Is the Sri Lankan government's crackdown on drug crime effective? Would a regional approach yield better results?
In her article, 'Sri Lanka's anti-drug operation reveals deep cracks', Shyamika Jayasundara-Smits takes a closer look at Sri Lanka's drug issue and the government's response.
Sri Lanka is facing a significant drug issue, particularly among adults and school children.
Jayasundara-Smits argues that despite national and international prevention efforts, a regional approach is needed, with increased collaboration between the Sri Lankan Attorney General's Department and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
She describes the mixed results that the Sri Lankan government's crackdown on drug-related crime has yielded. She highlights its heavy-handed, rights-violating approach and its disproportionate focus on impoverished users and small-time offenders, noting that it seemingly ignores rich consumers and major criminals, thus raising doubts about the operation's effectiveness.
- Assistant professor