British woman trapped in Sri Lanka for 13 months says she is ‘out of hope’ as she stays on the run from authorities who seized her passport after she filmed civil protests

A Briton stuck in Sri Lanka after sharing videos of a civil uprising says she has ‘no hope left’ after 13 months in hiding from the country’s oppressive government.

Kayleigh Fraser, 35, had her home on the South Asian island raided in August last year by immigration officers who claimed she was visiting the country on an invalid visa and seized her passport.

But St Andrews woman Fraser, who visited the country to study botanical medicine, said this was only brought to her attention after she started posting videos of the ‘Aragalaya’ (‘Struggle’ in Sinhala) protests on her Instagram to share.

Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court upheld a deportation order issued by officials, but Ms Fraser says she fears surrendering to them for fear she will be unlawfully detained under the country’s notorious anti-terror laws, which allow individuals are detained for causing ‘religious, racial or communal disharmony’.

Later today, North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain will meet Foreign Office officials in the hope of obtaining written reassurances from the Sri Lankan government that Ms Fraser will be given safe passage out of the country.

Until such assurances are given, Ms Fraser says she cannot come out of hiding.

Speaking to MailOnline, Ms Fraser said: ‘I’m just existing and surviving here, waiting for something to change. I’m completely out of options and practically out of hope.

“Just making sure I have a place to sleep and something to eat is the priority.

‘The internet is a luxury that I am incredibly grateful to have had decent access to over the past month.

‘I don’t recognize this as life, it is existence. I feel like the whole world has abandoned me, at the mercy of these lunatics in power here.”

Sri Lankans revolted against their government in early 2022, amid spiraling inflation that sent food prices soaring by more than 80 percent. The country is still dealing with the aftermath of the 25-year civil war, which ended in 2009.

Citizens demanded the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country in mid-July last year. But his replacement, incumbent Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, then ordered a crackdown on civil resistance.

Protesters and media were attacked by police in a protest village in the capital Colombo, days after Mr Wickremesinghe came to power, and others have been arrested without charge under the country’s oppressive Prevention of Terrorism Act.

Amnesty International, along with other human rights organizations, has accused the Sri Lankan government of engaging in “the harassment and intimidation by government authorities of conflict-affected people, human rights defenders and activists.”

And two weeks later, Ms Fraser’s home in the Colombo suburb of Malabe was raided by immigration officers, forcing her to hide underground for a year while a trusted network of friends and supporters kept her safe.

Attempts to discuss the matter with the British High Commission in the capital have been fraught with problems, she said.

Officials reportedly told her they have no further options as she refuses to surrender to the country’s immigration authorities.

But she fears being arbitrarily detained or charged with a litany of false crimes to make an example of her for speaking out.

Nihal Thalduwa, a spokesperson for the Sri Lankan police, told the national newspaper The morning last year that Ms Fraser had shared ‘negative content’ on her Instagram.

He said: “It is not right that a foreigner is in our country and sharing such massive negative content. She is also not a journalist to cover the protests.’

Ms Fraser added: ‘I need some sort of assured safe passage through the British Government and their physical presence and assistance to safely board the plane and leave this island.

‘I stood up for people who were brutally abused by those entrusted with their care. Then why am I sitting here rotting?’

For more than a year, human rights lawyer Nagananda Kodituwakku has been fighting Ms Fraser’s case in court, seeking to have the deportation order overturned and her passport returned.

This week he discussed the matter with North East Fife MP Wendy Chamberlain ahead of her meeting with Foreign Office officials.

Mr Kodituwakku told MailOnline: ‘Sri Lanka is a pseudo-democracy where no one respects the sovereignty of the people and the rule of law.

“Kayleigh is an upstanding British citizen who was deeply concerned about the blatant violations of law. She used her social media pages to highlight these cases and bring them to the attention of the international community.

“And she was branded as a foreigner who brought discredit on the Sri Lankan government and was given an unjustified and unlawful deportation order that denied her the right to defend herself.”

Lib Dem MP Ms Chamberlain said: “It is clear that Kayleigh wants to come home and I am working with the Foreign Office to make that happen.

‘What I am looking for is reassurance from the Sri Lankan authorities that she will be able to leave immediately.

‘The British High Commission has been supporting her for some time, but due to her concerns and her experiences with the Sri Lankan authorities, her trust is very low.

“The State Department has said they have received verbal assurances that she will be safe, but we want to get it in writing. It’s a difficult time, so just getting that clarity will help her achieve what she wants.”

A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: ‘We are providing assistance to a British woman in Sri Lanka and are in contact with local authorities.’

MailOnline has contacted Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Immigration and Emigration for comment.

Sri Lanka says it is making progress on human rights, but observers including the UN Human Rights Office say the country’s treatment of its citizens is still far from what it should be.

Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said earlier this month: “More than a year ago, mass protests demanded better governance and an inclusive vision for Sri Lanka – in short, a renewal of the social contract.

“But the potential for a historic transformation that would address long-standing challenges is far from realized.”