The report by the United Nations has called for accountability and deeper institutional reforms in Sri Lanka to prevent a recurrence of past violations.
The report also says Sri Lanka’s new Government should embark on a national dialogue to advance human rights and reconciliation,
The UN report outlines the progress of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) work on accountability, pursuant to Council resolution 46/1, and calls for reinforcement of its capacity.
Seven Key points from the UN report on Sri Lanka:
- The report acknowledges that Sri Lanka is at a critical juncture in its political life, and is in the midst of a serious economic crisis that has severely impacted the human rights of all communities and people of all walks of life.
- For sustainable improvements to take place, however, it is vital to recognize and address the underlying factors which have contributed to the economic crisis, including embedded impunity for past and present human rights violations, economic crimes, and endemic corruption.
- The Government urged to immediately end the reliance on draconian security laws and crackdowns on peaceful protest, reverse the drift towards militarisation and show renewed commitment to, and deliver on, security sector reform and ending impunity.
- The Government urged to re-launch a comprehensive and victim-centered strategy on transitional justice and accountability, with a time-bound plan to implement outstanding commitments, including taking steps in relation to the establishment of a credible truth-seeking mechanism and an ad hoc special court.
- Expressing concern about the lack of progress to establish the truth about the Easter Sunday bombings in 2019, the UN calls for a follow-up independent and transparent investigation, with international assistance and the full participation of victims and their representatives, to pursue further lines of inquiry.
- In the absence of progress towards accountability at the national level, the report urges other States to cooperate in accountability efforts, including by using available avenues of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction, to investigate and prosecute crimes under international law committed in Sri Lanka.
- The UN urges States to explore further measures targeting those who are credibly alleged to have been responsible for gross violations and abuses of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law. (NewsWire)
