by Our Correspondent in Colombo
Three inmates have been killed and nearly 25 others injured following separate outbreaks of unrest at three prisons in Sri Lanka, prompting authorities to deploy security forces, use tear gas to restore order, and launch an investigation into what the government believes may have been a coordinated series of incidents.
The disturbances occurred at Colombo Magazine Prison, Kuruwita Prison and Pallansena Prison, with the most serious violence reported overnight on Wednesday and continuing into Thursday. Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ananda Wijepala told Parliament on Thursday that the situation at all three prisons had been brought under control and insisted that the incidents posed no threat to national security.
At Colombo Magazine Prison, unrest broke out on Wednesday night after more than 40 inmates reportedly broke out of their wards and behaved violently. Prison officers, assisted by the Special Task Force, intervened to restore order. One inmate who sustained injuries during the incident was admitted to hospital but died on Thursday morning. According to official accounts, around 10 to 12 other inmates were injured and are receiving treatment at the National Hospital.
Further violence erupted at Kuruwita Prison on Wednesday night, where two inmates were killed and 13 others injured. Prison authorities used tear gas in an effort to bring the situation under control. Reports also indicated that inmates damaged the prison hospital during the unrest. Although order was initially restored, prison sources said another disturbance broke out at the facility on Thursday morning at around 6.30 a.m.
Meanwhile, a separate protest unfolded at Pallansena Prison in Negombo, where around 30 inmates climbed onto the roof of a prison ward after refusing to return inside following breakfast. Police said several teams had been deployed to assist prison officials in managing the situation, which remained under control as authorities continued negotiations with the protesting inmates.
Addressing Parliament, Minister Wijepala said intelligence information had raised suspicions that the disturbances may have been planned rather than spontaneous. He said the unrest had first begun at Negombo Prison before spreading to other correctional facilities, adding that investigators were examining whether a broader conspiracy lay behind the coordinated incidents.
The minister identified drug trafficking and organised criminal networks as the most immediate factors linked to the disturbances, stating that the government had already taken measures to suppress such activities within the prison system. He said a full investigation had been launched to determine whether the incidents formed part of a deliberate effort to destabilise prison operations.
Despite the violence, Wijepala stressed that there was no threat to the country’s national security and assured Parliament that the government remained fully committed to protecting both inmates and prison officers. He said prison authorities were taking all necessary measures to restore order while avoiding further loss of life.
The minister also rejected suggestions that the incidents reflected a broader breakdown in public security, emphasising that the disturbances were confined to the prison system. He said all other prisons across the country remained under control and that security arrangements were being strengthened to prevent further unrest.
Wijepala further revealed that both short-term and long-term measures had been proposed to improve prison security and management. He also announced that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake had convened a meeting of relevant stakeholders on Thursday to review the incidents and discuss the government’s response.
The government has indicated that further details regarding the suspected coordinated nature of the disturbances will be released once the ongoing investigation is completed. Until then, officials say the priority remains safeguarding the lives of inmates, prison staff and the wider public while ensuring stability across Sri Lanka’s prison network.
