Sri Lanka faces mounting international pressure to halt its controversial anti-drug operation, “Yukthiya,” after accusations of mass arbitrary arrests, humiliating public searches, and forced military-run rehabilitation. Launched in December, the operation has seen thousands detained, primarily from marginalized communities, often without evidence or drugs in their possession. Critics, including 34 international rights groups, call for…
Volker Turk is urging Sri Lanka to review the operation and implement a rights-based approach to combatting illicit drugs 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 Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) expresses deep concern about the ‘Yukthiya’ Operation, a two-week police crackdown on organized crime and drug trafficking. While its stated objective is noble, reports of widespread human rights violations paint a disturbing picture. Excessive Arrests and Torture Allegations: The operation saw over 20,000 arrests in just two…
While commending the bill’s goals of national unity and equal opportunity, a joint statement signed by 18 prominent civil society organizations calls for more time and dialogue before the passage of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) bill. They raise three key concerns: Board composition: The bill gives the Minister too much control…
In a long-awaited move, Sri Lanka has finally taken a concrete step towards reconciliation by announcing the establishment of a Truth Commission. Gazetted on January 2nd, the move aims to address the deep wounds of the three-decade war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and pave the way for healing and unity….
Fear gripped roughly 100 Rohingya refugees in Sri Lanka as they protested outside the UN refugee agency’s office on Tuesday. With the agency’s closure looming at year’s end, their basic living allowance and prospects for permanent resettlement hang precariously in the balance. These refugees, mostly rescued at sea while fleeing Myanmar’s brutal crackdown, haven’t found…
Ajith Perakum Jayasinghe Sri Lanka’s recent anti-drug operation, “Yukthiya (Justice),” launched by Public Security Minister Tiran Alles and Acting Inspector General of Police Deshbandu Tennakoon, has ignited a heated debate, raising concerns about human rights and the effectiveness of its methods. While the operation boasts significant drug seizures and arrests, questions simmer regarding adherence to…
Supreme Court of Sri Lanka decided that the fundamental rights of Ramzy Razeek and ordered the government to pay Rs. one million as damage. Chief Inspector B.M.A.S.K. Senaratne, the first respondent, and former CID Director DIG W. Thilakaratne, the second respondent, were individually directed to pay Rs 30,000 to the petitioner (Razeek) within one month,…
Sri Lanka police arrested an 18-year-old resident of Colombo who had been sexually abusing his cousin for two years and uploaded the footage of the abuse to Google Drive. The police said that the arrest was made using a new method introduced by the Google company to the Sri Lanka Police to easily identify people who…
– Ajith Perakum Jayasinghe Student X studied in grade 11 of Navodya Maha Vidyalaya, Dodangoda. On the occasion of the Poson festival that year, the Dodangoda police organized a lantern competition and this photograph shows the lantern rotating inside a bottle presented by the student. The design won the first prize in the competition and…
