The National Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) says that there are three main reasons for the prisoner protest at Mahara Prison and the ensuing clashes.

"When we went there, there was no order, no 'system', no order on how things were going, who would make the decisions, there was no order," Human Rights Commission Commissioner Ramani Muttetuwegama told the BBC Sinhala Service.

The remand prisoners then selected 12 people to present their views to the Human Rights Commission.

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