War Crimes by Great Britain in Ceylon

War Crimes by Great Britain in Ceylon refers to the actions perpetrated by the British colonial forces in British Ceylon while dealing with civil uprisings by the native Sinhalese people. Much of the actions of the British are not documented as are mostly forgotten in history.
Background
The East India Trading Company took control of the coastal regions of the Indian ocean island of Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1796. After years of fighting with the Kingdom of Kandy in the central hills, the British took control of the entire island in 1815 by the Kandyan Convention. Soon there after the native people staged two rebellions against the British rule in 1818 and in 1848 .
Crimes during the Uva-Wellassa Rebellion
The Uva Rebellion occurred as the local chiefs loyal to the British monarch did not have the loyalty of the population. The then governor of Ceylon Sir Robert Brownrigg issued a Gazette Notification, condemning all those who participated in the rebellion as "traitors" and allowing their property to be confiscated by the government.
British forces are said to have massacred the entire male population over 18 years as a punishment. The area where the rebellion started known as Wellassa means “One hundred thousand paddy fields” meaning rice cultivation was the main livelihood of the local people. The British said to have burned all the crops and destroyed the cattle as a punishment thereby forcing the local population to starve.
Looting of cultural heritage
After the surrender of the Kandyan Kingdom the British deported the King of Kandy Sri Vikrama Rajasinge and his crown jewels and throne were taken to Britain and was only returned in 1934.
Today
Present day Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) ended a long running civil war in 2009 and ironically the government of UK is instrumental in finding out about "human rights" violations during the war.

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