Sri Lanka´s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Himalee Arunatilaka, who is concurrently accredited to the Holy See, presented credentials to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV, at a ceremony held at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican recently (Dec 06).

According to the Embassy of Sri Lanka to the Holy See in Geneva, the ceremony was attended by high officials of the Vatican, where non-resident Ambassadors of Uzbekistan, Moldova, Bahrain, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Liberia, Thailand, Lesotho, South Africa, Fiji, Micronesia, Latvia and Finland presented credentials.

Welcoming the newly accredited Ambassadors to the Holy See during the Jubilee Year of Hope, Pope Leo XIV highlighted that “peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but an active and demanding gift”, which is all the more urgent “as geopolitical tension and fragmentation continued to deepen”. The Holy Father further affirmed that “the Holy See will not be a silent bystander to the grave disparities, injustices, and fundamental human rights violations”.  He emphasised the need to be attentive to those in poor and vulnerable situations or who are “pushed to the margins of society”. 

The Pope underlined that constructive relations between the Holy See and the respective nations of the newly appointed Ambassadors can help in addressing these concerns, and expressed hope that such cooperation will contribute to “a renewed spirit of multilateral engagement at a moment when it is sorely needed, revitalizing those international bodies established to resolve disputes among nations.”

Ambassador Arunatilaka conveyed the warm greetings and best wishes of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and sought that the Holy Father keep Sri Lanka in his prayers as the country recovers from the disaster situation following Cyclone Ditwah.

On the sidelines of the credentials ceremony, separate meetings were held with the Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Paroline, and the Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, His Excellency Archbishop Paul Gallagher. During these meetings, Ambassador Arunatilaka briefed on the scale of the destruction caused by the cyclone, while also acknowledging the humanitarian assistance provided by the Catholic Church through Caritas Sri Lanka.

Migration, disarmament and inter-religious dialogue were highlighted as issues of common interest and concern in the bilateral relations.

Archbishop Gallagher recalled with appreciation the high-level engagements in Sri Lanka and the warm hospitality accorded during his visit to Sri Lanka in November 2025 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and the Holy See. (Newswire)

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Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath says Sri Lanka’s former Deputy High Commissioner to Australia Himalee Arunatilaka has not engaged in any financial fraud or corruption, despite an Australian Court charging her over an incident related to unpaid wages to a female domestic help. 

Addressing the media today, Minister Herath said as per the Sri Lankan protocol, those employed in overseas diplomatic missions are allowed a certain number of assistants or domestic workers to help with their daily activities.

He further said that the domestic worker in question under the care of Himalee Arunatilaka had also been taken to Australia in adherence to the said state protocol. 

The Foreign Minister explained that the salaries of the assistants and domestic workers are paid by the Sri Lankan Government, and not from the personal funds of the officials and that the salaries are offered based on Sri Lanka’s economic situation. 

“This is a problematic situation, as the salaries offered by Sri Lanka are less than that offered by other foreign countries, such as Australia, Europe, and Australia. Our rates are lower than the wages offered by these countries. This is so as our rates are based on our country’s economic state,” he explained.

Minister Vijitha Herath pointed out the salary issue has arisen due to this situation, clarifying that Himalee Arunatilaka had only followed the salary payments done by the Sri Lankan Government per the country’s rates.

He said, however, the Australian Government has initiated legal action against Himalee Arunatilaka under their wages system, an issue that has been faced by Sri Lankan diplomats working in overseas missions in the past. 

Emphasizing that Himalee Arunatilaka has not committed any fraud or financial corruption, the Foreign Minister said action has been taken per Australia’s laws. 

Minister Vijitha Herath went on to note that this incident has highlighted the need for the Sri Lankan Government to take a policy decision regarding such matters. 

“The government will take a policy decision in this regard in the future. We regret that Himalee Arunatilaka had to face such a situation due to state protocol,” he added.

In August, a Federal Court in Australia ordered Arunatilaka to pay her former employee $374,000 in unpaid wages, plus another $169,000 in interest. Last week, the court imposed a further penalty of $117,000 to deter similar behaviour from diplomats.

