Justice Minister Harshana Nanayakkara has pushed back against a claim made by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk that a bill to decriminalise same-sex relationships is currently under consideration in Sri Lanka’s Parliament, The Sunday Times reported.
Türk, addressing journalists at the conclusion of his four-day visit to the island, remarked, “I welcome the decriminalisation of same-sex relationships bill, which I understand is before Parliament.”
But Minister Nanayakkara was quick to correct the record. Speaking shortly after the briefing, he clarified that no such bill is officially before Parliament, nor is it listed on the Justice Ministry’s legislative agenda. “There is no bill in any official stage with any confirmed timelines,” he stated, effectively distancing the government from immediate action on the issue.
Decriminalising same-sex relationships in Sri Lanka would require amendments to the country’s Penal Code, which still carries colonial-era provisions criminalising homosexual acts. Though successive governments have hinted at reform, the process has remained stalled.
Despite the Justice Minister’s statement, the current ruling coalition has not always been silent on LGBTQ+ rights. While in opposition, its members voiced support for reform efforts. In June last year, then-MP and current Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya publicly supported a private member’s bill introduced by MP Premnath Dolawaththa, pledging her party’s backing for the bill’s third reading. That bill, however, lapsed with the dissolution of Parliament ahead of the general election.
President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has also made LGBTQ+ equality part of his political platform. During his 2019 presidential bid, he became one of the first Sri Lankan candidates to openly promise to end discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.
Volker Türk’s remarks extended beyond LGBTQ+ rights. On the issue of accountability for wartime abuses, he reiterated long-standing international concerns. “Sri Lanka has struggled to move forward with domestic accountability mechanisms that are credible and have the trust and confidence of the victims,” he said, adding that many victims continue to seek justice outside the country due to a lack of effective local remedies.
Türk underscored that discussions with the Sri Lankan government included proposals for an independent prosecutor and a functioning domestic accountability system. His office, he said, has been tasked with gathering, preserving, and analysing evidence of rights violations, with a dedicated project already underway.
He affirmed the UN’s willingness to support Sri Lanka in building victim-centred justice processes informed by international standards. However, the path to reform—whether in human rights or equality—remains fraught with political complexity and institutional inertia. (Courtesy: The Sunday Times)
