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Sri Lanka 2020 Crime & Safety Report This is an annual report produced in conjunction with the Regional Security Office (RSO) at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo. OSAC encourages travelers to use this report to gain baseline knowledge of security conditions in Sri Lanka. For more in-depth information, review OSAC’s Sri Lanka country page for original OSAC reporting, consular messages, and contact information, some of which may be available only to private-sector representatives with an OSAC password. Travel Advisory The current U.S. Department of State Travel Advisory at the date of this report’s publication assesses the Sri Lanka at Level 2, indicating travelers should exercise increased caution due to terrorism. Review OSAC’s report, Understanding the Consular Travel Advisory System. Overall Crime and Safety Situation Crime Threats The U.S. Department of State has assessed Colombo as being a MEDIUM-threat location for crime directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. Recent crime statistics indicate an upward trend for serious crime in the country overall. Property crimes increased in areas tourists frequent. In Colombo, total crime reported increased in all areas. Most violent crime occurs within the local community. Review OSAC’s report, All That You Should Leave Behind. Most crimes against U.S. citizens continue to be petty crime (e.g. pickpocketing, hotel room thefts, and fraud). In 2015 and 2017, U.S. citizens residing in Colombo were victims of home-invasion robbery attempts. Authorities charged and convicted suspects in both cases, which appear to have been crimes of opportunity. Several tourists were victims of armed robberies in 2019 in the Southern Province, but police have apprehended the suspects. There have been reports of thefts from large hotels. Lock doors and windows while in hotels, lodges, or guest houses. Review OSAC’s reports, Hotels: The Inns and Outs and Considerations for Hotel Security. Street hustlers are common around popular hotels, shopping areas, and other tourist sites. Beware of tuk- tuk or taxi drivers offering “special” tours or access to festivals or gem shops. This common scam often results in tourists being heavily pressured to buy “gems” that are either cut glass or are worth much less than the price being asked. The U.S. Embassy has also warned female travelers of instances of sexual harassment by tuk-tuk drivers. Surf schools are known to run scams where they claim renters damaged their boards and demand exorbitant prices to repair the damage. There appeared to be an increase in organized criminal activity `in 2018, and drug-related crime is a growing concern. Police reported incidents of gang-on-gang murders and violent attacks. Several large heroin seizures occurred in Sri Lanka in 2019; the country serves as a transportation hub for trafficking from Afghanistan. Sri Lanka 2020 Crime & Safety Report Use cash for routine transactions when possible. Credit/debit card fraud is a persistent threat. Authorities have arrested foreign nationals and organized groups for complicity in financial crimes. Avoid using credit cards, especially if doing so involves the removal of the card from your view. There have been reports of employees at reputable businesses (e.g. restaurants, chain grocery stores) wearing data skimming devices in their clothing and scanning a victim’s credit card or using other methods to steal credit card information. ATM skimming is also a threat. If you use an ATM, be on the lookout for skimming devices. Cover keypads with your other hand. Review OSAC’s reports, The Overseas Traveler’s Guide to ATM Skimmers & Fraud and Taking Credit. Transportation-Safety Situation Road Safety and Road Conditions Vehicular traffic moves on the left. Traffic in urban areas is very congested. Narrow two-lane highways combined with overloaded trucks, dangerously driven buses, motorized trishaws (tuk-tuks), and motorbikes (and sometimes elephants, cows, ox carts, and bicycles) make driving challenging and dangerous. Despite efforts to improve the roads, some remain in bad condition. One-way streets may not have clear markings, and occasionally change direction without notice. Drivers are notoriously reckless; vehicle accidents are a principal threat for visitors. Many visitors opt to hire a car and driver. Drivers commonly ignore traffic signs and signals. There has been some improvement, as traffic fatalities in Colombo in 2019 were at their lowest level in 15 years, and accident totals continued to decline. Drive defensively. In the event of an accident, crowds might gather and become aggressive, particularly if the accident involves a bus, tuk-tuk, or taxi. Review OSAC’s reports, Road Safety Abroad, Driving Overseas: Best Practices, and Evasive Driving Techniques; and read the State Department’s webpage on driving and road safety abroad. Pedestrians are often victims of traffic accidents. Use caution when crossing or walking along roadways. The police continue efforts to enforce traffic laws more vigorously. Speed traps and traffic enforcement checkpoints are becoming more common, and traffic fines have increased. Public Transportation Conditions