A lawyers’ group and some women working as therapists at massage parlours (spas) have complained to the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) regarding the police releasing videos of women taken within a police station to the media.

Attorney-at-law Susantha Gunawardena and spokesman for the spa owners association Prasanna Munasinghe said that the police couldn’t reveal their identities under any circumstances. Gunawardena and Munasinghe said that they expected the HRCSL to inquire into this matter without delay. Gunawardena said that the women had been humiliated and some of them indicated that they felt like committing suicide.

The Office on Missing Persons (OMP) and the Bureau of Rehabilitation (BOR) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on 24 June 2026 to strengthen institutional cooperation in matters relating to missing persons.

The Justice Ministry said that the OMP has previously entered into Memoranda of Understanding with several key state and international institutions, including the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Department of National Archives, and the Registrar General’s Department. Moreover, the new MOU signed with the Bureau of Rehabilitation represents a further step in strengthening inter-institutional collaboration to support the OMP’s mandate and enhance coordination among relevant stakeholders.

The text of the Justice Ministry statement: “The MOU establishes a framework for collaboration between the two institutions, particularly in the areas of information sharing, referrals, capacity building, and coordination of activities relevant to tracing missing persons and supporting affected families.

Through this partnership, the OMP and BOR aim to enhance their collective efforts in addressing issues related to missing persons by facilitating greater cooperation and strengthening mechanisms for information exchange. The collaboration is expected to contribute to the OMP’s mandate of tracing missing persons, clarifying their fate and whereabouts, and supporting the rights and interests of family members.

The MOU was signed by Mahesh Katulanda, Chairman of the Office on Missing Persons, and Brigadier M. S. Amith, Commissioner General of the Bureau of Rehabilitation, in the presence of senior officials from both institutions.

This partnership reflects the commitment of both organisations to work collaboratively in addressing humanitarian concerns related to missing persons and promoting effective institutional cooperation for the benefit of affected families and communities.”

A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.

Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.

Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.

Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.