📜 Legal Recognition and Forest Access Granted to Sri Lanka’s Indigenous Communities

• Government Initiative: Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya announced new measures to grant legal identification and formal recognition to Sri Lanka’s Indigenous communities during World Indigenous Peoples’ Day 2026. • Key Policy Actions: • An Extraordinary Gazette has been signed under the Ministry of Environment to register Indigenous communities and issue legal identity documents. • Provisions allow official entry into forests to sustain traditional livelihoods, cultural practices, and daily activities. • Legislative Progress: • The long-awaited Indigenous Peoples Bill has been formally submitted to the Cabinet. • Cabinet discussions on the proposed legislation are scheduled to commence this week following intervention by the Minister of Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs. • Background: The framework addresses longstanding representations made by Indigenous Leader Uruwarige Wannila Aththo to safeguard rights, traditional heritage, and socio-economic integration.