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UN slams Sri Lanka’s mass arrests in drug crackdown
Geneva (Switzerland) AFP: The UN human rights agency on Friday criticised an ongoing anti-narcotics crackdown in Sri Lanka that has resulted in the arrest of over 30,000 suspects and sparked allegations of widespread abuses by the authorities.
Police in the South Asian nation have said the arrests were made since the operation code-named “Yuktiya” (Justice) in mid-December, part of a pledge to get illegal drugs off the streets by the end of June.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is urging Sri Lanka’s government to review the operation and implement a rights-based approach to combatting illicit drugs.
“Security forces have reportedly conducted raids without search warrants, detaining suspected drug sellers and users, with hundreds sent to military-run rehabilitation centres,” a spokeswoman for Turk told journalists.
People have reportedly been subjected to a number of rights violations, including unauthorised searches, arbitrary arrests and detention, ill-treatment, public strip searches, and torture.
“While drug use presents a serious challenge to society, a heavy-handed law enforcement approach is not the solution,” the spokeswoman said.
“Abuse of drugs and the factors that lead to it are first and foremost public health and social issues,” she added. “People suspected of selling or trafficking drugs are entitled to humane treatment, with full respect for due process and transparent, fair trials.”
She also said that lawyers defending detained suspects had faced intimidation from police officers.
Sri Lankan police have said they nearly 800 kilogrammes (1,760 pounds) of narcotics, including 340 kg of cannabis and 70 kilos of heroin, have been seized in the operation.
Authorities believe the Indian Ocean island is being used as a drug trafficking transit point.
But on December 31, police said an officer was killed and another critically wounded when troops opened fire on an undercover unit during a drug raid at a hotel as part of the “Yuktiya” operation.
One rights activist, Ambika Satkunanathan, has posted on social media that the searches are not based on evidence but are “targeting only poor areas”. The police were arresting drug users and small-time dealers but “not focusing on large-scale traffickers”, she said.
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Our government has reaffirmed its commitment to breaking barriers that limit women’s full participation in the economy, recognizing their vital role in national development. – Dr. Harini Amarasuriya
The Prime Minister made this statement while addressing the launching the She Trades Sri Lanka Hub funded by the UK’s She Trades Commonwealth+ Program held at Galle face Hotel in Colombo on March 14 organized by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) and the International Trade Centre (ITC).
While addressing the audience, the Prime minister stated, the government has reaffirmed its commitment to breaking barriers that limit women’s full participation in the economy, recognizing their vital role in national development. Emphasizing gender-inclusive policies, financial inclusion, and access to global markets, authorities are prioritizing support for women-led businesses in key sectors such as ICT, agribusiness, and engineering.
A new initiative will establish 200 women-led cooperatives, fostering supportive environments for female entrepreneurs. Additionally, efforts to strengthen childcare, elderly care, and disability services aim to reduce the burdens that limit women’s economic participation.
A dedicated platform has been launched to provide women entrepreneurs with knowledge, networking, and international trade opportunities. Strengthening public-private partnerships and expanding global market access are key strategies to create an inclusive and sustainable trade ecosystem.
By equipping women with the necessary skills, financial resources, and digital trade access, the government aims to ensure that women entrepreneurs become key drivers of economic growth, aligning with broader policies for inclusive and sustainable development.
The event was attended by Ms. Pamela Coke-Hamilton, Executive Director of the International Trade Center, His Excellency Andrew Patrick, British High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Officials from the International Trade Center and the British High Commission in Sri Lanka, Chairman of the Export Development Board Mr. Mangala Wijesinghe and Officials from Export Development Board and International Trade Centre and woman Entrepreneurs.
(Prime Minister’s Media Division)
by Saman Indrajith
TheBatalanda Presidential Co-mission report was tabled in Parliament yesterday (14) by the Leader of the House and Transport Minister, Bimal Ratnayake.
Minister Ratnayake announced that the government has decided to forward the report to the Attorney General for legal advice. Additionally, a Presidential Committee will be appointed to provide guidance and recommendations on how to proceed with the findings of the report.
Ratnayake said that the Cabinet-of-Ministers, along with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, has made a policy decision to take necessary action in response to the report. He reassured the public that steps are being taken to ensure that such a dark chapter in the country’s history is never repeated.
Minister Ratnayake said that a two-day debate on the Batalanda Commission report will be scheduled in Parliament at an appropriate time, allowing for a detailed discussion on the report’s findings and recommendations.
The report, which will be printed in all three official languages—Sinhala, Tamil, and English—will be made available to the public in the near future. Ratnayake confirmed that printed copies would be provided to Members of Parliament, as well as the general public, for review.
The Leader of the House revealed that there are 28 evidence volumes associated with the Commission’s work, which will be submitted to Parliament at a later date for further scrutiny.
Ratnayake said that as the entire country is concerned about the findings of the Batalanda Commission, the government’s commitment to addressing the issues raised, and preventing future atrocities, stands clear. The next steps, including legal action and policy recommendations, will be shaped by expert advice and informed parliamentary discussions, he said.
The Parliamentary watchdog Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has found that there were fake documents regarding the importing of medicines under the emergency procurement system in 2022 and 2023.
This was revealed during a COPE meeting held at Parliament probing the transactions of the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA).
NMRA CEO Saveen Semage told the Committee that several fake documents have been found due to the lack of registration of medicines.
Stating that six such fake documents were found last year alone, Saveen Semage said he had recorded statements regarding each of the documents with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division.
He revealed that, however, no investigations have been conducted yet into the incidents.
“We have documents with confessions from a woman accepting that fake documents had been made. However, a statement has not even been recorded from that woman yet,” he said.
Meanwhile, COPE member MP Asitha Niroshana Egoda Vithana also revealed that the highest number of waive-off registrations (WOR) for medicines had been obtained in 2022 and 2023.
He said 656 waive-off registrations (WOR) had been obtained in 2022 and 261 in 2023, adding that this proves that discrepancies have taken place during the emergency procurement of medicines during these periods.
Furthermore, Deputy Director General of the Medical Supplies Division of the Health Ministry, Dr. G. Wijesuriya, said discussions are underway on allowing the State Pharmaceutical Corporation (SPC) to directly import essential medicines.He pointed out that it was essential to take a policy decision in this regard as a solution to mitigate such discrepancies.
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