LGBTQI community in Sri Lanka question commitment despite Bill

The LGBTQI community in Sri Lanka have questioned the commitment of the Government to address issues faced by the community despite a Private Member?s Bill submitted by MP Premnath Dolawatte.

Issuing a statement, the LGBTQI+ community of Sri Lanka and their allies?welcomed the Private Member?s Bill by Dolawatte to decriminalise same sex sexual activity between consenting adults by amending sections 365 and 365A of the Penal Code.

However, the LGBTQI community noted that the Bill comes amid a number of disturbing developments that directly impact the LGBTQI+ Sri Lankans.

The Government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe is engaged in a systematic campaign to arrest and detain protestors involved in the aragalaya protests. This has been carried out the Emergency Regulations and, most alarmingly, the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). This crackdown seemingly aims to intimidate and silence Sri Lankans who have been voicing dissent against the Government, including LGBTQI+ Sri Lankans. They now face arbitrary questioning, arrest and detention by law enforcement authorities, including
authorities wholly untrained in criminal procedure, putting LGBTQI+ people in a particularly vulnerable situation,” the statement said.

The statement noted that a number of LGBTQI+ Sri Lankans are now in hiding and in legitimate fear for their safety.

“The Government is also attempting to put a ?progressive? spin on its repression by directly using the LGBTQI+ community. It has thus far removed sections 365 and 365A from the Emergency Regulations, through the amended Regulations No. 2291/43 of August 5, 2022. The Government presented this as evidence of its liberal credentials to Sri Lankans and the international community. Yet, the very same amended Regulations introduced host of new Penal Code offences subject to stronger search, arrest and detention powers,” the statement added.

The statement said that the latest developments raise the genuine concern that the Private Member?s Bill has been introduced right now simply to further whitewash the Government?s repression.

To allay these concerns, LGBTQI+ urged both MP Dolawatte and the Government to pass this Bill urgently within the minimum possible time period under Parliamentary procedure.

The LGBTQI+ community said that if the Bill is not signed immediately then they will be forced to conclude that both Dolawatte and the Government have no sincere commitment to the LGBTQI+ community and are only interested in using it to sustain a frightening campaign of repression. (Colombo Gazette)