Sri Lanka

When asked to provide more context about who was particularly unlikely to enjoy their right to education in 2023, our respondents mentioned all of the following:

• Everyone, due to low wages, high inflation rates, high interest bank rates, and recently introduced tax systems
• Malaiyaha Tamils
• Plantation workers and residents of former war affected provinces
• Women, especially daughters of single mothers who migrate for work
• Asylum seekers in Sri Lanka lack legal protection due to the country's non-signatory status to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, resulting in a lack of domestic laws supporting them

When asked to provide more context about who was particularly unlikely to enjoy their right to food in 2023, our respondents mentioned all of the following:

• Everyone, due to low wages, high inflation rates, high interest bank rates, and recently introduced tax systems
• Poor urban workers who receive low wages
• Malaiyaha Tamils
• People living in in remote areas or dry zones
• Plantation workers and residents of former war affected provinces
• Women, especially daughters of single mothers who migrate to find work

When asked to provide more context about who was particularly unlikely to enjoy their right to health in 2023, our respondents mentioned all of the following:

• Everyone, due to low wages, high inflation rates, high interest bank rates, and recently introduced tax systems
• Malaiyaha Tamils
• People living in in remote areas or dry zones
• Plantation workers and residents of former war affected provinces
• Women, especially daughters of single mothers who migrate to find work
• The LGBTQIA+ community faces social discrimination and lacks state support
• Asylum seekers in Sri Lanka lack legal protection due to the country's non-signatory status to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, resulting in a lack of domestic laws supporting them
• Poor urban workers who receive low wages
• Muslim women and girls, due to child marriages, teen pregnancies, and forced genital mutilation being practised without any protection from the government

When asked to provide more context about who was particularly unlikely to enjoy their right to housing in 2023, our respondents mentioned all of the following:

• Everyone, due to low wages, high inflation rates, high interest bank rates, and recently introduced tax systems
• Malaiyaha Tamils
• People living in in remote areas or dry zones
• Plantation workers and residents of former war affected provinces
• Women due to the economic crisis.
• The LGBTQIA+ community faces social discrimination and lacks state support
• Asylum seekers in Sri Lanka lack legal protection due to the country's non-signatory status to the 1951 UN Refugee Convention and its 1967 protocol, resulting in a lack of domestic laws supporting them
• Poor urban workers who receive low wages

When asked to provide more context about who was especially vulnerable to arbitrary or political arrest and detention by government agents in 2023, our respondents mentioned all of the following:

• All people, due to the government suspecting everyone of being guilty following the Aragalaya protest movement
• Tamils and Muslims, especially Malaiyaha Tamils
• People in the North and East, especially former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Cadres, who are suspected of terrorist activity
• Journalists who criticise the government, expose corruption, investigate human rights violations and illegal activity
• Whistleblowers are arrested under anti-terrorism laws
• People participating in anti-government protests are arrested
• People who are linked to the Aragalaya protest movement and associated activists are arrested, and some of them are forced to move to remote areas to avoid being arrested in Colombo
• Members of labour unions, especially those who lead protests and investigate labour rights violations, are constantly monitored by the State
• People protesting against the cost of living crisis, inadequate relief measures, and International Monetary Fund austerity programmes, are arrested and charged following local and international media publicity
• Young people, especially those who took part in the Aragalaya protests and those who are suspected as terrorists
• People suspected of terrorism or political violence face unfair trials and are detained for long periods; in some cases the detention lasts years without charges being brought against them
• State university students and leaders, particularly activists
• Alleged drug users are at risk of arbitrary imprisonment because of Operation Yukthiya, the new anti-drug operation by the Sri Lankan police, Special Task Force, and the Army
• Men risk being falsely accused of crimes such as drug-related offences, contract killings, and violent crimes
• The LGBTQIA+ community, due to criminalisation of same-sex relationships and lack of legal recognition leading to discrimination
• People lacking legal identity due to insufficient documentation, such as birth certificates and national identity card, especially transgender people
• Sex workers working collectively, due to laws like the Brothels Ordinance
• Sex workers face interrogations, arrest, and fines when working

When asked to provide more context about who was especially vulnerable to disappearance by government agents in 2023, our respondents mentioned all of the following:

• Tamils and Muslims, especially former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Cadres, who are suspected of terrorist activity
• Journalists who criticise the government, expose corruption, and investigate human rights violations and illegal activity
• People who are linked to the Aragalaya protests and associated activists
• Human rights activists who criticise government and military actions, often seen as collaborating with international organisations
• Members of labour unions, especially those who lead labour rights protests
• Young people accused or suspected of terrorism
• People who use drugs

Expert respondents did not provide any specific information about who is especially vulnerable to violations of this right.

When asked to provide more context about who was especially vulnerable to extrajudicial killing by government agents in 2023, our respondents mentioned all of the following:

• Tamils and Muslims, especially former Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam Cadres, who are suspected of terrorist activity
• Journalists who criticise the government, expose corruption, investigate human rights violations and illegal activity
• Human rights activists who criticise government and military actions, often seen as collaborating with international organisations, face state-sponsored hate campaigns, both offline and online
• Members of labour unions, especially those who lead protests or advocate for labour rights
• Young people accused or suspected of terrorism
• People who use drugs

When asked to provide more context about who was especially vulnerable to restrictions on their rights to assembly and association by the government or its agents in 2023, our respondents mentioned all of the following:

• Minority groups due to legislation like the Anti-Terrorism Bill and the Prevention of Terrorism Act, heightened police presence, and suspicions of religious terrorism
• Tamil communities, especially in the North and East, face restrictions due to anti-terrorism laws and heightened security presence; they are marginalised in public discourse and are often portrayed as instigators of civil unrest
• People in the North and plantation communities are subjected to raids by law enforcement and threats and harassment, especially against activists
• People coming from outside the Tamil community to visit internally displaced Tamil people, such as journalists and human rights activists, are interrogated by the Criminal Investigation Department
• Independent journalists who criticise the government, expose corruption, and monitor religious freedom violations, are restricted by the Online Safety Act; this legislation can censor publications as fake news or anti-government
• Journalists, particularly in the Northern and Eastern provinces, are interrogated
• Human rights advocates, viewed as anti-government or funded by foreign entities, especially those advocating for minority or ethnic groups, fear arrest
• Union leaders protesting new laws that violate labour rights are labelled anti-government and monitored by the state
• Protesters, particularly students, are labelled anti-government, especially those linked with the Aragalaya protest movement
• Women, particularly those who are victims of sexual or gender-based violence
• The LGBTQIA+ community faces legal discrimination, as Sri Lanka criminalises LGBTQIA+ relations
• Internally displaced people, especially those in the North, as well as women and young people who lead justice movements, are questioned by the Criminal Investigation Department when they organise a gathering
• People who work in the public sector
• Sex workers are marginalised and are unable to publicly engage in any activities