Prisoners killed in Sri Lanka are COVID-19 patients

Amnesty International said issuing a statement on killing of prisoners in Sri Lanka that prison authorities should ensure an end to the use of unlawful and excessive force against prisoners agitating against their detention conditions during the outbreak of COVID-19 within prisons. "Ensure that force is only ever used against prisoners where it is strictly necessary and proportionate to a legitimate objective," the statement said. 

"The incident at Mahara Prison Complex is the third time this year that lethal force has been used against prison inmates in Sri Lanka since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the country. In March, two prisoners were killed and several others injured in Anuradhapura prison in North Central Province, following a protest related to COVID-19. On 18 November, a prisoner was shot dead while trying to escape from Bogambara Prison in Central Province, where more than 100 inmates had tested positive for COVID-19," the statement further said.

Prisons Commissioner of Sri Lanka Thushara Upuldeniya said to media that nine of the 11 prisoners killed in Mahara prison had been COVID-19 positive. The reports of the PCR tests conducted on the dead bodies revealed this and the reports of the other two deceased are to be received. The unrest in Mahara prison started with the demand of the prisoners to conduct PCR tests and to treat the patients. 

Sri Lanka's prisons are about three-fold overcrowded and the remanded prisoners in many prisons agitate demanding bail, PCR tests and quarantine. The COVID-19 cluster in prisons has exceeded 1,000 now but the number of PCR tests is still low. 

The prison authorities say that prisoners in Mahara rioted, attempted to escape, set ablaze the record room and other buildings, took two officials hostage and the prison officers shot at the prisoners to control them.

By now, 11 prisoners have been killed and more than 100 prisoners have been injured due to the attacks on November 29, according to prison sources. Deputy Director of Ragama Hospital Dr. Sarath Premasiri said on November 30 that the condition of 10 of the prisoners was critical. Three prisoners of them have already died now.

Many of the patients are COVID-19 positive. The agitation started with the demand of the prisoners to conduct PCR tests and quarantine them. A large number of naked prisoners were seen transported in hired buses out of the prison yesterday. The prisoners said to the relatives who had gathered near the prison that they had been transported somewhere for quarantine. 

Wives, mothers, children, siblings and other relatives of the prisoners were seen weeping near the prison and Ragama hospital pleading police and other officials to inform them of the plight of their loved ones. 

Some women were shown on television channels begging the authorities to stop shooting the prisoners. In one scene, a video showed the shock of a young mother carrying a baby when she heard police announced the death of her husband.

The slain prisoners are not convicted and they are only suspects. 

Cyclone Burevi: Indian Meteorological Department issues RED warning

Under the influence of the potential cyclone Burevi, widespread rainfall is forecast across Sri Lanka, Tamil Nadu, South Andhra Pradesh and Kerala between Tuesday and Friday with a likelihood of isolated extremely heavy rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday.

Indian Meteorological Department forecast very heavy rains across Tamil Nadu and Kerala. While both the states have been kept under a ‘red warning’ by the IMD for Thursday, an ‘orange alert’ is also in place from Tuesday to Friday.

"The IMD’s red warning urges residents and authorities to take action, while an orange alert recommends residents to ‘be prepared’. In particular, the districts of Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Tenkasi, Ramanathapuram and Sivaganaga from Tamil Nadu and Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Alappuzha from Kerala are under a red warning for Wednesday and Thursday," reported weather.com.

Meteorological Department of Sri Lanka issued the following statement: 

WEATHER FORECAST FOR 02nd DECEMBER 2020 Issued at 12.00 noon on 01st December 2020 

The deep depression is expected to intensify further into a cyclonic storm and very likely to cross Sri Lanka. Due to this situation, the rainy and windy condition is expected to enhance considerably over the island. The depression area in the south-east Bay of Bengal has concentrated into a deep depression and lay centred 500 km southeast to Trincomalee at 1130 hrs today (01st December). The system is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours. The system is very likely to move west-northwestwards and cross eastern coast of Sri Lanka between Batticaloa and Point-Pedro around tomorrow (02nd December) evening/night. Intermittent showers/thundershowers will occur in the Eastern, Northern, Northern-central, North-western, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Very heavy rainfall above 200mm can be expected at some places. Showers or thundershowers at times will occur elsewhere. Heavy rainfall above 100mm can be expected at some places. Very strong gusty winds (80-90) kmph can be expected in Northern, North-Central, Eastern, North-Western, Western, Central and Sabaragamuwa provinces. Strong gusty winds (60-70) kmph can be expected elsewhere.

