The Sri Lankan cabinet has reportedly approved a special provisions bill that will allow the involvement of the Sri Lankan armed forces in drug enforcement across the island.
The bill, a joint proposal by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Minister of Law and Order Ranjith Madduma Bandara, will see an increased military involvement in drug prevention activities.
“We were told that the Philippines has been successful in deploying the army and dealing with this problem. We will try to replicate their success,” said Sri Lankan government spokesperson Rajitha Senaratne.
The move comes after the Sri Lankan president pledged to sign orders to execute the death penalty on the island, as he said “some social websites and use of illegal drugs have caused an increase in murders and rapes”.
The Sri Lankan military continues to have a massive presence on the Tamil North-East of the island, where tens of thousands of troops remain stationed and heavily involved in civilian activities in the region.
