Sri Lanka, Aug. 14 -- Taking the legal position first, Sri Lanka maintains one of the most restrictive abortion laws in South Asia. Abortion is permissible only in the gravest of circumstances to save the life of the mother. It is punishable with imprisonment ranging from three to twenty years with or without a fine. Legal restrictions are further reinforced by a medical protocol that requires the concurrence of three doctors before the pregnancy can be medically terminated.

This has become a thorny problem. Restrictive criminal laws on abortion have driven women underground and they resort to dangerous means to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. A vast and open network of clandestine back-alley abortion clinics thrives unregulated, posi...