The Moral Collapse of Sri Lankan Society: Justice for 2 suicides
Two young lives lost—one a university student, the other a schoolgirl in Kotahena. These are not isolated tragedies. They are searing warnings that Sri Lankan society is spiraling into a moral crisis. A breakdown is underway—of values, of accountability, of conscience. Behind every funeral lies a failing: in our families, our schools, our media, and our government.
This is a call to all Sri Lankans. Not tomorrow. Now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WgthnVDzLs (Parents of Amisha)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-N9qPHjGZg (Parents of Charith Dilshan)
Media Complicity
Children today are raised in a digital jungle where morality is mocked, innocence is monetized, and decency is dismissed as outdated. Global platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook operate with one goal: profit. Their algorithms are built not for protection, but for addiction. And our children are the casualties.
Sexualized content, gender confusion, disrespect for elders and teachers, distorted ideas of love and identity—this is the daily digital dose of Sri Lankan children. With just a click, they are pulled into a world that devalues their innocence and glorifies chaos.
The media, both local and global, are guilty, without a doubt. They glorify rebellion and sell immorality as freedom. They sensationalize trauma, often revictimizing girls already crushed by abuse. They ignore responsibility, forsake ethical journalism, and leave society to bleed & then relay this to viewers as sensational “breaking” news. Shameful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xo8N9qlJtk
We demand
Strict legal action against media houses and platforms that expose children to inappropriate content.
A regulatory framework that forces online platforms to implement mandatory filtering and restrict age-inappropriate content.
Penalties for broadcasters and internet providers that fail to protect minors, including those offering free data during late-night hours—when children are most vulnerable.
Collapse of Family and Educational Authority
The family was once the moral nucleus of Sri Lankan society. Today, it’s mocked as “old-fashioned,” dismantled by foreign ideologies that encourage children to question even their own biological reality.
When discipline disappears from the home, when schools focus only on grades but ignore values, children grow up emotionally vacant, mentally fragile, and morally adrift. They become easy prey—trapped in a world of digital deception, identity confusion, and emotional exploitation.
We must
- Reclaim traditional family values rooted in respect, modesty, and discipline.
- Equip parents to understand the threats of the digital world and teach them to safeguard their children.
- Empower schools to become sanctuaries of learning and character-building, not just exam factories.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2H3zh3mTWE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c873auRqbW0
Institutional Abuse and Systemic Failure
No Government. No Minister can be allowed to shrug the issue aside.
They are elected by the people to solve the problems of the people not to provide security for the abusers.
What is more tragic than a predator in a place of trust?
Schools and universities, once bastions of learning and protection, now house teachers and lecturers accused of demanding sexual favors, ignoring bullying, and punishing victims instead of perpetrators.
In the Kotahena case, instead of being suspended, the accused teacher was simply transferred. Why should grieving parents have to beg for justice? Why does accountability require a public outcry before action is taken?
Do people need to protest for action to be taken & justice to happen?
We demand
- Immediate suspension of any educator or authority figure accused of abuse, pending investigation
- Swift, transparent disciplinary inquiries and criminal prosecutions when necessary.
- Nationwide training for teachers on ethical conduct, student mental health, and child protection laws. The child & parent must know the law but they must also be taught there are duties to uphold too.
Strengthen and Enforce Child Protection Laws
Sri Lanka’s child protection laws are outdated and dangerously out of step with the digital world. Children are being exploited while laws remain paralyzed. The nation has failed its most vulnerable.
We demand:
- Updated legislation that criminalizes the distribution of sexual content to minors and severely penalizes violators.
- Cybercrime and Child Protection Units, capable of monitoring and responding in real time.
- A national child-safety surveillance mechanism involving government, civil society, and trained parents.
A private member’s bill that attempted to remove vital protective sections of the Penal Code (365 and 365A) was supported by individuals and organizations who should have defended children, not endangered them. This betrayal cannot go unanswered.
Those that supported the petition to repeal the clauses on homosexuality & sex with children under 16 included:
Founder & Executive Director – Child Protection Force & 3 key officers / President of Stop Child Cruelty Trust, member of Child Protection Alliance, member of Family Planning Association & advisor Save the Children, a Child health expert, Executive Director of Women in Need who was also Chairman Police Commission, 16 lawyers, 4 medical practitioners, 4 LGBTQIA activists, 10 from the media industry, 9 from the banking & financial industry, 18 from the business community, 9 so-called professionals, 9 youths, 6 NGO activists, 3 retired government servants.
Is there really hope for the children of Sri Lanka when so-called “educated” want to remove the safety measures in place to protect children?
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1JFTjBWmsQ / (list of names)
Education Reform Rooted in Morality and Mental Health
Sex education in Sri Lanka must protect, not confuse. It must not be hijacked by ideologies that promote identity experimentation in children. Instead, it should teach self-respect, boundaries, and protection against abuse.
Schools lack trained counselors, moral education, and leadership rooted in values. A generation is growing up emotionally broken—burdened by cyberbullying, peer pressure, exposure to adult content, and an identity crisis. Depression, anxiety, and suicide are the symptoms of a system in decay.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaBcPkRmmA4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Godo7Mzc1g
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/a-OpPrfE9qg
We demand
- Mandatory inclusion of ethics, emotional intelligence, and respect-based education across all schools.
- Compulsory training for teachers on child psychology and social media manipulation.
- A trained school counselor in every institution—someone who advocates for the child, not just occupies a position.
Religious and Community Leadership Must Rise
Religious institutions cannot remain silent. They must reclaim their historical role in moral leadership, become watchdogs for societal degradation, and speak with wisdom, urgency, and compassion.
We call on all religious and cultural leaders to:
- Raise their voice against harmful media content and moral erosion.
- Lead community outreach and education on parenting, digital dangers, and child protection.
National Call to Action
Let the deaths of the campus student and Kotahena schoolgirl not be just another breaking news. No mother carries a child for nine months to bury them in a coffin. These tragedies must shake us to our core and spur immediate, collective action.
We demand a 24/7 national child protection hotline, monitored, resourced, and publicized.
We demand that perpetrators—whether in homes, schools, or online—be held legally accountable without delay.
We demand that this government, all political parties, civil institutions, religious leaders, media professionals, and educators rise together to protect Sri Lanka’s future—our children.
The children are our future.
We must protect them.
Shenali D Waduge
