Amnesty International investigated the use of force during 30 protests that took place in Sri Lanka between March 2022 and June 2023. During the investigation, Amnesty International conducted 39 qualitative interviews and an open-source investigation into 95 verified videos of 30 protests, gathered on social media.
Amnesty International’s research shows a pattern in the unlawful use of tear gas and water cannon and the misuse of batons by Sri Lankan law enforcement authorities with video evidence revealing that in at least 17 protests – more than half of the protests analyzed – law enforcement fell well short of abiding by international law and standards. Such an approach to policing of public assemblies that does not comply with international standards restricts the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Sri Lanka.
The suppression of protest must stop, and the government must ensure that law enforcement authorities adopt an approach to policing of public assemblies that complies with international standards and upholds the right to freedom of peaceful assembly in Sri Lanka.
Read the full report, ‘Ready to Suppress Any Protest’: Sri Lanka – Unlawful Use of Weapons During Protests