Individuals choosing to hire a tuk-tuk should select one with a working meter; otherwise, agree on a fare beforehand to avoid arguments at the destination. Rideshare applications in wide use and are generally safe and reliable. Train travel is common and inexpensive. Aboard trains, keep a close watch on possessions, especially in economy cars. Take special care to guard expensive electronic items. There is a scam wherein Sri Lankans in Colombo will fill trains bound for the tourist areas and take up all of the seats. They will then sell their seats to tourists and visitors for a profit, and exit the train before it departs. Avoid using public buses, as they are often overcrowded, driven recklessly, and involved in serious accidents. Reports indicate that buses cause a disproportionately large percentage of accidents. Female passengers on public buses sometimes experience sexual harassment. Sri Lanka 2020 Crime & Safety Report Inter-city luxury bus services, which do not pick up passengers along their routes and do not take on more passengers than they are able to seat, are safe for foreign travelers. Review OSAC’s report, Security In Transit: Airplanes, Public Transport, and Overnights. Aviation/Airport Conditions As there is no direct commercial air service to the United States by carriers registered in Sri Lanka, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has not assessed the government of Sri Lanka’s Civil Aviation Authority for compliance with International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) aviation safety standards. Terrorism Threat The U.S. Department of State has assessed Colombo as being a HIGH-threat location for terrorism directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. On April 21, 2019, terrorists carried out coordinated bombings of hotels and churches in Colombo and Batticaloa, killing over 250 people and injuring over 500 more. The terrorists were Sri Lankan nationals associated with the Islamist groups National Thowheeth Jama’ath and Jamathei Millathu Ibraheem. Authorities believe that all the perpetrators of the attack are dead or captured. The President declared a state of emergency that lasted until August, and there was a significant increase in police and military presence throughout the country. Many large hotels and shopping areas increased their physical security presence in response to the bombings. Sri Lanka continues to be a potential target for Islamic extremists. The threat from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE, or Tamil Tigers) is currently minimal. The government defeated the LTTE in 2009 after a long war. LTTE leadership did not survive the war, but sympathetic elements remain within and outside the country. There have been no LTTE terrorist attacks since 2009. In 2014, al-Qa’ida announced the formation of a new branch, al-Qa’ida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). The same month, ISIS released a recorded call for the killing of Americans (and Coalition members). The tape encouraged lone-offender and target-of-opportunity attacks. These signify an elevation to the threat landscape in South Asia. The transnational capabilities of select terrorist groups, ease of international travel, and the availability of black-market weapons/explosives require travelers to be vigilant in their personal security practices, especially at locations Westerners frequent. Political, Economic, Religious, and Ethnic Violence The U.S. Department of State has assessed Colombo as being a LOW-threat location for political violence directed at or affecting official U.S. government interests. In October 2018, a constitutional crisis occurred when the President of Sri Lanka at the time announced that he was replacing the then-prime minister with a former president. Large rallies and protests occurred in Colombo and other locations. During the crisis, bodyguards for the oil minister opened fire at crowds gathered near his office, killing one person. In December 2018, the removed prime minister reclaimed his position after the Supreme Court found his removal unconstitutional. Sri Lanka 2020 Crime & Safety Report In November 2019, presidential elections elected a new president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The election process and transition of power were largely peaceful. Parliamentary elections are expected in June 2020. President Rajapaksa campaigned on a return to a more robust security presence, largely in response to the 2019 terrorist attacks. Police checkpoints are common, and military personnel patrol many areas for various reasons. Civil Unrest Demonstrations occur regularly and are usually peaceful, resulting only in traffic congestion; however, some have ended in violence between the protestors and police or opposition groups. Some protests over domestic political issues have resulted in violent clashes, gun violence, and casualties. Demonstrations often involve confrontations with police, resulting in the use of water cannons and tear gas to disperse crowds. Large political rallies are common and can draw crowds of more than 100,000 people. These rallies are generally peaceful, but can disrupt traffic.

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