LGBTQ+ discrimination persists in Sri Lanka – DW – 06/25/2025

DW6 hours ago

LGBTQ+ Sri Lankans face violence, while promises by the government to repeal colonial-era laws remain unmet.
When 20-year-old Maya went to what he thought was a meeting with a Facebook acquaintance two months ago, it turned out to be a trap.
Maya described how he was met by four men who assaulted him for being gay.
"They said 'How can you be like this? This isn't legal in Sri Lanka,' and beat me," Maya told DW.
"I didn't go to the police, because there's no law, and they won't take any action."
Sri Lanka has not yet repealed sections 365 and 365A of the penal code, colonial-era laws that criminalize "carnal intercourse against the order of nature" and "acts of gross indecency."
Although the law broadly applies to all kinds of sexual activity with no reproductive nature, it has "overwhelmingly been used against the LGBT community," rights lawyer Aritha Wickramasinghe told DW.
Wickramasinghe works with iProbono, a global group of organizations providing free legal service to help people access their rights.
Many of Maya's friends have cut him off for being gay, he said, adding that hateful comments directed toward him have deeply affected him.
"When other people go and tell my family members, 'How can a man behave like this?' I feel really upset. I've even attempted suicide, that's how disturbed I was," Maya said.
Sri Lanka's colonial-era laws echo those once seen across Asia. Many countries have repealed these laws — notably India in 2018 and Singapore in 2022 — but Sri Lanka still lags behind.
Kannan Sathurshan, a 27-year-old performance artist, said he felt "trapped between society and the law, and unable to move forward" and was considering leaving Sri Lanka to live more openly with his boyfriend.
"As a gay man, I can't be open about who I am," he told DW. "There are younger people who look up to me as a role model, but when they see that even I'm not open about who I am, how will they be?"
Although the laws are not widely enforced, LGBTQ+ people in Sri Lanka continue to face discrimination in many aspects of life.
"Sri Lankans never had a problem with homosexuality," said Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, founder and director of the LGBTQ+ organization EQUAL GROUND.
"It was the British who brought this into our country, and it has been used by some politicians to vilify LGBTQI people in order to cause division within society," Flamer-Caldera said.
She told DW that Sri Lankan society had "come a long way" in the last 20 years, with far more public support for LGBTQ+ people. However, she also noted a rise in hateful rhetoric towards the LGBTQ+ community.
Wickramasinghe said that although the use of the law was going through its "quietest period," police officers continued to use it against LGBTQ+ people, contrary to reports that it was unenforced or dormant.
He said his organization had previously handled cases of forced anal and vaginal examinations of LGBTQ+ people being conducted by the police.
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Police media spokesperson Frederick Udayakumara Wootler told DW that consenting LGBTQ+ couples could not be prosecuted for having sex in private in the absence of a complaint that alleged a use of force or a lack of consent.
He said the message of sensitivity towards LGBTQ+ individuals had been conveyed "very clearly" to police officers through circulars and directives, and said, "there won't be any harassment against" LGBTQ+ individuals.
Sri Lanka's current government, led by leftist Anura Kumara Dissanayake, promised in their manifesto to repeal the laws that criminalize the LGBTQ+ community.
However, seven months after they won a supermajority in November's parliamentary elections, there has been no official action on the topic.
A private member's bill was put forward in 2023 by parliamentarian Premnath C. Dolawatte to repeal the colonial-era laws.
The same year, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court welcomed the move and said decriminalization would not be unconstitutional.
The court ruled that the decriminalization of sexual activity amongst consenting adults "only furthers human dignity and as such this cannot be considered as being an offence that must be maintained in the statute book."
Lawyer Wickramasinghe told DW the Human Rights Commission had also written to the government to ask them for decriminalization.
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Adhil Suraj, the executive director of the LGBTQ+ organization Equite, told DW the government's lack of action was "questionable."
He said Equite was planning to meet parliamentarians from the ruling National People's Power (NPP) alliance, opposition leaders and international stakeholders to advocate for decriminalization.
"We can't express ourselves as who we really are," he said. The law is a really bad barrier to day-to-day life on many levels — economically, socially, politically."
Maya believes that a change in the law will mean a change in attitudes both within the community and beyond.
"If there's a [change in the] law, boys won't be scared to talk to each other, fall in love or have sex. They'll be free and without fear," he said.
"I'm being open about this. Imagine how many people there are like me who can't talk about this openly."

