News

Several parties pledge to ensure rights of LGBTQ community in Sri lanka

Published

3 years ago

2023/02/20

Marking a historic day in Sri Lankan politics, representatives from several major political parties came together to discuss their views on ensuring the rights of LGBTQ Sri Lankans.

Ceylon Workers’ Congress Leader, Minister Jeevan Thondaman, SLPP MP Premnath C. Dolawatte, SJB MP Mayantha Dissanayake and Freedom People’s Congress MP Prof. Charitha Herath shared their views during adiscussion jointly hosted by NextGenSL and the Canadian High Commission to Sri Lanka. Attorney-at-Law Aritha Wickramasinghe, Equality Director of iProbono moderated the panel discussion.

Premnath Dolawatte, who recently presented a Private Member’s Bill to Parliament seeking to decriminalise LGBTQ Sri Lankans, said he was hopeful that the majority of MPs in the House would support his Bill and join the effort to protect the rights of the LGBTQ community.

“I know the ultimate fight should be for non-discrimination and decriminalisation of the LGBTQ community is only one aspect of it. But, we must start somewhere,” Dolawatte said, sharing his views at the event.

“Minister Ali Sabry has assured that the government will support the motion. Minister Prasanna Ranatunga has also communicated to me that the ruling party will back the Bill. So, I am hopeful that the motion will secure a majority in Parliament. However, it is now with the Attorney General’s Department and those who are aware of the system know that getting a document out of the AG’s Department is no easy task. Also, getting a private member’s Bill passed in Parliament is also a time-consuming process. But, with your support, I am confident that we will be able to get this done,” Dolawatte said.

MP Mayantha Dissanayake from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya said he was in favour of the Private Member’s Bill presented by Dolawatte. “We are a progressive party and we understand the need for change. I briefly spoke to our party leader, Mr. Sajith Premadasa, and shared my views on this matter with him. We haven’t made a formal policy statement on this yet, but we are in favour of this because we want to do the right thing by the country.”

“When this is presented to Parliament, there will be stiff resistance from many quarters. That’s something we must expect. But I, as a Parliamentarian and e person who values human rights, will champion this cause within my party and within our parliamentary group. There are many countries in the world that have made progressive steps in this regard and we must follow those examples,” Dissanayake added

“Addressing the concerns of religious circles will be a critically important step and I am confident that we will be able to convince them by directly engaging with the right information. For instance, this is perfectly in line with the fundamental teachings of Buddhism such as compassion and that should be the basis our engagement with Buddhist monks,” the MP said.

“We inherited a country that needed change. We must now deliver, ” Dissanayake said, adding that his traditional upbringing in Kandy would not deter him from supporting this cause.

Joining the discussion, Freedom People’s Congress MP Prof. Charitha Herath said they would support decriminalisation of same-sex relations, if and when the Bill is presented to Parliament.

“We must engage with two domains to achieve the desired results. One is the political domain and the other is the cultural domain. We can change old-fashioned political and cultural establishments through constant engagement,” Herath explained.

“The technical approach alone will not usher in meaningful change. That is why I highlight the importance of cultural discussions as well to overcome the existing barriers. Sometimes, I feel that these cultural platforms are forgotten by the younger generation.”

“If you look at this region, India has made significant progress in the recent past while we are lagging behind. We must explore the reasons for this and address them adequately,” the MP added

Minister Jeevan Thondaman, the youngest Cabinet Minister ever to hold office in Sri Lanka, countered the argument that culture was a barrier in achieving non-discrimination for the LGBTQ community in Sri Lanka

“There is more than enough evidence from the ancient history that same-sex relations existed then and they were very much embraced many, many centuries ago. There are ancient statues, literary works and many other things to prove this point. So, where did we go wrong?” Thondaman, the Leader of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), asked.

“The answer is quite clear. It is the colonialisation and westernisation of our ancient civilisations. Their beliefs and values became a dominant factor and we lost many of ours.”

“Culture has never been a barrier to us. It is the colonial mindset that has become a barrier. It is time we understand the reality,” he added.

“I am a member of a minority community and a representative of a marginalised group of people, I request you to take these little victories. It will eventually lead you to the promised land. 10 years ago, a dialogue of this nature would not have been possible. Today, we are trying to sit with you and understand the gravity of this issue,” Thondaman said pledging support to legislative reforms decriminalising same-sex relations.

David Sood, Counsellor, Political and Trade from the Canadian High Commission to Sri Lanka delivered the opening remarks while Bhoomi Harendran and Kaushalya Sendanayaka Arachchi, a representative from Equal Ground shared observations from the civil society perspective.

