But it was not quite clear how the two successful candidates would fill their days - the death penalty has not been used in Sri Lanka, a predominantly Buddhist country, since 1976.

 

"About 176 applicants are there and interviews are going on today and tomorrow," Gamini Kulatunga, commissioner operations at the Prisons Department, told the reporters. "Only males will be eligible for the post."

 

The two posts fell vacant after one hangman was promoted and the other retired.

 

At least 480 people convicted of murder and drugs offences could potentially be executed, Kulatunga said.

 

There has been an alarming rise in child abuse, rapes, murders, and drug trafficking since the 25-year war against Tamil Tiger separatists ended in May 2009, prompting some lawyers and politicians to push for the death penalty to be reintroduced.

 

自本周二起，斯里兰卡政府开始对应征刽子手的求职人员进行面试。斯里兰卡监狱两个刽子手职位空缺已长达一年之久，而监狱至少关押着480名死刑犯。

 

目前，尚不清楚两名受雇者将如何履行职责，因为自1976年以来，佛教盛行的斯里兰卡没有执行过死刑。

 

斯里兰卡监狱部门行动专员加米尼?库拉顿加说：“现在大约有176名求职者，面试将在今明两天进行，只有男性有资格申请该职位。”

 

刽子手职位一直空缺，此前，一名刽子手获提升，另一名退休。

 

库拉顿加说，至少480名犯有谋杀罪和贩毒罪的罪犯将被执行死刑。

 

2009年5月，斯里兰卡政府与泰米尔猛虎组织分离分子长达25年的内战结束之后，虐待儿童、强奸、谋杀和毒品走私等恶性犯罪案件大幅上升，一些律师和政治家要求重新引入死刑。