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Serbia's students plan major rally after issuing 'ultimatum' – DW – 06/25/2025

2 hours ago

Serbia's students plan major rally after issuing 'ultimatum' – DW – 06/25/2025

Faced with mounting pressure from the authorities, Serbia's students have issued an "ultimatum" to the government to call snap elections and are urging citizens to continue the push for change. As Belgrade's asphalt shimmers in blistering 40-degree sunshine, the city is bracing for heat of a very different kind: Students have scheduled another major protest for Saturday. All eyes are on the Serbian capital, and both anticipation and uncertainty across the country are rising as students remain tight-lipped about their plans and the exact location and timing of the demonstration. The protest has the potential to be a turning point because the students have issued what they are calling an "ultimatum" to the Serbian government, demanding the announcement by 9 p.m. on June 28 that the government will ask the president to dissolve parliament, paving the way for snap elections. "Should the stated demands not be met within the given timeframe, we expect that the citizens of Serbia will be ready to take all available measures of civil disobedience to protect their basic right to a free and legitimate democratic system," the students wrote in an open letter to the Serbian government. The upcoming protest comes after eight months of protests, during which students and citizens have demanded political and criminal accountability for the collapse last November of the canopy at the entrance to Novi Sad Railway Station, which killed 16 people. The day chosen for the protest carries particular weight in Serbia. Vidovdan is a national and religious holiday that falls on June 28. Deeply rooted in Serbian history and mythology, it has often coincided with decisive events and historical turning points in the country's history such as the 1389 Battle of Kosovo and a number of pivotal political events in the 20th century. In the meantime, the government has increased pressure on universities. For four months now, university professors have been surviving on one-eighth of their salaries as the government refuses to pay salaries for the period during which classes were halted due to student blockades. The state insists that the unpaid salaries will only be paid once the missed classes have been made up. Universities are now scrambling to do that even as the blockades continue. While some have shifted to online lectures, others are distributing reading material and hoping that students will manage on their own. In institutions where practical skills are an essential part of the course, professors warn that these solutions are educationally and legally unacceptable. "This is clear to professors pretending to teach, to students who are not participating in such teaching and most of all to the state that forced us into this form of instruction," says Jelena Kleut, a professor at the Faculty of Philosophy at the University of Novi Sad. "The only fair response is to reject such teaching, and some colleagues have done just that — regardless of the consequences," she told DW. But the heaviest burden is borne by the students themselves. Many are refusing to go along with such forms of tuition, even though the end of the academic year is approaching and no one knows what will happen next. "If the state begins retaliating against students, we could end up with entire classes repeating the year and losing their student status. I don't think that will happen — the scale would be enormous — but we've seen the government do things we once thought impossible," says Kleut. High school seniors face even greater uncertainty: Instead of preparing for university entrance exams, they are waiting to see what the state will do. The government has yet to authorize universities to enroll new students. Kleut finds it unacceptable that these students are being used as pawns in the standoff between the government and academia. "But they have been a very rebellious part of society, too. They blocked their high schools . Perhaps the government simply doesn't like the idea of a whole new rebellious generation appearing on university campuses," Kleut adds. Repression in Serbia is spreading — not only targeting protesters, but also anyone who has supported them over the past eight months. Three teachers at Svetozar Miletic High School in the small town of Srbobran were fired for suspending classes in solidarity with the students. One of them was Slavica Filipovic, who has helped 24 years of students to graduate from high school. "I bowed deeply to them all and locked my classroom," she wrote on Facebook. "It was wonderful being your teacher. It truly enriched my life. Remember: Learn, because knowledge can't be taken from you. And please, have your own opinion. Be yourselves, no matter the cost." Without warning, the government also revoked tax incentives for the IT sector, one of the loudest supporters of the protests and a key source of support for unpaid teachers. Cultural institutions have also faced consequences. Those that supported the students — by expressing solidarity, going on strike or protesting — have lost government funding. "The regime clearly has a problem with those parts of society where entire communities stand against it. Everyone who didn't explicitly support the current government has been punished," says Gojko Bozovic, founder and editor-in-chief of the publishing house Arhipelag. But despite all this, people in Serbia are not backing down. Every day at 11:52 a.m. — the exact minute the canopy collapsed in Novi Sad — protesters stop traffic and block roads. In silence and persistence, they honor the victims and refuse to let the tragedy be forgotten — like so many others before it. The students believe that the only path to justice is a new political distribution of power. They say they are fully aware of the deeply irregular electoral conditions in Serbia and the engineering of results, but believe that a united front across society can shake the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS). They came close in recent local elections in Kosjeric and Zajecar, where the SNS won by a narrow margin. President Aleksandar Vucic, however, is adamant that no elections will be held before 2026. Can the students get him to budge? Those who spoke to DW are skeptical. Professor Kleut feels that only an overwhelming push would result in a breakthrough. "And we'll see on June 28 how many citizens are ready to be part of that pressure," she says. Kleut notes that while public dissatisfaction has not gone away, the fatigue is real, and the sense of urgency has faded. "I think the dissatisfaction is just as strong as it was in December, but the feeling that something must happen immediately … that may have been lost. And I believe it'll be easier to rekindle that feeling in the fall, rather than in July or August." So, depending on how things develop on Saturday, Serbia might not only be in for a meteorologically hot summer, but for a politically hot fall — provided the students can hold out until then.

