The government has announced new measures to provide legal identification and formal recognition to Indigenous communities, including an Extraordinary Gazette notification and a long-pending Indigenous Peoples Bill submitted to Cabinet.
Sri Lanka's Indigenous communities will receive legal identification and formal recognition under measures announced by Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya at World Indigenous Peoples' Day celebrations held at the Indigenous Heritage Museum in Dambana. The government has signed an Extraordinary Gazette notification addressing key concerns affecting these communities, according to the Prime Minister's statement.
The announced measures include the registration of Indigenous communities, issuance of legal identification documents, and provisions permitting Indigenous people to access forests as part of their traditional occupations and daily activities. Dr. Amarasuriya stated that these steps aim to provide lasting solutions to longstanding issues faced by Indigenous communities while enabling them to protect their rights and cultural practices.
In a significant development, the long-awaited Indigenous Peoples Bill has been submitted to Cabinet for consideration, with discussions expected to begin this week. Indigenous leader Uruwarige Wannila Aththo and community members have pursued legislative protections through successive governments over several years without achieving results until now. The Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Minister Dr. Hiniduma Sunil Senevi's intervention facilitated the bill's submission to Cabinet.
The government framed these developments as addressing long-standing concerns over Indigenous rights and their traditional way of life, representing a formal commitment to legal protections for communities whose status has previously lacked statutory recognition.
