Three inmates were killed and at least 23 others injured in two separate prison riots in Sri Lanka. The unrest highlights the severe overcrowding crisis in the nation's prison system, which holds over 41,000 inmates in facilities designed for about 11,000.
The riots highlight the severe overcrowding and systemic issues within Sri Lanka's prison system, raising concerns about security and the administration of justice. The government's proposed constitutional amendments aim to address the root causes of prolonged detentions and reduce pressure on the jails.
Three inmates were killed and at least 23 others injured in two separate prison riots in Sri Lanka, a senior official said on Friday, as unrest continued across the island nation's overcrowded prison system.
One prisoner died and 10 were injured in a riot that began late Thursday at Colombo's New Magazine Prison. A second riot at Kuruwita prison, about 80 km from the capital, left two prisoners dead and 14 injured, Public Security Minister Ananda Wijepala told parliament.
Police and special forces brought both disturbances under control, Wijepala said. Unrest at an open prison in Negombo was also contained after police fired tear gas at protesting inmates, police sources told Reuters.
Heavy police and riot squads were deployed at all three prisons, and prisoners who had climbed onto rooftops or moved into open areas were returned to their wards, the minister added.
Overcrowding is a systemic crisis across the country's prison network, which holds more than 41,000 inmates in 22 prisons built to accommodate about 11,000 people. More than three-quarters of inmates are remand prisoners awaiting trial, many on narcotics-related charges.
"We have controlled the situation now. There are no concerns about security. When you take all these incidents together it appears that there is planning behind these and an attempt at sabotage. But we can only say anything further after a comprehensive investigation," Wijepala told lawmakers.
Ten prison officials and 20 prisoners died in two days of fighting at a prison in the coastal town of Negombo in early July. One inmate died and several others were injured in a riot last weekend at a prison in Mahara.
Sri Lanka is planning to amend its constitution to extend superior court judges' tenure by two years, as part of efforts to clear a backlog of more than 1 million court cases and reduce prisoner numbers.