All News Advertisement

Related Topics:LGBTQ LGBTQ community sri lanka

Up Next

Suspect nabbed with contraband Kendaru leaves

Don't Miss

‘World will lose faith in all Lankan data’

Click to comment

Latest News

Sun directly overhead Pomparippu, Anuradhapura, Mihinthale, Galenbindunuwewa, Agbopura and Serunuwara about 12:11 noon today (11)

Published

2 hours ago

2026/04/11

Priyan

On the apparent northward relative motion of the sun, it is going to be directly over the latitudes of Sri Lanka from 05th to 15th of April in this year.

The nearest areas of Sri Lanka over which the sun is overhead today (11th) are Pomparippu, Anuradhapura, Mihinthale, Galenbindunuwewa, Agbopura and Serunuwara about 12:11 noon.

News

Opposition NCM against Energy Minister defeated

Published

5 hours ago

2026/04/11

Thilina Walpola

A no-confidence motion brought by the Opposition against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody was defeated in Parliament yesterday by a majority of 104 votes.At the end of the debate, 49 members voted in favour of the motion, while 153 voted against it.

The motion, submitted to the Speaker on 19 March, was signed by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, SJB MPs, and other Opposition members.

It accused Minister Jayakody of failing to ensure the procurement of adequate and quality coal for the Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant in Norochcholai, alleging that such negligence amounted to a breach of ministerial responsibility over a critical national energy asset.

The motion also cited ongoing legal proceedings against the Minister, noting that he has been indicted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and produced before the Colombo High Court under Section 70 of the Bribery Act, in connection with alleged acts of corruption during his tenure as Procurement Manager of the Ceylon Fertiliser Company Limited.

The motion read: Vote of No Confidence against Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Energy,— Whereas the Provision in Section 6 of the Part III of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament which states that: “The Members shall on all occasions act in accordance with the public trust entrusted with them and shall always behave with probity and integrity, including the use by them of any public resources.” has been violated; And whereas the following rules of conduct set out in Section 9 of the Part V of the Code of Conduct for Members of Parliament have prima facie been breached, namely:- “(a) to be conscience; (c) to act so as to merit the trust and respect of the people; (e) to hold themselves accountable for the conduct and duties for which they are responsible;” And whereas it is observed that the Minister has failed, in his capacity as a Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers, to discharge the fundamental duties incumbent upon him in accordance with Article 28 of the Constitution;

And whereas it is established that the Minister of Energy has failed to discharge his primary duty of ensuring the procurement of adequate and good quality coal for the Norochcholai Lakvijaya Coal Power Plant;

And whereas such gross negligence in overseeing a critical national energy asset constitutes a fundamental breach of ministerial responsibility;

And whereas the Minister of Energy has failed to carry out the subjects and functions vested in him by the Notification of Gazette Extraordinary No. 2412/08 of 25th November 2024 of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, including taking necessary steps to reduce the losses at the institutional management level and technical damages that occur to the electricity generation and distribution system and reduction of costs for generating electricity and removal of uncertainties during generation;

And whereas the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has filed formal indictments before the Colombo High Court against the incumbent Minister of Energy under Section 70 of the Bribery Act (Chapter 26) for the offence of “corruption” in connection with acts of corruption allegedly committed while he was serving as the Procurement Manager of the Lanka Fertilizer Company;

And whereas, in light of the foregoing, the Minister of Energy has irretrievably forfeited the confidence of Parliament and the people of Sri Lanka by causing losses to public finances, endangering national energy security, corruptly mishandling the procurement process, being subjected to active judicial proceedings for the offence of “corruption”, and betraying the Government’s own “anti-corruption mandate”, and his continued tenure as the Minister of Energy is contrary to the public interest, the rule of law, and the principles of good governance;

That this Parliament resolves that it has no confidence in the competence of Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Energy to function as a Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers any longer.”

by Saman Indrajith

News

Chinese Ambassador assures Lanka China will not allow a fuel crisis to develop here

Published

5 hours ago

2026/04/11

Thilina Walpola

Qi Zhenhong

Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong yesterday assured that China would not allow a fuel crisis to arise in Sri Lanka, under any circumstances, reaffirming Beijing’s continued support to the country.

The Ambassador made these remarks addressing the media after attending a dry ration distribution programme for 350 low-income families at Sri Chandananda Buddhist College, at Asgiriya, in Kandy.

Highlighting the longstanding ties between the two countries, Ambassador Qi said China has consistently stood by Sri Lanka and remains ready to extend assistance whenever required.

Amid concerns over global energy disruptions, stemming from the ongoing Middle East conflict, he noted that several countries are already facing difficulties, but stressed that China is prepared to support Sri Lanka at any time.

He said that any potential fuel shortage in Sri Lanka could be managed with the involvement of China’s Sinopec.

Reiterating Beijing’s commitment to Sri Lanka’s economic recovery and development, the Envoy also expressed hope that the current ceasefire in the Middle East would hold, while assuring that China stands ready to respond to any future developments and assist Sri Lanka as needed.

By SK Samaranayake