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Attacks on Muslims in Digana premeditated: HRCSL

Published

8 months ago

2025/09/8

The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has released its report on the violent events in Digana, and surrounding areas, in March 2018, stressing that the attacks on the Muslim community were premeditated rather than spontaneous reactions to local tensions. The report, made public on 01 September 2025, calls for a wide-ranging set of reforms across law enforcement, education, and government institutions to prevent future communal violence.

According to the HRCSL, the Teldeniya Police acted promptly and lawfully in arresting those suspected of assaulting a person named H.G. Kumarasinghe, but false claims of inaction by organised groups incited further violence against Muslims.

The inquiry concluded that while some errant police and STF officers may have supported the attacks, the law enforcement authorities, as a whole, did not actively promote violence. The failure to prevent the attacks stemmed largely from inadequate intelligence, resources, and personnel, forcing the Army to intervene to restore order.

The HRCSL has emphasised that the Digana incident fits a recurring pattern of targeted attacks against Muslim communities in Sri Lanka. It has cited similar episodes in Gintota, Ampara, and historical instances dating back to 1915. It warned that discriminatory policies and practices such as restrictions on religious expression, mandatory cremation policies during the COVID-19 pandemic, and long-term detention under anti-terror laws have created a hostile environment exploited by extremist groups.

The HRCSL s report includes detailed recommendations for 11 government ministries and agencies. Key proposals include the following:

* Ministry of Law and Order: Strengthen intelligence gathering, establish rapid response systems to prevent communal violence, address low morale among police officers, and form inclusive civil committees with monthly meetings involving local police.

* Ministry of Social Services and Welfare: Screen organisations seeking registration to prevent divisive or extremist agendas.

* Ministry of Education: Introduce national reconciliation and coexistence as compulsory subjects, end ethnically or religiously segregated schooling, and provide inclusive curricula promoting human rights and civic values.

* Ministry of Youth Affairs: Implement youth empowerment and training programmes, especially for those implicated in violent incidents, to promote attitudinal change.

* Ministries of Sports and Government Administration: Encourage inter-community participation in sports and community projects, develop networks at local levels to promote reconciliation, and monitor compensation for victims of violence.

* Ministry of Women and Child Affairs: Provide medical, educational, and material support to children and families affected by the Digana violence.

The report also stresses the urgent need for stronger legal mechanisms to hold law enforcement officers accountable for misconduct, including torture, custodial deaths, enforced disappearances, and assaults. It recommends the creation of an independent Office for the Investigation and Prosecution of Serious Crimes by State Officials, empowered to investigate and prosecute human rights violations impartially.

As for the issue of hate speech, the HRC has highlighted that Section 3 of the ICCPR Act criminalising advocacy of racial or religious hatred has not been applied effectively, leaving instigators of violence in Digana largely unpunished. The Commission called for immediate enforcement of the law, particularly against online hate speech, while also addressing deeper social, economic, and cultural drivers of inter-communal tension.

The HRCSL has also noted that segregated schooling and exclusionary historical narratives contribute to prejudice, calling for reforms to create inclusive, diverse learning environments where children from different ethnic and religious communities can build mutual trust and resilience.

The report concludes that sustainable peace and coexistence require coordinated action by national, provincial, and local authorities, alongside law enforcement, civil society, and educational institutions, to prevent the perpetuation of communal violence in Sri Lanka.

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President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.

The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.

Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.

Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.

Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.

(PMD)

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CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund

Published

4 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.

Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).

Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.

(PMD)

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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum

Published

6 hours ago

2026/05/18

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.

As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.

In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.

During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.

The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]