News
Activists slam Lanka’s bid to seek X-Press Pearl compensation in Singapore
(Mongabay) Environmental activists have questioned the decision to file for compensation in Singapore instead of Sri Lanka for a 2021 ship sinking that became the worst maritime disaster in the country’s history, saying there’s less likelihood of winning adequate compensation overseas.
The Sri Lankan government is filing a lawsuit in Singapore for compensation nearly two years since the worst maritime disaster in the country’s history. But activists say it waited too long and would have stood a better chance of adequate compensation had the lawsuit been filed in Sri Lanka.
Speaking before parliament on April 25, Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe confirmed that the Department of the Attorney General had filed legal action before Singapore’s International Commercial Courts (SICC) to claim compensation for the extensive environmental damage caused by the burning and sinking of the Singapore-flagged freight ship the X-Press Pearl in May 2021.
“The decision to lodge the lawsuit in Singapore courts was done in consultation with a group of independent local and international lawyers as Singapore’s legal system is better equipped to handle this type of complex maritime legal battles,” Rajapakshe said.
The sinking of the fire-stricken ship, carrying tons of plastic pellets and toxic chemicals, is considered Sri Lanka’s worst maritime disaster to date. The plastic pellets, known as nurdles, fouled an extensive arc of Sri Lanka’s southwestern shore, with volunteer crews hard at work cleaning up the billions of grain-sized pellets for months on end.
A 40-member expert committee convened by the Marine Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) to assess the environmental damage issued its second interim report in January this year, in which it put a price on the disaster: $6.4 billion.
Maritime rules require a claim for compensation to be filed within two years of the occurrence of the accident. The Singapore-flagged X-Press Pearl caught fire in Sri Lankan waters on May 20, 2021, and sank several days later. But the long wait without filing action has caused anxiety among activists, who have criticized the government for not moving fast enough.
Part of the delay was due to the complexity of the environmental assessment. There was very little baseline data for the expert committee to compare against, especially in the maritime context, which required them to assess damage scenarios over the short, mid- and long terms, said Dharshanie Lahandapura, former chair of the MEPA.
The group of experts continues to monitor the impacts of pollution caused by the disaster. The National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA) is also monitoring impacts to the marine environment, while the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) is assessing the fallout on marine life, Lahandapura told Mongabay.
Based on the future findings, there could be more claims, given that the nurdles and other chemicals are likely to have long-lasting effects, Lahandapura said.
But waiting until just weeks before the two-year deadline “is unacceptable as the strategy should be to file it first without waiting for the outcome of the expert committee evaluation,” said Ravindranath Dabare, a lawyer and chair of the Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ), a Colombo-based NGO.
“Within the first week of the X-Press Pearl disaster, CEJ filed the first case in local courts to push the authorities to take necessary actions, and subsequently two more cases to expedite the proceedings as the work was lagging,” Dabare told Mongabay.
The X-Press Pearl accident occurred within a few kilometers of the Colombo coast, well within Sri Lanka’s jurisdiction. That renders “the shipping company … a part of our local case and their representatives do participate in the court hearings, so there was no barrier to filing a case in Sri Lankan courts,” Dabare said.
He added the evidence is available in Sri Lanka, as are the experts who conducted the environmental damage assessment. Hiring Singapore-based lawyers will incur a higher cost, in addition to the cost of overseas travel — something Sri Lanka can ill afford as it reels from the worst economic crisis in its history, Dabare said.
“The existing Marine Environment Protection Act and the general law have provisions that enable Sri Lanka to file the lawsuit locally,” said Dan Malika Gunasekera, an expert on international maritime law.
He also noted there’s a limit to the amount of compensation that Sri Lanka can claim when lodging the case in Singapore.
“We must get the compensation from the insurer of the X-Press Pearl, who is in the United Kingdom, and on this basis, it may be better to file in the U.K. than Singapore,” Gunasekera told Mongabay.
Even then, the U.K. would also limit compensation to 19.5 million pounds ($24 million). In Sri Lanka, however, there would be no such cap.
