- When used with other flags, it must have pride of place in the centre of all the flags, with no other flag above it; be hoisted first and lowered last. Religious flags may be at the same level
- It can only be flown at night on very special occasions, and must then be floodlit
- When displayed on the street on anything other than a flagpole, it should be displayed with the lion upright. Thus, the practice of hanging the flag downwards for wedding houses is wrong
- On days of National Mourning, the half-mast position is actually a third of the way down from the top of the mast and not halfway. It should be hoisted to the top and then lowered one-third of the way. At the end of the day, it should be raised to the top before being lowered for the night
- When displayed on a stage, it should be on the right hand side of the speaker as he/she faces the audience; or fastened horizontally behind at the back of the stage
- When in procession, it must never be carried flat or at an angle
- It must never be dipped in respect to anyone including the President, as other flags are
- It should never touch the ground
- When the National Anthem is played, all persons should stand facing the flag
- The code forbids the abuse of the flag in any way. This includes improper display; and display of a damaged, disfigured or faded national flag. Thus, the disfiguring of the flag by removing any part of it, as we have seen in recent years by extremists, is an offence
- It shall not be used as a decoration or draped over a table or speaker’s platform
- It should never be worn as a garment of any sort
- A little known rule (Code for the Use of the national flag, s.11.8) forbids the usage of any part of the national flag on uniforms, including costumes and uniforms of athletes. A flag patch may be used on the uniforms of military personnel, firemen, and policemen. One wonders if the use of the flag on the uniform of the Sri Lanka cricket team is therefore improper.
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- Hong Kong: A man was convicted of insulting the national flag and sentenced to four months in prison
- China: For disrespecting the national anthem, China considers three-year imprisonment terms. In September 2021, China passed a new law for up to 15 days’ detention for those who mock the national anthem “March of the Volunteers”, a law also covering Hong Kong and Macau. China’s Parliament is now examining whether China's Criminal Act may be amended by penalties for disregard of the national anthem, including deliberately misrepresenting lyrics or tunes
- Malaysia: The disrespecting of the national flag is prohibited by Article 504 of the Penal Code, section 14 of the Minor Crimes 1955, or section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998. Where found guilty, offenders may be imprisoned for two years and fined, whereas they may not be fined more than RM 100 under Section14 of the Minor Offenses of 1955. Under the terms of Article 233 of the communication and media law of 1998, they may be fined no more than RM 50,000, or imprisoned for not more than two years for the use of network facilities or services inappropriately
- Egypt: Legislation prohibits the “hoist, display or flag circulation if it is damaged, used and faded or otherwise improperly” and prohibits slogans, images or designs from being added to the flag or being used as a trade symbol
- Philippines: The worn-out flag is collected from the pole and placed next to the flagpole on a table. The ceremony is performed with patriotic songs that set the mood. Then a guest speaker discusses the importance of rites. During the ceremony, a lady official should be present, not far from the burning flags. Her presence is a reminder of the first Filipino flag made by a woman, Inang Bayan. The lady official is the guest of honour who prepares the flag for burning, and hands over the flags to be burned. Following the burn, the ashes are placed in an urn, which is placed at least 1.5 meters deep in a burial ground.
- Singapore: The flag cannot be used as a trademark or as part of commercial activity for publicity, for furnishings, decorations, or covers; with any private funeral activity; embedded or worn in any attire; or on any kind of private vehicle. The flag should be washed and replaced if it has faded. After any washing, it should not be hanging to dry like other cloth.
- It should be made mandatory for Government institutions, including schools, police stations, ministries, departments, local government and provincial government agencies, to fly the national flag prominently, and to ceremonially raise it at the beginning of the day and lower it ceremonially at dusk
- Proper usage of the national flag and other flags should be included in the school curriculum. This should include descriptions of the many elements of the national flag and the histories of other flags in Sri Lanka
- A handbook should be prepared and distributed that includes the existing “Code for the Use of the national flag”; and the “Sri Lanka Standards Specification for the national flag of Sri Lanka SLS 693: 1985”.
- Administrative officials of institutions in the state and private sector should be given proper guidelines on the usage of the national flag
- Any abuse of the national flag should be prosecuted
- Any changes proposed to the national flag should not be viewed lightly, but should be the subject of proper logical debate over a long period of time