The Government has recently appointed a group of civil activists to Prison Monitoring Committees, a move that has triggered public discussion after popular model and actress Stephanie Siriwardhana was named as a prison monitoring officer.
Siriwardhana is a well-known figure in Sri Lanka’s arts and entertainment sector. She won the Sri Lanka beauty queen title in 2011 and was crowned Miss Asia in 2013.
Her appointment to a prison oversight role — within what is widely regarded as a complex and sensitive institutional system — has drawn significant attention on social media, with some questioning the suitability of a public figure from the arts sector for such a position.
Amid the debate, retired Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police Champika Siriwardhana, who is also Siriwardhana’s uncle, issued a detailed statement on social media defending the appointment and outlining her long-standing involvement in prison-related welfare work.
In his post, Champika Siriwardhana said that his niece had been actively engaged in prison welfare initiatives for more than a decade, well before her recent appointment.
“Stephanie Siriwardhana is my brother’s daughter. For more than ten years, even prior to this appointment, she has met prison commissioners and visited prisons to support incarcerated women. She has worked to uplift their mental wellbeing and has personally provided essential items, particularly sanitary products, as well as equipment for vocational training programmes,” he said.
He further noted that she had organised musical programmes for inmates and had used her own personal funds to secure the release of impoverished women who were imprisoned for minor offences due to their inability to pay fines.
“Despite the various opinions being expressed about this appointment, she has voluntarily worked to identify issues faced by incarcerated women and to discuss these matters with authorities in order to find solutions,” he said.
Champika Siriwardhana added that the question of whether such an appointment was appropriate should ultimately be decided by the public, urging commentators to remain impartial and non-political.
“I request that people refrain from making statements that amount to the character assassination of a young woman who has done no wrong,” he said.
