Democracy Reporting Inteational (DRI) Sri Lanka is supporting civil society to counter the country’s shrinking civic space. The ultimate goal is to overcome the country’s challenges to fundamental freedoms and liberties.
As part of this effort,DRI Sri Lanka organised a regional forum on 14 June in Colombo with the participation of civil society activists from Bangladesh,India,Myanmar,and Pakistan to share experiences,knowledge,and ideas on the threats to freedom of expression (online and offline),association,and assembly in their respective countries.
Local civil society representatives from Galle,Mullaitivu and Puttalam also shared their first-hand experience in dealing with the existing legal and administrative system that undermines civic and democratic space at the district level in Sri Lanka.
The Director General of the NGO Secretariat,along with officials from the Office on Missing Persons,and the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation,participated in the regional meeting. The forum provided a platform for the representatives of Sri Lanka civil society and the Director General of the NGO Secretariat to constructively engage on various key issues,including the proposed anti-terrorism bill,NGO Tax,proposed voluntary social services organisations’ legislation,etc.
The forum was well received by the participants and was conducted in hybrid mode to ensure wider reach. DRI Sri Lanka provided simultaneous translation in English,Sinhala and Tamil.