Justice Minister Rajapakshe said the government would appoint a British lawyer to negotiate the compensation limitation set in the U.K. for the insurers. He reiterated the position that prospects for a favorable outcome are better in those overseas courts than in Sri Lanka.
Rajapakshe pointed to the case of the oil tanker New Diamond, which caught fire off Sri Lanka’s eastern coast about eight months before the X-Press Pearl incident. Three compensation claims were filed in Sri Lanka’s commercial courts in the New Diamond case, but they came up against various constraints. This, Rajapakshe said, influenced the decision to take the X-Press Pearl case before the Singapore courts.
Ayesh Ranawaka, a maritime expert and former commissioned officer with the Sri Lankan Navy, agreed that the Singapore courts represented a better chance of getting justice in the X-Press Pearl case. This doesn’t mean the local justice system is weak, he told Mongabay, just that there are too many disagreements at the local level about how to proceed.
If the Sri Lankan position is divided, the other party can take advantage of that, Ranawaka said. But when filing in Singapore, the Sri Lankan parties would at least come to a common position. They would also have international laws to fall back on, so the opportunity for justice may be higher, Ranawaka said.
As the government and activists debate what should be the correct course of action to demand compensation, it’s clear that Sri Lanka needs a clear strategy to handle these kinds of marine disasters, Ranawaka said.
“Sri Lanka needs to look beyond the X-Press Pearl incident and treat it as an eye-opener to ensure a proper maritime policy to avoid future mishaps,” he said.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake visited the historic Sri Dalada Maligawa (Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic) in Kandy on Thursday (01) morning , where he paid homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic and received blessings for the New Year. Thereafter, the President called on the Mahanayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters and received their blessings.
The President also participated in religious observances held at the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic and engaged in cordial conversation with devotees who had gathered to mark the New Year.
Subsequently, the President visited the Malwathu Maha Vihara and called on the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Sumangala Mahanayake Thero. The President also inquired into the well-being of the Mahanayake Thero and engaged in a brief discussion.
The Deputy Registrar of the Malwathu Chapter, the Most Venerable Rajakeeya Panditha Darshanapathi Mahawela Rathanapala Nayaka Thero, was also present on the occasion. The Maha Sangha chanted Seth Pirith and invoked blessings upon the President.
The President also met the Anunayake of the Malwathu Chapter, the Most Venerable Dimbulkumbure Vimaladhamma Thero, and inquired into his well-being.
Subsequently, President Dissanayake visited the Asgiri Maha Vihara, where he met the Most Venerable Warakagoda Sri Gnanarathana Mahanayake Thero of the Asgiri Chapter and engaged in a brief discussion.
Extending New Year blessings to the President, the Asgiri Mahanayake Thero expressed his best wishes for the successful continuation of the Government’s programme, led by the President, aimed at building a more prosperous nation for the people, with renewed strength and determination in the New Year.
The President also met the Anunayake of the Asgiri Chapter, the Most Venerable Narampanawa Ananda Anunayake Thero, and held a brief discussion.
During these meetings, the President briefed the Mahanayake Theros and Anunayake Theros of both chapters on the measures being implemented by the Government to address the challenges arising from the most severe natural disaster in the country’s history experienced in the past year. The Maha Sangha extended their blessings for the successful continuation of these efforts.
Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways, Prasanna Gunasena, Member of Parliament Thanura Dissanayake and several others were also present on the occasion.
Highlighting the spirit of global and regional cooperation, the Sri Lanka Navy acknowledged the invaluable support by foreign warships, which had arrived to take part in the International Fleet Review (IFR) 2025, extending much-needed Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, during the recent weather disaster in Sri Lanka.
The IFR 2025 was held off the Galle Face seas, marking the milestone 75th anniversary celebrations of the Sri Lanka Navy.
Representing the Government of Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya graced the event and received the traditional naval salute from onboard SLNS Gajabahu, as the participating foreign warships paid their honours.
