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AI asks govt. to ensure adequate nutrition for all pregnant and breastfeeding women
The Government of Sri Lanka must ensure access to adequate nutrition for all pregnant and breastfeeding women amid the ongoing economic crisis in the country, Amnesty International said yesterday (12).
The AI examined the impact of the economic crisis on access to nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women, with a particular focus on women living below the poverty line in Colombo. Falling incomes, loss of livelihoods and inflation have reduced women’s purchasing power while government-funded programmes aimed at increasing maternal nutrition have also been affected by the crisis.
“Due to the severity of the economic crisis in Sri Lanka, health and nutrition have taken a back seat. The situation has taken a grave toll on the health and well-being of pregnant and breastfeeding women. These individuals have also been disproportionately impacted by the crisis, which has seen poverty rates double in the space of a year due to the crisis,” said Dinushika Dissanayake, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for South Asia.
Amnesty International interviewed 45 people for this briefing, including healthcare workers, members of civil society, and pregnant and breastfeeding women from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds, all of whom live in informal settlements and tenement blocks in Colombo.
The women Amnesty International spoke to raise concerns about the unaffordability of food, the inconsistent supply of ‘Thriposha food supplements, and the inability to redeem food vouchers offered through government programmes.
Pregnant and breastfeeding women said they aimed to “fill their stomach” rather than consume recommended daily amounts of variety of nutrients due to the high cost of food. In order to have three meals a day, many opted to limit portion sizes, while some reduced their number of daily meals to two. One breastfeeding woman told Amnesty International: “We eat breakfast and dinner and try to skip lunch… We eat a biscuit for lunch with a cup of tea.”
In almost all households Amnesty International spoke to, consumption of meat, vegetables, fruit and milk had drastically reduced. Such deprivation increases the risk of nutrient deficiencies, which can affect the development of the foetus. Families that previously consumed meat or fish on a weekly basis now consume them just once a month or only when money is available. Another breastfeeding woman said: “We can’t afford milk-inducing food. You see fish is expensive. So, we buy what we can afford for the money we have.”
Most pregnant and breastfeeding women Amnesty International spoke to said that they were unemployed and their husbands did not have a regular income amid the economic crisis.
In February 2023, pregnant and breastfeeding told Amnesty International that government food vouchers, which are usually offered to pregnant and breastfeeding women, could not be redeemed due to a lack of state funds.
Amnesty International wrote to the Ministry of Women, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Administration to raise these concerns, but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Sri Lanka’s public health system has also been affected by shortages of medicine and equipment. Health workers providing maternal care told Amnesty International that they had to stop, delay or postpone non-essential surgeries and procedures. One doctor, who said they have to ration drugs for emergency cases because future supplies are uncertain, told Amnesty: “We have to see patients suffering and we cannot do anything.”
Amnesty found that health workers reused equipment or told patients to purchase medicine or equipment from private pharmacies because state-run hospitals had run out. Meanwhile, medicines in private pharmacies remain unaffordable to most due to price hikes and the devaluation of the Sri Lankan Rupee.
Sri Lanka has ratified several international accords requiring it to ensure that pregnant and breastfeeding women have access to adequate healthcare and food, including the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
“Prolonged food insecurity and inadequate nutrition can lead to serious long-term consequences for mothers and their children if left unaddressed. The Government of Sri Lanka must urgently meet its international human rights obligations, including by ensuring access to adequate, affordable and good quality nutrition for pregnant and breastfeeding women. The international community must also play a role in supporting the government to ensure pregnant and breastfeeding women are able to access adequate food and nutrition,” said Dinushika Dissanayake.
The Law Association for Asia and the Pacific (LAWASIA) has backed the campaign by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka against the government’s effort’s to extend the retirement ages of judges of the Superior Courts.
T.L Yap, President of LAWASIA, in a statement dated 26 June, has expressed concern over the NPP government’s move in the wake of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s recent statement in Parliament on the delay in making the appointments.
The text of the statement: “LAWASIA shares the concern expressed by the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) on 25th May 2026 in a letter to His Excellency the President of Sri Lanka regarding the prospect of the Government of Sri Lanka introducing an amendment to the Constitution which would increase the retirement age of the Judges of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.
LAWASIA supports the sentiments expressed by BASL in its letter of 25 May, namely: “Extending the retirement age of the sitting Judges of these Courts at this point of time is likely to be viewed by the public as a blatant attempt to interfere with the judiciary… The independence of the Judiciary and the public confidence reposed in it, are indispensable pillars of the rule of law and the democratic framework of (Sri Lanka).
