Sri Lanka
As of February 2026, Sri Lanka is at a critical juncture under the administration of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake. While the country has emerged from the peak of its 2022 economic collapse, the human rights landscape is currently dominated by a struggle between the government's promises of "system change" and the introduction of sweeping new security laws that critics say mirror previous repressive regimes.
1. The "Security Paradox": PTA vs. PSTA
The most urgent human rights debate in early 2026 centers on the government's attempt to fulfill its promise to abolish the notorious Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The New Law (PSTA): In December 2025, the government published the Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA) to replace the PTA.
The Criticism: While marketed as a reform, international watchdogs like Human Rights Watch and the UN have warned that the PSTA retains (and in some cases expands) abusive powers. It allows for arbitrary detention for up to two years without charge and gives the President sweeping authority to proscribe organizations.
Continued Abuse: Despite reform talk, the PTA was used throughout 2025 to detain activists and journalists. In August 2025, a journalist was investigated under terror laws for reporting on a mass grave excavation.
2. Digital Rights and the Online Safety Act (OSA)
Since its full implementation in 2024 and 2025, the Online Safety Act has fundamentally altered the digital landscape in Sri Lanka.
Chilling Effect: A 2025 study found that 45% of social media content creators engaged in self-censorship to avoid the Act's vague "prohibited statements" clause.
The Commission: The Act established an Online Safety Commission appointed solely by the President. As of 2026, it has the power to order the removal of content it deems "defamatory" or "false," with non-compliance leading to imprisonment.
Electoral Integrity: Critics have raised alarms in early 2026 that the OSA is being used to disrupt political satire and opposition campaigns ahead of upcoming local polls.
3. LGBTQ+ Rights: Decriminalization Stalled
Sri Lanka is currently in a "legal limbo" regarding the rights of the queer community.
Section 365/365A: Colonial-era laws criminalizing "unnatural offenses" remain on the books. While the Supreme Court ruled in 2023 that a bill to decriminalize gay sex was not unconstitutional, Parliament has failed to pass it as of February 2026.
The "Binary" Ruling: In May 2025, the Supreme Court delivered a blow by ruling that a "Gender Equality Bill" was inconsistent with the Constitution, arguing that recognizing "different gender identities" would violate cultural and moral norms.
Vagrants Ordinance: Police continue to use the 1841 Vagrants Ordinance to harass and detain trans women and sex workers, often without formal charges.
4. Economic Rights and Malnutrition
The human rights impact of the 2022 crisis continues to be felt by the most vulnerable populations.
The IMF Burden: To maintain the $3 billion IMF bailout, the government has increased regressive sales taxes (VAT) and cut electricity subsidies. HRW reports from late 2025 indicate this has shifted the burden of recovery onto low-income families.
Child Malnutrition: As of 2026, nearly one-third of Sri Lankan children remain malnourished, a staggering statistic that UN experts link directly to the high cost of food staples and inadequate social spending floors.
Women in the Economy: While Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya has urged women to lead reform efforts (February 2026), they remain disproportionately affected by the crisis, facing the lowest wages in the tea and garment sectors and rising unpaid care burdens.
5. Accountability and "Conflict-Related" Violence
Impunity: In January 2026, the OHCHR released a brief highlighting "entrenched impunity" for conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). Decades after the civil war ended, survivors still lack a credible domestic justice mechanism.
Mass Graves: The discovery of several mass graves in the North and East during 2025 has put renewed pressure on the state to allow international forensic oversight, which the government has so far resisted in favor of a domestic "reconciliation" model.