It was reported that Arunatilaka paid the said domestic worker less than 90 cents a day for three years in Canberra. Priyanka Danaratna came to Canberra in 2015 from Sri Lanka to work as a domestic servant for Arunatilaka, until she escaped in 2018.

The court was informed that Danaratna worked seven days a week from 6:00 am to 10:00 pm for roughly three years, only taking two days off over that time when she burned her hand cooking at the residence.

Himalee Arunatilaka has left Australia and is now the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office in Geneva. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s former Deputy High Commissioner to Australia has been ordered to pay a further $117,000 to a domestic worker she paid less than 90 cents a day for three years in Canberra.

Priyanka Danaratna came to Canberra in 2015 from Sri Lanka to work as a “domestic servant” for Deputy High Commissioner Himalee Arunatilaka, until she escaped in 2018.

She could not read or speak English, and had her passport confiscated by Ms Arunatilaka on arrival.

The Federal Court heard Ms Danaratna worked seven days a week from 6:00am to 10:00pm for roughly three years, only taking two days off over that time when she burned her hand cooking at the residence.

She would undertake “all the domestic tasks” for the Deputy High Commissioner, including cooking, cleaning and laundry, and would sometimes work until 1am when Ms Aruntilaka would host events.

“She gave me permission from time to time to go for a short walk around the neighbourhood.

“I was not allowed to go to the shops or do other activities outside the house by myself. Sometimes Ms Arunatilaka would take me to the shops if I wanted to buy something.”

Ms Danaratna was able to escape on one of her walks in the neighbourhood with the help of the Salvation Army, who picked her up and took her to a safe house in Sydney.

Worker yet to be paid court-ordered penalties

Justice Elizabeth Raper described the $11,212.70 Ms Danaratna received over her three years of work as a “paltry sum contained in the unlawful contractual bargain they had made”.

When Ms Danaratna began working in Australia, the national minimum wage for a 38-hour week was $656.90.

Her lawyer David Hilliard previously described the contract to the ABC as a “slavery-type arrangement”, which breached Australian employment laws for the low wage, the hours she worked, and the lack of entitlements like breaks, overtime and penalty rates.

In August, Ms Arunatilaka was ordered to pay her former employee $374,000 in unpaid wages by the Federal Court, plus another $169,000 in interest.

In a judgment handed down yesterday, the Federal Court imposed a further penalty on Ms Arunatilaka of $117,000 in order to deter similar behaviour from diplomats, and for the former Deputy High Commissioner’s lack of participation in the court process.

In August’s judgment, Justice Raper said Ms Arunatilaka had “never engaged” in the proceedings, filing no defence or submissions and not attending any hearings.

Justice Raper said yesterday Ms Arunatilaka is yet to pay any of the money.

Ms Arunatilaka has left Australia, and is now the Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

The Sri Lankan High Commission has been contacted for comment. (ABC)

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The government has objected to the Comprehensive Report on Sri Lanka by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressing surprise that the report steps far out of its mandated sphere of human rights to comment on macroeconomics as well as financial and budgetary issues under sovereign parliamentary purview.

Delivering a statement at the 57th Session of the Human Rights Council, Himalee Arunatilaka, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations in Geneva conveyed Sri Lanka’s opposition to Human Rights Council Resolution 51/1 which mandated the report under consideration and the establishment of the external evidence-gathering mechanism. 

“This resolution was adopted without Sri Lanka’s consent by a divided vote within this Council. We disassociate with the report for the reasons stated in our detailed response, available on the OHCHR website,” Himalee Arunatilaka added.

Himalee Arunatilaka noted that contrary to the reaction of the rest of its international partners, the report projects a negative overview for Sri Lanka’s future, fails to recognize social stabilization and the preservation of parliamentary democracy overcoming recent severe challenges, the return to normalcy with the restoration of food, energy and public services and stability arising from significantly improved outlook.

Full statement by Sri Lanka : 

As this Council deliberates on the comprehensive report on Sri Lanka, presented by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, I wish to reiterate Sri Lanka’s longstanding commitment to constructive engagement with this Council, the Universal Declaration and the related Treaties as well as other human rights mechanisms to which we are party. 

