US Tamil Diaspora Urges World Bank to Suspend Financing in Sri Lanka’s North-East Pending Compliance with International Law
February 10, 2026
The US Tamil Diaspora has formally submitted a memorandum to the Executive Directors and Senior Management of the World Bank Group, raising serious concerns regarding present and future World Bank–financed development activities in Sri Lanka’s North-East.
The submission calls on the World Bank to refrain from allocating, approving, or facilitating development financing in the region unless such activities fully comply with international law—including the right to self-determination—and the Bank’s own Environmental and Social Framework (ESF).
Background
Public reports indicate that a World Bank delegation is scheduled to visit Sri Lanka to discuss the revival of infrastructure, education, and development projects suspended during the 2022–23 economic crisis, as well as financing linked to approximately USD 4.1 billion in disaster-related damages.
While acknowledging the importance of economic recovery, the US Tamil Diaspora cautions that development interventions in Sri Lanka’s North-East have historically produced harmful and discriminatory outcomes for the Tamil population.
Key Concerns Raised
The memorandum outlines long-standing patterns associated with state-led development initiatives in the North-East, including:
- State-sponsored settlement and demographic alteration
- Large-scale environmental degradation
- Disruption of traditional livelihoods and food security
- Structural demographic engineering inconsistent with post-conflict reconciliation
According to the submission, these impacts are systemic and foreseeable, and cannot be dismissed as unintended consequences.
Self-Determination and Decolonisation Context
The memorandum asserts that Sri Lanka’s North-East constitutes the historical homeland of the Tamil people, with territorial continuity predating European colonisation.
It further states that Tamils continue to pursue their rights under UN decolonisation principles established in the 1960s, which affirm the right of all peoples to self-determination over their land, resources, and political future.
The US Tamil Diaspora argues that the transfer of power in 1948 placed the Tamil homeland under a centralised state without the free, prior, and informed consent of the Tamil people, characterising the process as incomplete decolonisation rather than a legally final settlement.
World Bank Safeguards and Institutional Risk
The submission reminds the World Bank of its obligations under its Environmental and Social Framework, including commitments to:
- Stakeholder engagement
- Protection of vulnerable and marginalised communities
- Environmental sustainability
- Conflict-sensitive development
The memorandum warns that proceeding without genuine Tamil participation and consent could expose the World Bank to legal, reputational, and compliance risks under its accountability mechanisms.
Specific Requests
The US Tamil Diaspora respectfully requests that the World Bank:
- Suspend or refrain from approving development financing in Sri Lanka’s North-East pending full compliance with international law.
- Engage genuine Tamil political representation in any consultation process.
- Ensure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of affected Tamil communities.
- Avoid supporting projects that may facilitate demographic change, land appropriation, or environmental harm.
- Conduct independent, conflict-sensitive due diligence prior to engagement in the region.
“Development cannot be separated from legality, consent, and historical context,” the memorandum states. “In Sri Lanka’s North-East, development imposed without Tamil consent risks reinforcing structural injustice and unresolved decolonisation.”
The US Tamil Diaspora urges the World Bank to ensure that economic recovery efforts do not entrench historical harm under the guise of development.