INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
A five-member committee has been appointed to investigate into the recent incident of several inmates escaping the Kandakadu Treatment and
Rehabilitation Centre following a clash that occurred among the detainees.The committee was appointed by Minister of Justice Wijeyadasa
Rajapakshe.Accordingly, the relevant committee, headed by the Supreme Court Judge Hector Yapa, has been instructed to launch an
investigation regarding the matter and provide necessary recommendations within a period of 03 weeks.The other members of the committee are
also decided to carry out a special investigation into the individuals who are allegedly hindering the process of rehabilitation.The
Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre.The large-scale drug traffickers are reportedly experiencing a shortage of heroin drugs within the
coutry and also lack individuals for the transportation of drugs, as a result of the special police operations carried out across the island
in order to crack down the drug networks.The drug addicts who are arrested during drug raids are usually referred to the rehabilitation
centres including Kandakadu and Senapura treatment and rehabilitation centres.At certain instances, it has been observed that the detainees
of the rehabilitation centres stage demonstrations over various demands and on some occasions, inmates have escaped from the rehabilitation
centres during such instances.During the preliminary investigations carried out regarding the matter, it has been revealed that the
large-scale drug traffickers are manipulating the inmates to create such tense situations within the rehabilitation centres.Against this
backdrop, the Office of the Commissioner General of Rehabilitation has taken measures to initiate an extended investigation into all the
inmates detained at the rehabilitation centres island-wide.The office also highlighted that once the relevant investigations are completed,
legal action will be taken against the inmates found responsible for such incidents, after removing them from the relevant rehabilitation
centres.Meanwhile, over 30 international human rights organizations including the Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the
Sri Lanka leading to significant human rights violations.Issuing a joint statement, the 33 international organizations demand the Sri Lankan
that the use of violence to discipline and punish has been reported in at least two compulsory drug rehabilitation centres which are within
its visit to Sri Lanka 2017expressing concern regarding the involvement of military personnel in drug treatment and rehabilitation, the fact
that strenuous physical exercise was the core component of compulsory drug treatment, and at the lack of trained professionals to monitor
the health of people in detention.Through the statement, it was also demanded to immediately release persons arrested or sent to compulsory
drug rehabilitation for using drugs/having a drug dependence, cease involving the armed forces in drug control and treatment activities as
consistent with human rights law, repeal laws that allow compulsory drug rehabilitation, close compulsory treatment centres and release
persons presently held at the centres within the purview of the Bureau of Commissioner General for Rehabilitation.
