The creation of new laws intended to protect Sri Lanka’s indigenous peoples’ rights has received approval from the Cabinet. This decision is the result of a joint recommendation made on May 22, 2024, during the Cabinet meeting by the Ministers of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, and Justice, Prison Affairs, and Constitutional Reform.
The concept paper that was provided in order to create the law needed to be thoroughly examined, as the proposal made clear. As a result, many rounds of talks were held with important players such representatives from the ministries in charge of environment, finance, and land, wildlife, and forest conservation, as well as representatives from the Attorney General’s Office and the Law Drafting Office. The Prime Minister’s Secretary was leading these conversations.
The Cabinet gave its support for the drafting of a law after these discussions. The government has declared that, in light of the information obtained from the initial talks, a law draftsman would be recommended to move on with writing the bill. This is a big step in the right direction for guaranteeing the nation’s indigenous tribes’ rights are protected and acknowledged.