NATO summit: Allies agree to spend 5% of GDP on defense – DW – 06/25/2025

4 hours ago

NATO summit: Allies agree to spend 5% of GDP on defense – DW – 06/25/2025

US President Donald Trump hailed the agreed spending hike as a "monumental" victory. NATO member states also expressed "enduring" support for Ukraine. DW has the latest. NATO allies are expected to agree on a historic defense spending pledge on the last day of the alliance's summit, currently underway in The Hague. Before the day's proceedings began, Secretary-General Mark Rutte stressed that the US was "totally committed" to NATO and its Article 5 clause. Lithuania's President Gitanas Nauseda told DW there is a "strong understanding" within NATO to keep focus on Ukraine. His statement comes despite there being only a brief mention of Ukraine in the alliance's brief summit communique. "We are ready to provide the necessary support to Ukraine, not only meaning direct support, military, financial but also meaning additional sanctions we intend to impose on Russia in the coming weeks," he said. Asked whether he was disappointed that there wasn't a stronger condemnation of Russia in the document, Nauseda said, "We have to find a compromise, which is pretty difficult to find, but we did it, and this compromise is good enough for Lithuania." He also said Russia would not be happy with the outcome of the summit. "I think it's bad news for them, the meeting, the declaration, and the general spirit at the table is bad news for them." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked US President Donald Trump after the two leaders spoke on the sideline of the NATO summit in The Hague. "I had a long and substantive meeting with President Trump," Zelenskyy wrote on X after the meeting. "We covered all the truly important issues. I thank Mr. President, I thank the United States," he said. "We discussed how to achieve a ceasefire and a real peace. We spoke about how to protect our people. We appreciate the attention and the readiness to help bring peace closer." The two leaders famously met in the White House in February, shortly after Trump was inaugurated, in which the US president along with Vice President JD Vance berated Zelenskyy, sparking international criticism. US President Donald Trump has praised NATO's agreement to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP as a "monumental" victory for the United States. Speaking after the 32-nation summit, he said the move corrects what he sees as an imbalance in burden-sharing. "It's a monumental win for the United States, because we were carrying much more than our fair share," the president told reporters. On broader foreign policy, Trump said both Israel and Iran are "tired" and "satisfied to go home and get out." However, he warned the conflict between the two could resume — "perhaps soon." Earlier, during a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof on the summit's sidelines, Trump was asked to clarify his commitment to NATO's Article 5, the alliance's core mutual defense clause. "I stand with it. That's why I'm here. If I didn't stand with it, I wouldn't be here," he said. The comments followed remarks made a day earlier in which Trump appeared to question the US commitment to Article 5, saying there were "numerous" definitions of it. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said he spoke to US President Donald Trump about making way for sanctions against Russia, on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague. "I once again put forward our urgent wish regarding the situation in Ukraine, but now also with further sanctions from the US side against Russia," Merz said. "There will be no military solution to this conflict. We need to increase the economic pressure on Moscow." The EU is set to introduce an 18th package of sanctions on Thursday, but Merz said this would not be enough without stronger support from the US, since only they can bring sanctions against China and India for their purchase of Russian fossil fuels. "I have the impression that he is intensely thinking about what he can do," Merz added. French President Emmanuel Macron has said it is an "aberration" to demand more European defense spending while escalating a trade dispute within NATO, urging a return to trade peace among allies. Speaking after a NATO summit in The Hague, Macron stressed that Russia remains the alliance's main threat. He pointed to a joint statement from the 32 NATO members committing to higher defense spending by 2035 as proof that Europe is strengthening its role within the alliance. "We can't say we are going to spend more, and then at the heart of NATO, launch a trade war," Macron said. "It's an aberration, and that's why it's very important that we can return to what should be the rule within all the allies, that is to say, a true trade peace and therefore lowering all tariff barriers that exist or that have been reinforced." He said he had raised the issue repeatedly with US President Donald Trump and added that "it was time for it to end." To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Asked whether his flattery of the US president was "demeaning," NATO chief Rutte disagreed, calling Donald Trump "a good friend." "Would you ever think that this would be the result of this summit if he [Trump] had not been reelected president?" Rutte responded, pointing to NATO members agreeing to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP after having previously dragged their feet on just reaching the 2% spending goal. "And when it comes to Iran, the fact that he took this decisive action, very targeted, to make sure that Iran would not be able to get its hands on a nuclear capability ... I think he deserves all the praise." Rutte was referring to the US bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities over the past weekend. While Trump has claimed success, US intelligence has suggested all it did was delay Iran by a few months. NATO chief Rutte said it was an "alliance that stands firmly by our neighbor and partner Ukraine." He pointed out that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was attending the NATO summit with his team. "Our resounding message to [Zelenskyy] and