Let me restate at the outset, Sri Lanka’s opposition to Human Rights Council Resolution 51/1 which mandated the report under consideration and the establishment of the external evidence-gathering mechanism. This resolution was adopted without Sri Lanka’s consent by a divided vote within this Council. We disassociate with the report for the reasons stated in our detailed response, available on the OHCHR website.

After facing its worst economic crisis, Sri Lanka succeeded in stabilizing its economy through a combination of prudent economic decision-making and enhanced financial oversight and governance, overcoming unprecedented social and political challenges. The resilience of Sri Lanka’s democratic institutions and economic recovery has been widely recognized domestically and commended by international agencies and both bilateral and multilateral partners.

This fragile but solidly grounded economic stability and the completion of debt restructuring has led to improved economic indicators including a remarkable return to positive economic growth of 5.3% in the first quarter of 2024, currency appreciation, a tripling of remittances, strengthened foreign exchange reserves, and a reduction in inflation from over 70% in September 2022 to 1.7% by June 2024- As an outcome of these economic measures we are already delivering tangible benefits to Sri Lankans in their daily lives.

Transitioning from a debt-driven economic crisis toward stabilization and inclusive growth involves budgetary restrictions, which cause unfortunate short-term adverse impacts on various segments of society, particularly the vulnerable. This is an unavoidable consequence of the financial crisis and the stringent measures required for economic recovery—a reality not unique to Sri Lanka. Strengthening the economy is vital to the enjoyment of economic and social rights as well as the right to development. 

Welfare measures, such as the *Aswesuma* cash transfer program, which will support nearly two million people in 2024, the national school nutrition program, which covers 1.6 million students, and the *Urumaya* land ownership scheme, which aims to grant freehold titles to all communities across 25 districts, mitigate the effects of fiscal austerity on vulnerable groups.

In parallel with our economic recovery, the Government continues to take steps to heal past wounds and to address the residual issues affecting civilians from all communities arising from decades of conflict. These initiatives include rehabilitating ex-combatants and child soldiers, demining and developing the North and East, providing reparations, resettling the internally displaced, releasing private land to original owners, offering livelihood assistance, and continuing inquiries into missing persons.

To promote national unity and reconciliation among our diverse communities, domestic initiatives such as the Office on Missing Persons (OMP), the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR), the Office for Overseas Sri Lankans, and the Interim Secretariat for the Truth and Reconciliation Mechanism (ISTRM) have been established. The details of these initiatives are included in our response to the Report.

As one of the oldest democracies in Asia, with a Universal Adult Franchise since 1931, Sri Lanka has navigated its challenges while maintaining the stability of our democratic institutions and traditions. Our leaders have been held accountable through free and fair elections, and peaceful transitions of power have been consistently upheld. The upcoming Presidential election on the 21st of September reaffirms our commitment to this process.

It is most surprising that the report steps far out of its mandated sphere of human rights to comment on macroeconomics as well as financial and budgetary issues under sovereign parliamentary purview. Contrary to the reaction of the rest of our international partners, it projects a negative overview of Sri Lanka’s future, fails to recognize social stabilization and the preservation of parliamentary democracy overcoming recent severe challenges, the return to normalcy with the restoration of food, energy and public services and stability arising from significantly improved outlook. Furthermore, it makes no mention of the brutal acts of terrorism and human rights violations committed by the LTTE, including child recruitment, suicide bombings, the assassination of democratically elected MPs and leaders in SL and abroad, and the disruption of democratic rights and freedoms of the people, especially in the North and the East. 

Mr. President, I wish to once again emphasize Sri Lanka’s strong rejection of Resolution 51/1 and the external evidence-gathering mechanism established within OHCHR. This unproductive and unwarranted mechanism exceeds the Council’s mandate, contradicts its founding principles, and polarizes the Council, undermining the progress we have made domestically. The selective and disproportionate focus on handpicked developing countries while ignoring critical situations elsewhere is unacceptable. We urge the Council to avoid politicization and double standards and to focus on dire humanitarian situations that require urgent action to maintain its credibility. (Newswire)

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