Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka experienced decades of conflict involving a non-state armed group from 1983 to 2009.1 As of 2022, reports state that armed violence and human rights violations persist in the country.2 Due to this instability, Sri Lanka continues to have high levels of weapons and ammunition trafficking.3 The protracted nature of the conflict also contributed to the high number of landmines and unexploded ordnance left on its territory.4
The UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Asia and the Pacific (UNRCPD), the Mines Advisory Groupe (MAG) and Nonviolence International are working on the ground to support the through-life management of ammunition, in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence of Sri Lanka. Efforts have included conducting assessments of the status of national ammunition stockpiles, evaluating national capacities to manage ammunitions in compliance with international guidelines, encouraging the sharing of effective ammunition management practices among national authorities, building and upgrading ammunition storage areas, and providing physical security and stockpile management training.5
1 Nithyani Anandakugan, “The Sri Lankan Civil War and Its History, Revisited in 2020,” Harvard International Review, August 31, 2020, https://hir.harvard.edu/sri-lankan-civil-war/.
2 “World Report 2022: Sri Lanka Events of 2021,” Human Rights Watch, accessed June 28, 2022. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2022/country-chapters/sri-lanka.
3 Philip Alpers and Michael Picard, Sri Lanka – Gun Facts, Figures and the Law (GunPolicy.org, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, 2022) https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/sri-lanka.
4 Nicholas Muller, “Sri Lanka's Landmine Legacy,” The Diplomat, January 28, 2020, https://thediplomat.com/2020/01/sri-lankas-landmine-legacy/.
5 “Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP),” GICHD, 2022, https://a-map.gichd.org.
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, numerous accidental explosions have been reported in Sri Lanka.
Table 1. Accidental explosions in Sri Lanka (1979–2021)
Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
2016 | Colombo | State (military) | 1 | 47 |
2011 | Weerawila | State (military) | 0 | 1 |
2010 | Karadiyanaru | State (police) | 27 | 52 |
2010 | Vavuniya | State (military) | 0 | 3 |
2009 | Jaffna | State (military) | N/A | N/A |
2009 | Kilinochchi | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
2009 | Vavuniya | State (military) | N/A | N/A |
2006 | Allai-Kantalai | State (military) | 35 | N/A |
2006 | Kalutura | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
2002 | Kankesanturai | N/A | 0 | 0 |
1999 | N/A | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
1998 | Vavuniya | State (police) | 2 | N/A |
Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.
Cases of diversion
Several cases of diversion have been reported since 2016 in Sri Lanka.
Table 2. Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition and explosives in Sri Lanka since 2016
Year | Location | Description |
2019 | Batticaloa | A gun was stolen from policemen in Batticaloa. |
2017 | Wasgamuwa | Several weapons, including a T-56 firearm, were stolen from the armoury of the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). |
2016 | Laggala | A T-56 assault rifle and five revolvers were stolen from the Laggala Police Station. |
Source: “Firearms Stolen from Wasgamuwa National Park's Armory,” Times Online, September 22, 2017, https://www.timesonline.lk/news/firearms-stolen-from-wasgamuwa-national-parks-armory/18-1031776; “Weapons Stolen from Police Station Recovered,” Department of Government Information Sri Lanka, April 17, 2016, https://www.news.lk/news/business/item/13009-weapons-stolen-from-police-station-recovered; “Sri Lanka- Two Cops Assaulted, One Gun Stolen in Batticaloa,” MENAFN - Colombo Gazette, April 7, 2019, https://menafn.com/1098722316/Sri-Lanka-Two-cops-assaulted-one-gun-stolen-in-Batticaloa.
Disposal
Insufficient information on the disposal of ammunition in Sri Lanka.
Needs
No needs have been reported for Sri Lanka.
Source: Sri Lanka, National Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) (New York: Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka to the UN, 2008), https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/poa-reports-le/2008%40179%40Sri%20Lanka.pdf.
