The Sri Lankan police force has announced plans to track all foreign tourists in the country, as an apparent move to “ensure their safety”, according to officials on Monday.
The police force, under the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence headed by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, has instructed all hotels and guest houses to submit weekly reports of all foreigners staying with them.
Passports and visa details are to be handed over to the police, with spokesperson Buddhika Siriwardena saying,
"Tourists are important to our economy. This is to ensure their own safety… This scheme will ensure officers will have details of tourists in their areas to protect them."
The government has invoked an ordinance issued in 1866 in order to force hotels to hand over information on tourists. One hotel executive, who wished to remain anonymous, told the AFP,
"Some people may be put off because this looks like surveillance".
See the full AFP report here.