Eight (08) foreign naval warships arrived in Sri Lanka by 27 November to take part in the IFR under the theme “Sailing Strong – Together”. The participating warships included the Bangladesh Navy’s BNS PROTTOY, the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS VIKRANT and INS UDAYGIRI, Iran Navy’s IRIS NAGHDI, the Maldivian Coast Guard’s CGS HURAVEE, the Royal Malaysian Navy’s KD TERENGGANU, Pakistan Navy’s PNS SAIF and Russian Navy’s GREMYASCHCHY.
Due to the disaster-situation triggered by severe weather conditions across the island, foreign warships that arrived for the event were promptly redirected to support humanitarian efforts. Particularly, helicopters deployed from the Indian Navy’s aircraft carrier INS VIKRANT and Pakistan Navy’s PNS SAIF played a praiseworthy role in search and rescue missions for affected communities.
Accordingly, the warships representing each nation joined the IFR, honouring proud maritime traditions and in acknowledgement of Sri Lanka and its Navy. Their participation also reinforced collective cooperation and partnership needed to address non-traditional maritime threats in the region, as well as natural disasters driven by climate change.
The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to a group of diplomatic officials, present on this occasion, for their support in the disaster relief operations. The officials, who were present on the occasion, represented the High Commissions and Embassies of Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Malaysia, Pakistan, and Russia in Sri Lanka.
Prime Minister Dr Harini Amarasuriya in her New Year message invited all Sri Lankans to step into 2026 with renewed energy, hope, and determination.
The PM’s New Year message:
“As we move forward to the New Year of 2026, it is timely to reflect on the year 2025 that has passed. The year 2025 can be granted as a year having made a number of decisive and progressive steps with a people oriented government.
I am confident that, within a new political culture, we were able to strengthen transparency in state governance and lay the foundation for an efficient and corruption free public service.
We can be satisfied with the progress achieved in several key areas during 2025, including economic stability, the increasingly positive and optimistic international perception towards our country, the establishment of transparent systems of governance, and the strengthening of the sovereignty of the legislation system.
However, the unfortunate disastrous situation we experienced towards the end of 2025 was a challenging period for our nation. While it deeply moved us all, the spirit of solidarity, compassion, and collectivity shown by Sri Lankans during that difficult situation received admiration across the world.
As we step into the New Year 2026, we hold commitment to overcoming those challenges, healing from the disaster, and restoring the lives and livelihoods that were affected.
Moving forward with the goals such as initiating qualitative and sustainable transformation in the education sector, digitalizing all sectors of the public service, creating an enabling environment for entrepreneurs, artists, and creators with innovative ideas to rise on the global stage, and building a compassionate, environmentally friendly society free from drugs and harmful substances I would like to remind, at this moment, that the responsibility of rebuilding this nation rests upon the entire nation, together with the government, transcending differences of ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation, and united by a strong Sri Lankan identity.
Transforming all the challenges we experienced in the past year into sources of strength, I invite you to step into 2026 with renewed energy, hope, and determination.
I extend wishes for a victorious New Year filled with peace, happiness, and prosperity.”
Around 40 dead in Swiss ski resort bar fire, police say
President pays homage to the Sacred Tooth Relic
Zohran Mamdani sworn in as New York City mayor
In pictures: New Year welcomed around the world
Foreign warships commended for their assistance during weather disaster in Sri Lanka
Machu Picchu train crash leaves one dead and dozens injured
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
Sunday Island 27 December – Headlines
#SundayIsland 17th December – Headlines
Sunday Island – 28th March
Sunday Island Headlines – 21 March
Sunday Island – 21st February – Headlines
-
News7 days agoStreet vendors banned from Kandy City
-
Sports4 days agoGurusinha’s Boxing Day hundred celebrated in Melbourne
-
News7 days agoLankan aircrew fly daring UN Medevac in hostile conditions in Africa
-
News2 days agoLeading the Nation’s Connectivity Recovery Amid Unprecedented Challenges
-
Sports5 days agoTime to close the Dickwella chapter
-
Features3 days agoIt’s all over for Maxi Rozairo
-
Features7 days agoRethinking post-disaster urban planning: Lessons from Peradeniya
-
Opinion7 days agoAre we reading the sky wrong?