A man reads an advertisement of the vacancy for hangmen on a newspaper in Colombo, Sri Lanka February 12, 2019 ReutersThe last execution in Sri Lanka was 43 years agoSri Lanka began advertising for hangmen this week, as the country's president pushes ahead with a hard line policy, modelled on the Philippines, to combat drug trafficking. The last execution in Sri Lanka was 43 years ago, but President Maithripala Sirisena said last week he wants to resume the use of capital punishment for drug traffickers in the next two months. Candidates should be Sri Lankan, male, aged between 18 and 45, and have both "excellent moral character" and "mental strength." At least 25 people convicted for drugs offences, including two drug dealers, could be executed, Upuldeniya said. Government officials told Reuters that Sirisena has sought advice from the Philippines on how to combat drug trafficking, amid mounting concerns that Sri Lanka could become a transit hub for the narcotics trade in Asia.

Source: Dhaka Tribune February 12, 2019 10:41 UTC