INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightAFPImage caption
Inmates at Colombo jail - nearly 1,300 prisoners are on death row in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka has begun a search for two executioners with "strong moral character" as part of a crackdown on drug smuggling.The job,
advertised in the state-run Daily News paper, pays 36,310 rupees ($158; $203) a month
Capital punishment is legal in Sri Lanka but no executions have taken place since 1976.The country has struggled to find a permanent
executioner after its last hangman resigned five years ago.The dedicated role is open to any Sri Lankan males aged 18-45 who possess "mental
strength."The last hangman resigned in 2014 after seeing the gallows for the first time and going into shock
Another was hired last year but never turned up for work.Sri Lanka has nearly 1,300 people currently on death row, 48 for drug-related
offences.The country's constitution recognises the freedom of individuals to engage in "any lawful occupation, profession, trade, business
or enterprise".Since 2004 rape, drug trafficking and murder have been considered capital crimes but punishments have only extended to life
imprisonment.Image caption
Sri Lanka has struggled to find a hangman since its one of its recruits resigned in 2014,
going into shock after being shown the gallows for the first time.
On 7 February, President Maithripala Sirisena told
parliament that he would authorise the death penalty "within the next two months" for those jailed on drugs charges.During a visit to the
Philippines in January, President Sirisena praised President Rodrigo Duterte, for his campaign against drugs, calling it "an example to the
world." More than 5,000 drug dealers or users have been killed, according to Filipino police, since Mr Duterte launched his anti-narcotics
campaign in 2016.President Sirisena announced in July 2018 that hangings would resume for drug offenders, citing a rise in arrests for drugs
offences in the country.Sri Lanka's Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe has criticised the move.According to the National Dangerous Drugs
Control Board (NDDCB), drug-related arrests have risen steadily since 2013
Cannabis and heroin are the most widely-used drugs in Sri Lanka, and authorities have expressed concerns that the island nation could become
a major transit point for traffickers in Asia.Police have arrested more than 50 people on trafficking charges since the middle of last year.
