Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called an emergency meeting of a key parliamentary body to review prison rules governing the attire of detained Buddhist monks and clergy of other faiths.
In a letter sent to the Committee Chairperson through the Speaker on 10 October 2026, the Opposition Leader called for an immediate session of the Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committee on Governance, Justice and Civil Protection.
He highlighted growing public concern over the enforcement of Department of Prisons Standing Order Number 550, which dictates how religious leaders in custody are dressed while serving sentences and during transfers outside prison facilities.
Premadasa noted that the government had failed to take swift, constructive action to resolve the escalating dispute, resulting in widespread public distress.
He emphasised that parliament bears a direct responsibility to re-examine existing statutory provisions and formulate necessary legal amendments.
To ensure a comprehensive review, the Opposition Leader requested that officials from the Ministry of Justice and National Integration, the Ministry of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs, the Department of Prisons, and the Attorney General's Department be summoned for the initial hearing.
Highlighting the national sensitivity of the matter, Premadasa also requested special authorization to attend the committee proceedings as a non-member so he could directly submit policy proposals aimed at resolving the crisis.
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