Sri Lankan Minister who is responsible for prison mismanagement given another title

Sri Lanka Minister of Prison Reforms and Prisoners' Rehabilitation Sudarshani Fernandopulle who is responsible for prison mismanagement in Sri Lanka was given a new title immediately after at least eight prisoners were killed in an incident in Mahara Prison of Sri Lanka. 

Accordingly, Fernandopulle was sworn in as State Minister of Primary Health Services, Pandemics and COVID Prevention on 30th November 2020 before President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. 

Sri Lanka's prisons are around three-fold overcrowded and the remanded prisoners in many prisons agitate demanding bail, PCR tests and quarantine. The COVID-19 cluster in prisons have exceeded 1,000 now but the number of PCR tests is still low. 

The basic demand of the prisoners in Mahara prison was conducting PCR tests. The prison authorities say that prisoners rioted, attempted to escape, set ablaze the record room and other buildings, took two officials hostage and the prison officers shot at the prisoners to control them. 

Eight prisoners were killed and more than 60 prisoners were hospitalized, prison sources say. Deputy Director of Ragama Hospital Dr. Sarath Premasiri said that the condition of 10 of the prisoners was critical. Many of the patients are COVID-19 positive. The agitation started with the demand of the prisoners to conduct PCR tests and quarantine them. 

A large number of naked prisoners were seen transported in hired buses out of the prison yesterday. The prisoners said to the relatives who had gathered near the prison that they had been transported somewhere for quarantine. 

Wives, mothers, children, siblings and other relatives of the prisoners were seen weeping near the prison and Ragama hospital pleading police and other officials to inform them of the plight of their loved ones. Some women were shown on television channels begging the authorities to stop shooting the prisoners. 

In one scene, a video showed the shock of a young mother carrying a baby when she heard police announced the death of her husband. 

Sudarshani Fernandopulle was a Consultant Community Physician before she entered into politics after Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam killed her husband Jeyaraj Fernandopulle in 2008. 

She was seen breaking the chair of Speaker in the parliament during the parliament riots on  November 16, 2020.

Sri Lanka government decides to release suspects of possessing less than 2g of drugs

Sri Lanka government has decided to consider the suspects of cases of possessing less than two grams of heroin as drug addicts and to grant them bail, fine or rehabilitate them as a measure to reduce the congestion in prisons.

Minister of Prison Reforms and Prisoners' Rehabilitation Sudarshani Fernandopulle further stated that over 7,000 drug-related convicts and suspects are in Sri Lanka's overcrowded prisons now. In the prisons built for about 12,000 prisoners, over 30,000 have been housed. 

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 cluster in prisons has exceeded 1,000 now. Prisoners under stress try to escape or agitate seeking release. 

Asanka Gurusingha appointed as head coach of Nigeria

Sri Lankan cricket veteran Asanka Gurusinha who was a key player in the World Cup-winning team in 1996, will be appointed from December 1st, 2020 as the head coach and high-performance manager of Nigeria, Nigeria Cricket Federation announced. 

Gurusingha, 54, has an 11-year international career, playing 41 Tests and 147 One Day Internationals for Sri Lanka. 

Sri Lanka returns 106 containers of waste to UK

"As of last week, the Sri Lankan importers returned 106 containers to the UK because the recyclable goods were unrecyclable," Forbes reported on 29th November 2020. 

The website further said, "Sri Lanka complained that of the 263 recyclable waste containers that came to them from the UK in October, about 10% of them had more inside than what they asked for — including medical waste and unrecyclable materials." 

At least one prisoner killed in Sri Lanka's Mahara prison

At least one prisoner was shot dead while some others were injured in Mahara prison in Sri Lanka's Gampaha district. The authorities claim the shooting has taken place due to an escape attempt. 

Remand prisoners in congested prisons in Sri Lanka agitate demanding release on bail. The chaos continued in Mahara prison in the evening. Police Special Task Force was deployed for suppression.