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| Sri Lanka President Maithripala Sirisena and President Rodrigo Duterte of the Philippines. Images combined credit to The Hindu and Journal Online |
In awe of the phenomenal success, Sri Lanka
announced on July 11 that their country would “replicate the success” of the
drug war in the Philippines spearheaded by President Rodrigo Duterte.
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| Sri Lanka spokesman of the president, Rajitha Seneratne. Image credit to www.ejinsight.com |
"We were told that the Philippines has
been successful in deploying the army and dealing with this problem. We will
try to replicate their success," he said. Sri Lanka spokesman of the
president, Rajitha Seneratne said.
After almost five decades, the country will
bring back capital punishment to solve the crime and illegal drug problem in
their nation.
"From now on, we will hang drug
offenders without commuting their death sentences," Senaratne said.
He also announced that Sri Lanka President Maithripala
Sirisena is “ready to sign the death warrants” of repeat drug offenders and use
a military arm in dealing with drug crime.
Seneratne disclosed that there were 19 drug
criminals who has commuted to life. It is still unclear whether they will be
hanged now that capital punishment is reinstated into their government’s
policy.
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| Maithripala Sirisena signing. Image credit to www.telo.org |
Dissenting international opinion from
Amnesty International urged the government not to pursue its policy shift.
"Sri Lanka must pull back from any
plans to implement the death penalty and preserve its longstanding positive
record on shunning this cruel and irreversible punishment," it said.
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| Maithripala Sirisena and Xi Jinping. Image credit to Asian Tribune |
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| Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Visit South Korea. Image credit to www.Zimbio.com |
However, the Sri Lankan government asserts
that they need to make a tougher approach against drug-related crimes to end
it.
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Source: GMA
