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Govt. backtracks on LGBTQI tourism push, corporal punishment ban
View(s):In the wake of strong criticism from the Buddhist and Catholic clergy, the government is backtracking on amending the laws dealing with corporal punishment and distancing itself from Sri Lanka Tourism’s support for a programme to promote LGBTQI tourism in the country.
Both issues came to a head this week when President Anura Kumara Dissanayake was away in the US and Japan along with Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath, who is also the Minister of Tourism.
The Mahanayake Theras of the three Nikayas and Colombo’s Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith have spoken out strongly against the promotion of LGBTQI tourism as well as the ill effects of amending the Penal Code on corporal punishment.
The president, who called on the Mahanayakes of the Malwatte and Asgiriya Chapters on Friday, reassured them that the government’s plan for tourism promotion in the country would be confined to showcasing its rich cultural heritage, its natural wonders and its hospitable population.
On the amendments to the Penal Code, the President said the bill had been debated in Parliament but not passed, and hence there was room for further amendments.
The Penal Code (Amendment) Bill was taken up for debate on September 24, and the debate was adjourned for another day.
Prime Minister Harini Amarasuirya, who is also the Minister of Education and Higher Education, also assured that the new law on corporal punishment would not infringe on the rights of teachers or parents and was only meant to safeguard children who face abuse.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Vijitha Herath, who spoke at the Tourism Leaders’ Summit at the Tourism Expo 2026 at the BMICH on Thursday, said the government had no intention of promoting LGBTQI tourism and degrading the quality of the tourism industry.
“Promoting LGBTQ tourism is not the policy of the government, and we do not discriminate against any particular group of tourists. We treat them all equally,” he said.
The President, in his election manifesto, pledged to revise discriminatory laws, including Penal Code sections 365 and 365(a) that prohibit same-sex relations, and increase access to state services such as healthcare, legal assistance, social protection, and justice for the LGBTQ+ communities.
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