A new report from Human Rights Watch reveals that despite public commitments from the current President, there has been little meaningful improvement in the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. The report was prepared for a major meeting of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
The report says there is a serious “crisis of impunity” for war crimes and other human rights violations that happened during the civil war. It states that no one has been held responsible for these past acts. This is a highly controversial and important issue.
The report also details other key problems. It says that families of victims and human rights defenders are still being watched and intimidated, especially in the northern and eastern parts of the country where the war was fought.
Another major point is the continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). This law has often been used to arrest people unfairly and is seen as a big problem for human rights. The report also highlights violations of religious freedom, with government agencies interfering with minority religious sites.
The report makes several important recommendations to the government of Sri Lanka. It asks the government to:
- Allow the OHCHR Sri Lanka Accountability Project (OSLAP) to enter the country.
- Investigate mass graves.
- Change the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) to work better.
- Remove the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The briefing also asks the UNHRC to renew the mandates for OSLAP and the High Commissioner for Human Rights. This would allow them to continue monitoring the situation and saving evidence of abuses.
You can read the full report here: Human Rights Watch Briefing on the Human Rights Situation in Sri Lanka.
