"How dare they come to a brown country"
A group of Russian expats have issued an apology after a ‘white party’ in Sri Lanka caused controversy.
The party’s advert specified a white dress code but it also had the line:
“Face control: White.”
This was largely interpreted that the party was only open to white people.
It quickly sparked backlash, with many on social media calling it “disgusting” and “racist”.
A restaurant owner said: “I know not all expats are like this… but this sort of thing should be stopped fast and stopped hard.”
Another on social media said:
“How dare they come to a brown country and ban the people of that country.”
The party, which was due to take place on February 24, 2024, was cancelled and the event organiser said there was “no malice or racism” in planning the party.
He said: “We wanted to meet expats who have been living here for a long time and love Sri Lanka.
“The team… supported me and a joint decision was made to quickly organise a party.”
The organiser revealed that the abuse and threats prompted him to leave Sri Lanka.
He continued: “I didn’t expect this to be such a sensitive moment for a huge number of people.
“I admit that it was a bad idea… and I understand that we created it ourselves out of our stupidity. I deeply apologise to everyone whose feelings were hurt.”
The ‘white party’ was due to be held in the Sarayka Lounge in Unawatuna.
In a statement, the venue said the party had been cancelled and added that its staff “did not conduct a thorough enough check” and had “severed ties” with the event planners.
They wrote:
“We have never supported and will never support various racist statements or organisations.”
The party organisers and owners of Sarayka Lounge are believed to be Russian nationals.
Rupasena Koswatta, president of a Unawatuna entrepreneurs’ association, said many Russians have moved to the coastal city in the last two years.
Many tourism businesses in Unawatuna are now owned by Russians. The area is known by many as “Little Moscow”.
The Russian Embassy in Colombo said it “strongly condemns all forms of racial discrimination and nationalism” and urged citizens residing on the island to follow its laws and respect local customs.
On February 25, Sri Lanka said it had ended long-term tourist visa extensions for Russians and Ukrainians.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, more than 288,000 Russians and nearly 20,000 Ukrainians have travelled to Sri Lanka.
But the country’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe later reportedly said the decision was made without prior Cabinet approval.
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