Sri Lanka Brief
News, views and analysis selected of human rights and democratic governance in Sri Lanka
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Latest posts
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The Organised Crime Bill: The JVP’s Response in 2003 vs the NPP’s Response in 2026 – A Surreal Political Transformation – Kishali Pinto Jayawardena
This week’s death of a young man in the custody of the Homagama Police custody reportedly due to assault raises anew, grave fears regarding enhanced powers of arrest and custody conferred on the police by Sri Lanka’s Organised Crimes Bill (2026). What history teaches us…
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Key Recommendations from HRCSL Report on Negombo Prison Violence
Following its investigation into the July 2026 violence at Negombo Prison, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) recommended urgent measures to prevent similar incidents and address accountability concerns. The recommendations include: Conducting prompt, independent,…
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HRCSL Launches Probe into Death After Arrest by Homagama Police
Colombo, 1 November 2026 – The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) has launched an investigation into the death of a man who allegedly died following an assault by officers attached to the Homagama Police Station after he was taken into custody. The Commission said it…
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Execution Before Trial: The Peril of “Instant Police Justice” and Public Silence – Niroshan Pathberiya, Attorney-at-Law
The police service in Sri Lanka is once again under intense public scrutiny following the death of 29-year-old Ishara Harsha Kumara, a resident of Kiriwaththuduwa and a father of one, while held in police custody. The incident triggered widespread public outrage and a high-level…
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PSTA: Cutting off One Head, Allowing Others Grow Elsewhere – Dhanushka Silva
In Greek mythology, the Hydra of Lerna was a monstrous, multi-headed serpent. When one head is cut off, several more would grow in its place. Defeating the creature required more than striking at the heads that appeared; it demanded confronting the source of the monster’s power.…
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Book Detention in Sri Lanka: A Joint Statement by Writers
When parcels containing books by Eelam Tamil writers are sent to Sri Lanka by post, some are detained by the Sri Lanka Customs Department. Customs officials explain that certain words in the books, or elements such as their covers, are considered potentially sensitive and liable…
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CPRP Accuses Homagama Police of Fatal Custodial Abuse and Attempted Cover-up
This is Ishara Harsha Kumara (29), the young man who died after being arrested and interrogated by the Homagama Police today. This young man, who was in perfectly good health when taken in for questioning, was brought back unable to even walk and bleeding from his mouth. When…
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Chemmani Mass Grave: Tamil Parties Reject ‘Natural Causes’ Theory, Demand Independent Probe into 583 Human Remains
Jaffna – Growing controversy has erupted over the ongoing investigation into the Chemmani mass grave in Jaffna after Tamil political parties strongly challenged suggestions in an interim archaeological report that the hundreds of human remains unearthed at the site could be…
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President AKD Targeted Controversial Was Kaviya ( curse verses) Sparks Political Debate in Sri Lanka ; Police Deny Crackdown; Read the translation of Was Kaviya
Image: Was Kaviya’s organisation created a replica of President Dissanayaka to fix nails on him as part of the campaign. Colombo, Sri Lanka – A politically charged Was Kaviya invoking divine punishment against rulers accused of harming Buddhism has sparked intense debate across…
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BASL Raises Alarm Over New Terrorism and Organised Crime Bills, Warns of Threat to Fundamental Rights
Colombo, 21 October 2026 – The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) has strongly criticised two proposed pieces of legislation currently before Parliament, warning that the Protection of the State from Terrorism Bill (PSTA) and the Prevention of Organised Crimes Bill (OCB) could…
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HRCSL expresses serious concerns regarding the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill
General Observations on the Prevention of Organised Crime Bill The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka wrote to the Minister of Justice and National Integration regarding the Bill titled ‘Prevention of Organised Crime’ published in the Gazette on 6 October 2026. The Commission…