SRI LANKA COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 7 March 2012 SRI LANKA 7 MARCH 2012 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN SRI LANKA FROM 4 FEBRUARY TO 2 MARCH 2012 Useful news sources for further information REPORTS ON SRI LANKA PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 4 FEBRUARY TO 2 MARCH 2012 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.08 Public holidays ..................................................................................................... 1.09 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 3. HISTORY (1948 – JUNE 2011) ................................................................................... 3.01 Key political events (1948 - June 2011) .......................................................... 3.01 The internal conflict (1984 - May 2009) ........................................................... 3.21 Government treatment of (suspected) members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) ................................................................................................. 3.32 The conflict's legacy ........................................................................................ 3.48 The UN Report of April 2011 .......................................................................... 3.51 The Ministry of Defence report covering events between July 2006 and May 2009 ....................................................................................................... 3.57 Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) ............................... 3.60 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (JULY 2011 – JANUARY 2012) ............................................. 4.01 Key recent developments ............................................................................... 4.01 Situation of (suspected) members of the LTTE ............................................. 4.15 Rehabilitation ................................................................................................. 4.15 5. CONSTITUTION .......................................................................................................... 5.01 The 18th amendment ....................................................................................... 5.03 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES AND PARAMILITARY GROUPS .......................................................... 8.01 Police ..................................................................................................................... 8.02 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 8.12 Desertion ............................................................................................................ 8.15 Human rights violations by the police and armed forces ................................. 8.18 Arbitrary arrest and detention ............................................................................. 8.18 Disappearances/abductions ............................................................................... 8.23 Torture ................................................................................................................ 8.31 Extra-judicial killings ........................................................................................... 8.53 Pro government (non state) paramilitary groups .............................................. 8.55 Human rights violations by paramilitary groups .................................................. 8.57 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 8.60 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 3 February 2012. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 2 March 2012. 7 MARCH 2012 SRI LANKA Impunity .............................................................................................................. 8.61 Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka ............................................................ 8.64 Witness protection .............................................................................................. 8.67 9. JUDICIARY ................................................................................................................ 9.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 9.02 Independence ....................................................................................................... 9.04 Fair trial ................................................................................................................. 9.05 Penal code ............................................................................................................ 9.06 10. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 10.01 Emergency Regulations and the Prevention of Terrorism Act ........................ 10.04 Bail/reporting conditions ..................................................................................... 10.16 Arrest warrants ..................................................................................................... 10.17 Court summons .................................................................................................... 10.18 11. PRISON AND DETENTION CENTRE CONDITIONS ............................................................. 11.01 Deaths in custody ................................................................................................. 11.18 12. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 12.01 13. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 13.01 Freedom of political expression .......................................................................... 13.01 Freedom of association and assembly ............................................................... 13.03 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 13.04 Sarath Fonseka and supporters ......................................................................... 13.05 Tamil National Alliance (TNA) supporters .......................................................... 13.10 14. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA ............................................................................... 14.01 Legal framework ................................................................................................... 14.01 Journalists ............................................................................................................ 14.06 Internet/mobile phones ........................................................................................ 14.16 15. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .................................... 15.01 16. CORRUPTION ............................................................................................................ 16.01 17. FREEDOM OF RELIGION .............................................................................................. 17.01 Legal framework and demography ..................................................................... 17.01 Hindus ................................................................................................................... 17.05 Muslims ................................................................................................................. 17.06 Christians .............................................................................................................. 17.07 18. ETHNIC GROUPS ....................................................................................................... 18.01 Legal framework and demography ..................................................................... 18.01 Sinhalese ............................................................................................................... 18.04 Tamils .................................................................................................................... 18.06 Tamils of Indian Origin (‗Up-Country Tamils‘) ..................................................... 18.14 Muslims ................................................................................................................. 18.16 19. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS .............................................. 19.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 19.01 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities ............................................... 19.08 Societal treatment and attitudes ......................................................................... 19.12 20. WOMEN ..................................................................................................................