Articles Archives - Right To Life Human Rights Center

Enforced Disappearances; A Problem Sri Lanka Seeking Solutions for Five Decades

(To mark the 35th Annual Commemoration of the Disappeared) By Philip Dissanayake, Executive Director, Right to Life Human Rights Centre Sri Lanka has a long history of enforced disappearances. The period from the 1970s until the end of the civil war in 2009 is cited as a time when disappearances were severely reported in the […]

Enforced Disappearances; A Problem Sri Lanka Seeking Solutions for Five Decades Read More »

Supreme Court Upholds Justice: Three Police Officers Ordered to Pay Rs. 75,000 for Violating Journalist’s Rights

Articles, News / suneth gajanayake

Colombo, October 22, 2025 — In a landmark ruling that reinforces the protection of fundamental rights, the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has found three officers of the Alawwa Police guilty of violating the constitutional rights of journalist Thilina Rajapaksa through verbal abuse, assault, and unlawful detention. Rajapaksa, an announcer and producer at a private

Supreme Court Upholds Justice: Three Police Officers Ordered to Pay Rs. 75,000 for Violating Journalist’s Rights Read More »

Fair Justice Campaign Statement on Sri Lanka’s Prison Crisis and the Commissioner General’s Call for the Death Penalty

Articles, News / suneth gajanayake

Colombo, Sri Lanka – 23 October 2025 The Fair Justice Campaign of the Right to Life Human Rights Centre has expressed deep concern over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka’s prisons, highlighting severe overcrowding and inhumane conditions that violate the fundamental rights of inmates. According to official data presented by the Commissioner General of

Fair Justice Campaign Statement on Sri Lanka’s Prison Crisis and the Commissioner General’s Call for the Death Penalty Read More »

Sri Lanka’s Next Step Against Poverty: Turning Welfare Recipients into Entrepreneurs

Articles / suneth gajanayake

Sri Lanka continues to face a deepening poverty crisis, as rising living costs and limited economic opportunities push more families into hardship. According to the World Bank (2024), around 24.5% of Sri Lankans live below the international poverty line of USD 3.65 per day, compared to 11.3% in 2019. The national poverty line has now

Sri Lanka’s Next Step Against Poverty: Turning Welfare Recipients into Entrepreneurs Read More »

Human Rights, Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Need for Legal Reform

Articles, News / Dini

A Stance on the Ongoing Debate Surrounding a Local Tea Commercial The recent controversy ignited by a video advertisement from a prominent Sri Lankan tea company, facing calls for a consumer boycott due to its perceived focus on LGBTIQ issues, underscores a critical intersection between corporate social responsibility (CSR), human rights, and market freedom. As

Human Rights, Corporate Social Responsibility, and the Need for Legal Reform Read More »

Crisis of Trust: Mount Lavinia Incident and the Imperative to Safeguard Human Rights

Articles, News / Editor

A Statement by the Right to Life Human Rights Centre The recent volatile confrontation near the Mount Lavinia Court, involving the alleged assault of a lawyer by a police officer, the alleged verbal abuse of the police by a senior lawyer, the subsequent remand of the officer, and the opposition to mediation by the

Crisis of Trust: Mount Lavinia Incident and the Imperative to Safeguard Human Rights Read More »

Supreme Court Orders Rs. 1 Million Compensation for Victim of Police Torture

Articles, News / Editor

Colombo, October 10, 2025 — The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has ruled that six officers of the Kottawa Police violated the fundamental rights of Mr. Vithanage Sunil and ordered them to personally pay Rs. 1,000,000 in compensation, holding them directly accountable for the assault. The judgment, delivered by Justice Menaka Wijesundera in case SC

Supreme Court Orders Rs. 1 Million Compensation for Victim of Police Torture Read More »

A New Imperative for Justice and Reform: Right to Life Human Rights Centre Welcomes UNHRC Resolution 60/L.1/Rev.1

Articles, News / Editor

As the Right to Life Human Rights Center, a leading organization advocating for human rights and democratic space in Sri Lanka, we urge the Government of Sri Lanka to meaningfully implement the stipulations of the latest resolution, A/HRC/60/L.1/Rev.1, adopted at the 60th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva on October

A New Imperative for Justice and Reform: Right to Life Human Rights Centre Welcomes UNHRC Resolution 60/L.1/Rev.1 Read More »

Protecting the Vulnerable: Why Sri Lanka’s Proposed Penal Code Amendment Risks Discipline and Fails to Tackle Systemic Child Abuse

Articles / Dini

A critical human rights discussion has been ignited in Sri Lanka following the government’s proposal to amend the Penal Code to prohibit corporal and psychological punishment. While the objective to protect children from physical and mental abuse is fundamentally sound and aligned with international human rights standards, the specific language of the bill introduces a

Protecting the Vulnerable: Why Sri Lanka’s Proposed Penal Code Amendment Risks Discipline and Fails to Tackle Systemic Child Abuse Read More »

A Human Rights Imperative: Decriminalising Consensual Same-Sex Relations in Sri Lanka

Articles, News / Editor

The Right to Life Human Rights Centre welcomes the growing national conversation surrounding the LGBTIQ+ community in Sri Lanka. As an organisation committed to upholding the fundamental rights and freedoms of all individuals, we recognise that the current legal framework poses a significant human rights challenge that must be addressed urgently. Our position is that

A Human Rights Imperative: Decriminalising Consensual Same-Sex Relations in Sri Lanka Read More »

A Case Study on the Misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act: The Arrest and Acquittal of Mohamed Suhail

Articles / Editor

The case of Mohamed Suhail, a 21 year old aviation student, highlights the arbitrary and unjust application of Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). Arrested in October 2024, Suhail was detained for nine months, with his case showcasing the deeply flawed nature of the PTA and its disproportionate use against individuals, particularly minorities, who

A Case Study on the Misuse of the Prevention of Terrorism Act: The Arrest and Acquittal of Mohamed Suhail Read More »

Training Today’s Defenders for Tomorrow’s Challenges

Articles / Editor

‎The Human Rights and Social Entrepreneurship Development Center (HRSEDC) represents a bold evolution of the Human Rights First Aid Center concept. This initiative goes beyond structural changes, combining social entrepreneurship principles with traditional rights defense to create a forward looking, sustainable model for human rights advocacy. ‎ ‎A key dimension of this transformation is the

Training Today’s Defenders for Tomorrow’s Challenges Read More »

Articles

MEDIA PLATFORMS