the Ukrainian people is that Ukraine has our continued support, including with over €35 billion planned this year, with more to follow," Rutte said. He added that the alliance "will continue to support Ukraine on its irreversible path to NATO membership." NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that Europe and Canada would need to contribute more to the military alliance. "They agreed to boost our defense industries which will not only increase our security but will also create jobs," Rutte said, adding "we have confirmed our unwavering support for Ukraine." He said it meant that the alliance could defend itself from every kind of threat, including from Russia. The 5% of GDP spending on defense that was agreed on, is broken down into 3.5%, which is "to fund our militaries and the equipment they need, from our air defenses to ammunition, drones, tanks, troops, and more," and 1.5% of GDP for investments into defense and security. "President Trump has been clear: America is committed to NATO," Rutte said amid concerns over the US president's statements on Tuesday. "He affirmed that again today in no uncertain terms. At the same time, he made clear that America expects European allies and Canada to contribute more. And that is exactly what we see them doing." They will "do more of the heavy lifting, equalizing their spending and taking greater responsibility for our shared security," Rutte said. The NATO chief said that after agreeing on increasing defense spending, the next step is to boost defense industries among the allies to meet the new challenges. NATO allies have declared Russia a "long-term threat" to Euro-Atlantic security and pledged continued support for Ukraine in a joint summit statement released Wednesday. In a declaration adopted in The Hague, the alliance's 32 member states said they were "united in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security." "Allies reaffirm their enduring sovereign commitments to provide support to Ukraine, whose security contributes to ours," the statement said. World leaders meeting at a NATO summit in the Netherlands have voted to endorse a higher defense spending goal of 5% of GDP. "Allies commit to invest five percent of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence- and security-related spending by 2035," the alliance's member states said in a joint statement. They also stressed their "ironclad commitment" to NATO's collective security guarantee "that an attack on one is an attack on all." The approval comes in response to a demand by US President Donald Trump, but also reflects European fears of a growing threat to security from Russia. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte told reporters ahead of the vote: "There is absolute conviction with my colleagues at the table that, given this threat from the Russians, given the international security situation, there is no alternative." However, Spain announced prior to the vote that it wouldn't be able to reach the target by the new 2035 deadline, Belgium also signaled that it wouldn't get there before the deadline, and Slovakia said it reserves the right to decide its own defense spending. Germany is to buy new cruise missiles from Norway to arm the 35 stealth F-35 jets it has ordered from the US, the German Defense Ministry said. The agreement to buy the missiles for €677 million ($786 million) was signed on the sidelines of the NATO summit in The Hague. "This arrangement implements what we have set as our goal in Europe and in NATO: joint procurements to reduce time, bureaucracy and cost," German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said after the signing. "Thanks to this joint initiative, we will receive the first cruise missiles before the end of 2027. This is not just fast procurement — to be honest, it is almost supersonic speed," he added. The missiles concerned are known as Joint Strike Missiles (JSM). They can be used against both land and sea targets and are capable of flying under enemy radar and changing course in mid-flight, the ministry said. The purchase is to be financed both from a special fund to refurbish the Bundeswehr and the normal defense budget. US President Donald Trump has appeared to reinforce the US' commitment to NATO's mutual defense clause after casting doubt on it. When asked about the relevant Article 5 of NATO's charter, he told reporters, "We're with them all the way." Trump had earlier said there were "numerous definitions" of the clause. The US president made the remarks ahead of his appearance at a summit of the military alliance in The Hague, Netherlands. Finland's President Alexander Stubb said that Europe was undertaking a greater responsibility in the NATO alliance to deter Russia amid huge hikes in military spending which rival those of the Cold War era. "I think we're witnessing the birth of a new NATO, which means a more balanced NATO and a NATO which has more European responsibility," Stubb said. Polish President Andrzej Duda has said that NATO's Article 5 commitment to collective defense could not be disputed. "Article 5 is clear ... and means collective defense and there is no discussion about this article," Duda as he arrived at the second day of the NATO summit on Wednesday. Spain's Economy Minister Carlos Cuerpo said that his country does not expect any repercussions after refusing the 5% defense spending target that NATO member countries are mulling in The Hague. "Spain will be a responsible ally," Cuerpo told Bloomberg TV, stressing that the country would meet all its military capabilities commitments towards NATO. Spain has said that it would not spend more than 2.1% of its gross domestic product in defense because its military capabilities pledges towards the transnational military alliance do not require more. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video "No repercussions should derive from making good on our commitments and from being a reliable NATO ally, covering for the capabilities that we did commit to and that are necessary to defend NATO from the different threats that have been identified by experts," Cuerpo added.

Students prepare for major rally after issuing 'ultimatum' – DW – 06/25/2025