. This has increased our resolve.” 

Source: The Collective For Maanbumigu Malaiyaha Makkal, published by the Asian Human Rights Commission

At the end of the march on August 12, the organizers released the Matale Declaration that crystallized the community’s aspirations for meaningful citizenship. Their demands encompass acknowledgment of their history, struggle, and contributions, as well as recognition as a constituent people of post-independent Sri Lanka with a distinct identity on par with other main communities. 

They also called for affirmative action on education, health, and social safety measures to achieve parity with national averages; a living wage, decent work, legal protection, and equal pay for men and women workers; secure tenure for housing and livelihoods.

Lastly, they sought the preservation and promotion of Malaiyaha culture through the equal use and parity of status for the Tamil language; equal access to government services; demarcation of plantation human settlements as new villages; and protection of domestic workers.

While the list is long and ambitious, Malaiyaha Tamils believe their demands are long overdue. Apparently inspired by the march, which he describes as a “historic journey,” community activist Anthony Jesudasan pledges: “We will work toward these demands.”◉

With additional reporting by Sabra Zahid, program officer of the Asia Democracy Network.

 

Asia Democracy Chronicles

Asia Democracy Chronicles

Next Post
In Japan, a third of today’s 18-year-old women may not have children: study

In Japan, a third of today's 18-year-old women may not have children: study

Supreme Court panel suggests suicide-resistant barracks in prison to curb deaths

Supreme Court panel suggests suicide-resistant barracks in prison to curb deaths

Bureau rejects school’s report after suicide

Bureau rejects school’s report after suicide

Features and Analysis

  • All
  • Special Feature
Hidden in plain sight
Special Feature

Hidden in plain sight

byKrixia Subingsubing
June 30, 2025
0

Despite Brunei's restrictive environment for LGBTQIA+ individuals, a new report reveals queer activists are creatively contributing to social change through...

Read more
Unwavering rainbow warriors
Special Feature

Unwavering rainbow warriors

byCristina Chi
June 30, 2025
0

As queer expression is heavily policed in Malaysia, LGBTQIA+ activists in civil society work learn to carve space and build...

Read more
Beyond queerness, solidarity
Special Feature

Beyond queerness, solidarity

byCristina Chi
June 29, 2025
0

Singapore's LGBTQIA+ activists are putting skills to good use as they navigate a fraught civic space to champion other rights...

Read more
A risky heating up
Articles

A risky heating up

bySuvendrini Kakuchi
June 27, 2025
0

Japan’s longer sizzling summers pose a deadly risk to the country’s growing elderly population and disproportionately impacts the poor.

Read more

Pitch Us A Story

Have a story to tell, nuanced insights, or expert analysis to share with a regional (i.e. Asia), even global, audience? Want to weigh in on specific issues, including those disproportionately affecting specific segments of society, which run the gamut from poverty and inequality to human rights violations? We’d love to hear from you.

We run features, op-eds, analyses, among others, that probe issues around fundamental rights and civil liberties, and illuminate the challenges of governance in Asia.

Yes, I’m Interested

Follow Us

Facebook
Twitter
RSS

©  Asia Democracy Chronicles.

Web Design and Development by Neitiviti Studios.

  • Features & Analysis
  • Countries
  • Issues
  • Democracy Digest
  • Asia Through The Lens
  • Democracy Watch
  • Statements
  • About
No Result
View All Result
  • Features & Analysis
  • Countries
    • NORTHEAST ASIA
      • China
      • Japan
      • Mongolia
      • North Korea
      • South Korea
      • Taiwan
    • SOUTH ASIA
      • Afghanistan
      • Bangladesh
      • India
      • Nepal
      • Pakistan
      • Sri Lanka
    • SOUTHEAST ASIA
      • Brunei
      • Cambodia
      • Indonesia
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Myanmar
      • Philippines
      • Singapore
      • Thailand
      • Timor-Leste
      • Vietnam
    • GLOBAL / REGIONAL
  • Issues
    • Elections
    • Access to Education
    • Access to Health
    • Authoritarianism and Abuse of Power
    • Civil Liberties
    • Discrimination Against Covid-19 Patients and Specific Sectors
    • Gender-based Violence and Child Abuse
    • Governance
    • Labor and Migrant Workers’ Rights
    • Media Freedom – Issues
    • Movement and Migration
    • Privacy and Surveillance
    • Social Protection and Inclusion
      • Peace and Diplomacy
  • Democracy Digest
    • Democracy Digest Archive
  • Asia Through The Lens
    • Northeast Asia
    • South Asia
    • Southeast Asia
    • Regional / Global
  • Democracy Watch
  • Statements
    • Civil Society Statements
  • About
    • Pitch Us
    • Back to ADN

© 2022 Asia Democracy Chronicles - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In