Sri Lanka’s government has defended a top diplomat, Himalee Arunatilaka, who was ordered by an Australian court to pay over US$360,000 in back wages to her former housekeeper in Canberra, held under “slavery-type conditions”. The Colombo foreign ministry stated that Arunatilaka had followed approved rates while paying low wages, as she was previously a Deputy High Commissioner in Canberra until 2018. Despite this, the Federal Court of Australia found her in breach of the Fair Work Act, denying her diplomatic immunity.
Reports reveal that Arunatilaka was ordered to pay more than A$540,000 in back wages and interest to Priyanka Danaratna. The court heard that Danaratna worked seven days a week for three years without proper breaks or payment, a clear example of modern slavery. After fleeing the diplomatic compound, Danaratna sought refuge with the Salvation Army.
Despite social media criticism, Sri Lanka’s foreign ministry maintains that the wages paid were in accordance with Colombo’s approved rates, satisfying the ministry’s standards.