Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission letter to the Ministry of Public Security

15-Aug-2025

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The observations and recommendations of the Commission should be obtained at the earliest stage in respect of any proposed law that has the potential to affect fundamental rights. 

Accordingly, the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission on August 14 requested the Ministry of Public Security to send it a copy of the draft Bill on non-governmental organisations as soon as possible.

In this regard, the Chairperson of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, L.R.B. Dehideniya, has written to the Secretary of the Ministry of Public Security, D.W.R.B. Senewiratne, stating further:
"We are writing to you regarding the draft Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Monitoring) Bill prepared with the participation of your Ministry. It is understood that the primary objective of this draft Bill is to provide for the registration and monitoring of non-governmental organisations and to repeal the Voluntary Social Service Organisations (Registration and Supervision) Act No. 31 of 1980.
In this context, under Section 10(c) of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka Act No. 21 of 1996, we request that a copy of the draft Bill on non-governmental organisations be provided to us so that we can carry out our mandate.
You may be aware that some of the observations and recommendations made by our Commission on the State of Emergency Bill were incorporated into the proposals submitted to the Supreme Court by the Attorney General. Similarly, the Commission can only make observations and recommendations on the Non-Governmental Organisations (Registration and Monitoring) Bill after it has been published in the Gazette by your Ministry."

However, in general, the observations and recommendations of the Commission on any proposed law that has the potential to affect fundamental rights should be obtained at the earliest stage.

In this background, the letter emphasises that a copy of the draft Bill on non-governmental organisations should be shared with the Commission as soon as possible.