HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF SRI LANKA, Annual Report 2018 media institutions vulnerable in that the TRCSL could arbitrarily penalize some institutions that had not obtained licenses as in the instant case. Such a situation had negative implications for media freedom. ▪ Protection of the public from irregularities in micro finance schemes (HRC/SUO/MOTU/21/18): The Commission intervened to protect the public from irregularities occurring in micro finance schemes in November, 2018 based on newspaper articles published on the issue. The HRCSL began an inquiry taking into consideration factors such as accounts from rural areas of suicide as a result of indebtedness to micro finance schemes, unprofessional behavior of the micro finance credit collectors, and unrest amongst local communities due to these schemes. A statement was recorded from a customer to verify the difficulties and hardships they face in repaying the debts. Officials of the Central Bank were then summoned to the Commission to inquire into a possible protection framework to protect the customers of these schemes. The Commission continues to receive responses from aggrieved parties on this issue. ▪ Physical assault on a school student by the police (HRC/SUO/MOTU/25/18): The Commission intervened in a case of a16 year old school student who media reported was assaulted by police officers subsequent to being arrested. At the inquiry conducted by the Commission, the victim stated that he was handcuffed and assaulted which resulted in injuries to his spine and back. The Commission continues the investigation into this incident at the end of 2018. ▪ Assault of a detainee by the police (HRC/SUO/MOTU/28/18): The Commission began investigations based on a complaint received during a visit to the Welikada remand prison in the course of the National Study of Prisons. The complainant, a remand prisoner, has been 60