Sri Lanka is reeling from a wave of violent prison riots that have left at least three people dead and nearly two dozen injured. Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala provided a grim update to parliament, revealing that on Thursday evening, 40 inmates managed to break free from their cells at the New Magazine Prison in Colombo. Tragically, one prisoner died during that incident. A second disturbance at Kuruwita prison the next day, located 80 kilometers from Colombo, led to the deaths of two more prisoners.
Chaos erupts in Negombo
Unrest continued to spread when, on Friday, police at an open prison in Negombo, approximately 40 kilometers from Colombo, responded to a protest by firing tear gas to regain control. The situation escalated further because of a recent history of violence in the area. A similar conflict had taken place just a month earlier at the same location, where 10 prison officials and 20 inmates were killed. Adding to the grim pattern, another riot occurred just last weekend at a prison in Mahara, just 14 kilometers from Colombo, resulting in the death of one prisoner.
Gangs and drugs amplify prison tensions
According to Wijepala, the underlying causes of the riots are believed to be rivalries among criminal gangs and narcotics dealers. He pointed to signs of coordination between the recent incidents. 'When you take all these events together, it appears that there is planning behind these and an attempt at sabotage,' the minister stated, urging a comprehensive investigation.
The situation in Sri Lanka's prisons has been deteriorating for years due to overcrowding, which has reached alarming levels. Senaka Perera, president of the Committee for Rights of Prisoners, noted that the prison system is currently holding more than 39,000 inmates—four times its intended capacity. Many of these individuals are awaiting trial, particularly on drug-related charges. Perera emphasized that despite the worsening conditions, prisoners have remained patient for a long time. He also highlighted how recent legal changes tightening bail conditions have further exacerbated the overcrowding problem.
Government seeks judicial reforms to ease pressure
In an effort to address the root causes of the overcrowding, the government has announced plans to revise the constitution. The proposed changes would extend the tenure of superior court judges by two years, aiming to reduce the backlog of over one million pending court cases. This legal overhaul is expected to ultimately help lower the number of prisoners in the system. By accelerating the resolution of cases, the government hopes to reduce the strain on the prison system and improve conditions for inmates.