The UN human rights office criticized the Sri Lankan government’s ongoing anti-drug campaign on Friday, citing extensive allegations of abuse by the authorities and leading to the apprehension of over 30,000 suspects.
Police in the South Asian nation have said the arrests were made since the operation code-named “Yuktiya” (Justice) in mid-December, part of a pledge to get illegal drugs off the streets by the end of June.
Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, is urging Sri Lanka’s government to review the operation and implement a rights-based approach to combatting illicit drugs.
“Security forces have reportedly conducted raids without search warrants, detaining suspected drug sellers and users, with hundreds sent to military- run rehabilitation centres,” a spokeswoman for Turk told journalists.
People have reportedly been subjected to a number of rights violations, including unauthorised searches, arbitrary arrests and detention, ill- treatment, public strip searches, and torture.
“While drug use presents a serious challenge to society, a heavy-handed law enforcement approach is not the solution,” the spokeswoman said.
“Abuse of drugs and the factors that lead to it are first and foremost public health and social issues,” she added. “People suspected of selling or trafficking drugs are entitled to humane treatment, with full respect for due process and transparent, fair trials.”
She added that police personnel had intimidated attorneys representing detained suspects.
According to Sri Lankan authorities, the operation resulted in the seizure of around 800 kg (1,760 pounds) of drugs, including 70 kg of heroin and 340 kg of cannabis.
Authorities think the island in the Indian Ocean is being exploited as a hub for drug trafficking.
However, on December 31, authorities said that during a drug bust at a hotel as part of the “Yuktiya” operation, soldiers opened fire on an undercover squad, killing one officer and seriously wounding another.
One rights activist, Ambika Satkunanathan, has posted on social media that the searches are not based on evidence but are “targeting only poor areas”.
The police were arresting drug users and small-time dealers but “not focusing on large-scale traffickers”, she said.
