By Dr. Srimal Fernando Courtesy Ceylon Today

The role of colonialism in determining global politics has come in for overdue analysis in recent years. Post colonialism studies the manner in which societies, governments and peoples of previously colonised regions across the globe experience international relations.    It was during the era of ‘new imperialism’ of the late 19th century that Britain acquired its substantial Indian Ocean Regional holdings. The legacy of an empire still influences the current British diplomacy.  The manner of the United Kingdom’s relations with its   former island colonies such as Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Réunion differs a great deal from one island to another.

Global powers from outside the region also have an interest in maintaining the ocean’s security. Trade play a significant diplomatic role, permitting the UK to extend its soft power to the five Indian Ocean islands with which it does business. . The evolving geopolitical landscape of the IOR ( Indian Ocean  Region) has driven these island states to form closer links with the Commonwealth.

The concept of soft power is more effective and efficient in contemporary global politics. It is a power that attracts and convinces in contrast to coercion to alter and influence the preferences of other people and nations. In this regard, the paper provides an analysis of the politics of identity maintenance in a former colonial power in Indian Ocean Region. 

 Two Centuries of British –Sri Lanka Relations

After the Kandyan war of 1815, Ceylon became a crown colony and was ruled by Britain until 1948. Marked by a shared British colonial heritage across many areas the bilateral relations formed between Sri Lanka and Britain span over more than two centuries. The Donoughmore Commission made far-reaching recommendations to Sri Lanka in the late 1920s .The Soulbury Constitution replaced the Donoughmore Commission granting Sri Lanka dominion status and later full Independence in 1948.   During the British era, the structure of Sri Lanka’s agricultural sector had changed under colonisation. Each cultivation in Sri Lanka has a distinctive notable story .Sri Lanka’s tea exports bring US$ 1.3 billion a year while the tea industry provides direct employment to over one million persons.  In addition, the island nation has made almost US$ (United States dollar ) 900 million annually by exporting rubber products. Tea and Rubber were prominent plantation crops introduced to the country by the British. Over the decades, since independence in 1948, Sri Lanka’s relationship with Britain has stood the test of time.  Britain enjoyed a very close economic relationship with Sri Lanka in the early eighties. Since independence, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Sri Lanka on two occasions; in 1953 and 1981. A milestone that further strengthened bilateral ties between the two countries was the landmark visit to Sri Lanka in November 2013 by King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales) and Prime Minister David Cameron.  Britain has become one of the top trading partners of Sri Lanka with over 200 UK companies operating on the island and having a two-way turnover reaching £1.3 billion (Department for International Trade, 2022). Great Britain and Sri Lanka should look to target future investments in new growth areas.

British influence in The Maldives

The status of the Maldives as a British protectorate was officially recorded in an 1887 agreement in which the sultan accepted British influence. Since becoming a protectorate, the British were involved in the domestic affairs of the Maldives and had to be consulted on matters of succession to the throne. The first written constitution was adopted on December 22, 1932.   During the Second World War, in 1941 Britain established military bases on Gan island  and Addu atoll. From the 1950s, the political history of the Maldives was mainly influenced by the British military presence on the islands. The British were stationed in Dhoonidhoo near Malé and in Haa Alif Kelaa. After 77 years as a British protectorate, the Maldives gained independence from the British on July 26, 1965.  As a nation, the Maldivians fondly remember Her Majesty’s visit on 13 March 1972. In 2022, total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Maldives was £381 million while total UK imports from Maldives amounted to £ ( British pound) 248 million, an increase of 93.8% from 2021.

British Diplomacy : Mauritius  and Seychelles Islands

Mauritius was a Crown colony off the Southeast coast of Africa. As a former French colonial empire, the British possession of the island was by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. One of the most important acts was the abolition of slavery on 1 February 1835. The Mauritian island was under British rule for 158 years before it gained independence in 1968. In March 1972, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visited Mauritius. . In 2022, total trade in goods and services (exports plus imports) between the UK and Mauritius was £760 million. (Department for International Trade, 2022).

In 1814, Seychelles came under British rule when France formally withdrew its claim. The island became a Crown Colony in 1903. In the 19th century Seychelles was ruled by Great Britain according to the 1814 treaty of Paris. In 1970, Seychelles implemented a new constitution and later became an independent republic in 1976 with Queen Elizabeth II represented at the independence ceremony.

Seychelles has a mixed culture representing French and African cultures.   Seychelles remained neutral in foreign affairs.  In 1984 Seychelles linked up with Mauritius and Madagascar in the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC). Seychelles is the UK’s 132nd largest trading partner (Department for International Trade, 2022). 

 The French Réunion

In 1665, the French East India Company established a port Réunion which remained a French colony until 1946. Following the fall of the House of Bourbon in France in 1793, Until 1946 the island was ruled as a French colony, except for a five-year period from 1810 when it was snatched by the British. Réunion, an overseas department and region of France is an island in the Indian Ocean. It is governed by French law under Article 73 of the Constitution of France. 

British, French Diplomatic Footprint

Both   Indian Ocean Regional powers such as Britain and France have an interest in maintaining their presence in the heart of the Indian Ocean particularly with former island colonies such as Mauritius, Seychelles, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Réunion.  The soft power of the United Kingdom, France and the Commonwealth certainly act as a unifying force within five Indian Ocean islands.    

About the author:

Dr. Srimal Fernando received his PhD in International Affairs. He was the recipient of the prestigious O.P. Jindal Doctoral Fellowship and SAU Scholarship under the SAARC umbrella. As a Lecturer, he focuses on the comparative politics of Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Dr. Fernando is a specialist in International Relations and an adviser on New Regional Diplomacy. He has received accolades such as the 2018/2019 ‘Best Journalist of the Year’ in South Africa, (GCA) Media Award for 2016 and the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) accolade. He is the author of ‘Politics, Economics and Connectivity: In Search of the South Asian Union’.

By Dr. Srimal Fernando