In that regard it is of paramount importance that the Judiciary must not only remain independent in fact but also must be seen by the public to be wholly independent, impartial, and free from even the slightest perception of influence, favour, accommodation, or impropriety”
The Constitution of Sri Lanka recognizes the independence of the judiciary and its importance in preserving and maintaining the rule of law. The retirement age of senior judges is presently fixed by Article 107(5) of the Constitution. Constitutional amendment in any jurisdiction is a serious matter which must not be undertaken lightly. LAWASIA’s principal concern is that the proposed constitutional amendment has the appearance of an ad hoc initiative without adequate public consultation. This in turn has the potential to undermine public confidence in the judiciary.
An independent, competent and respected judiciary is the cornerstone of any democracy. LAWASIA has long advocated the fundamental importance of this principle.
The essence of LAWASIA’s formal position in relation to the independence of the judiciary lies in the Beijing Statement of Principles on the Independence of the Judiciary in the LAWASIA Region, adopted at the Conference of Chief Justices held in Beijing in 1997 and subsequently signed by 32 Chief Justices from across the Asia-Pacific.
The Beijing Statement in essence emphasizes the fundamental importance of the independence of the judiciary, and comments on a range of related issues including the objectives of the judiciary, the appointment of judges, the tenure of judges, judicial conditions and the relationship between the judiciary and the executive.
Endorsing the concerns raised by another international organization, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association, LAWASIA accordingly calls upon the authorities in Sri Lanka to:
• refrain from proceeding with the proposed constitutional amendments seeking to increase the
retirement age of members of the Judiciary;
• resist piecemeal and ad hoc amendments to the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
• adhere to due process of consultation and stakeholder engagement in constitutional reform;
• desist from taking any steps which would undermine confidence in the Judiciary and
irreparably diminish the independence of the judiciary; and
• ensure adherence to the rule of law and respect for the independence of the judiciary.
A total of 7,300 young people, below the age of 21, had been arrested on suspicion since the launch of the nationwide ‘Ratama Ekata’ anti-drug operation, DIG in charge of the Police Narcotics Bureau, Ashoka Dharmasena, told The Island yesterday.
DIG Dharmasena said the suspects included about 150 females under the age of 21. He added that more than 214,000 suspects had been taken into custody since the commencement of the national anti-narcotics operation.
The operation was launched with the primary objectives of disrupting the supply of narcotics across the country, reducing the demand for illegal drugs and rehabilitating those addicted to narcotic substances, he said.
DIG Dharmasena said law enforcement authorities had so far seized more than 15,000 kilogrammes of narcotics, including cannabis, during the ongoing operation.
He also noted that police had achieved considerable success in intercepting narcotics smuggled into the country by sea, contributing significantly to efforts to curb the illicit drug trade.
The Police Narcotics Bureau said the nationwide operation would continue as part of the government’s broader strategy to dismantle drug trafficking networks and minimise the social impact of narcotics.
by Norman Palihawadane ✍️
Leader of the Abhinava Nivahal Peramuna, Amit Weerasinghe, was yesterday ordered to be remanded until July 3 by Teldeniya Magistrate Kamal Sanjaya Jayatilake over allegations that he defrauded state officials and businessmen of approximately Rs. 120 million by promising to construct cabana holiday resorts in Ella and Digana.
The suspect was produced before court by the Teldeniya Police Headquarters following his re-arrest on fresh complaints. The Magistrate also ordered an investigation into the suspect’s assets and properties, imposed a travel ban, and directed authorities to freeze his bank accounts.
The Teldeniya Police informed the Magistrate that 26 complaints had been received against the suspect so far and that investigations had revealed a large-scale financial fraud.The Magistrate further directed the police to hand over investigations into the alleged fraud to the CID in Colombo by the next court date.
Weerasinghe had previously been granted bail by court but was arrested again following the receipt of additional complaints.
Investigations are being conducted by Teldeniya Police Headquarters OIC CI D. M. Chandrapala and Teldeniya Division SSP Harsha Amarasinghe under the supervision of Central Province Senior DIG Lalith Pathinayake and DIG Sudath Masinghe.
by SK Samaranayake ✍️
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LAWASIA warns against ad hoc initiative to increase judges’ retirement ages
Countrywide drug bust:7, 300 youths arrested
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