Several opposition politicians on Monday called for an independent and transparent investigation into the Negombo Prison violence, demanding accountability from both political leaders and senior officials while warning of international repercussions over the incident.
Speaking at a media briefing in Colombo, former Foreign Minister Prof. G.L. Peiris described the incident as a grave violation of Sri Lankan and international law, saying it breached constitutional protections and several international human rights conventions to which Sri Lanka is a party.
Peiris questioned who ordered the deployment of prison intelligence officers from Colombo to Negombo after the situation had reportedly begun to stabilize and who authorised the use of live ammunition, noting that some victims had sustained gunshot injuries.
He said Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara should resign from the entire Justice Ministry after accepting responsibility for the incident, arguing that accepting responsibility without stepping down had no meaning.
Peiris also questioned why the Negombo Prison had reportedly operated for more than a year without a permanent Commissioner General of Prisons and accused senior ministry officials of failing to implement recommendations made by the Human Rights Commission regarding the appointment.
He further alleged that the government’s focus had shifted away from pressing issues such as prison management and public safety towards efforts to amend the Constitution to extend the retirement age of senior judges.
UNP General Secretary Thalatha Athukorala also called for accountability, saying responsibility extended beyond the Justice Minister and that the government could not justify the deaths by citing prison overcrowding or dengue-related issues. She said authorities had failed to properly monitor prison conditions despite repeated warning signs.
Former Governor Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon said the prison crisis had been aggravated by the increasing use of remand detention, claiming that bail was being opposed in a growing number of cases and that remanding suspects had effectively become a form of punishment. He argued that the sharp rise in the remand prison population had contributed significantly to overcrowding.
The opposition representatives said they intend to raise the Negombo Prison incident with foreign missions, international legal bodies and the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, arguing that the matter requires international attention while calling for the full facts behind the violence to be made public. (Newswire)