Accountability

The ICJ today condemned the Presidential pardon granted to murder convict Sunil Ratnayake, Former Staff Sergeant of the Sri Lankan Army. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa pardoned Former Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake who was convicted in 2015 for the murder of eight Tamil civilians, including three children, in Mirusuvil in December 2000. The conviction and […]

Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Spokesperson and former MP, M.A.Sumanthiran, has reacted sharply to the Presidential pardon given on Thursday to Sri Lankan Army Sergeant R M Sunil Rathnayake, who was sentenced to death for killing in cold blood, eight Tamil captives including a child at Mirusuvil in Tamil-speaking North Lanka in 2000. Sumanthiran pointed out […]

Image: On 20th March 2020 the last train before the weekend curfew leaves for Kandy. First 50 infected faster than US, Italy and South Korea Targeted hotspots locked down In my view Sri Lanka has never been as challenged, be it in war time with the LTTE, the Easter attack or the devastating tsunami, as […]

In a letter to the Lieutenant-General Shavendra Silva, Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army and Chairman of the ‘National Operation Centre for Prevention of COVID-19 Outbreak’ (NOCPCO),  secretary to president P.B. Jayasundara has requested that “Export-oriented manufacturing enterprises be advised that the operation of their enterprises shall be carried out subject o […]

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera asserted that Sri Lanka’s withdrawal from the co-sponsorship of the UN Human Right Council (UNHRC) Resolution had no impact on the Resolution itself and the other countries that co-sponsored it would take it forward even more “vigorously and vehemently”. Below are excerpts of his interview with […]

Image: Pro-Democracy protestors took to street daily against the constitutional coup staged by president Sirisena in October 2018. A short paper published by the Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) on key developments in the first 100 days of the present Government, as well as their implications for governance, the rule of law, reconciliation, human rights and […]

Image: In April Kurunegala police arrested Shakthika Sathkumara, a 33-year-old novelist, under the ICCPR law. – Report. A. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION, INCLUDING FOR THE PRESS The constitution provides for freedom of expression, including for the press, and the government generally respected this right. An independent press, an effective judiciary, and a functioning democratic political system […]

Literally, this picture is worth more than a thousand words. It shows former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda and current Defense Secretary General Kamal Gunarathne having a friendly chat during the Ananda Nalanda big match last weekend. Wasantha Karannagoda is a suspect of the well-known case of abducting and killing 11 youth by the Sri Lankan […]

A federal appeals court in San Francisco has opened the door to a future lawsuit against the former defense secretary of Sri Lanka — now the nation’s president — for allegedly ordering the murder of a prominent journalist. Lasantha Wickretamunge, founder and editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper, was stabbed and beaten to death by […]

“A journalist asked the President how the government would face the consequences of withdrawing from co-sponsoring the UNHRC resolution on Sri Lanka. The Geneva resolution is a challenge to the nation’s independence and dignity. This is the only time in the history a country that has acknowledged that their own security forces have committed war […]

Last week, Sri Lanka’s new government formally withdrew its support for UN Human Rights Council (HRC) resolution 30/1 – thereby pulling the plug on its long-standing pledge to establish a domestic accountability mechanism capable of investigating atrocity crimes committed during the country’s civil war. Although the resolution does not expire until March next year, and the Office […]

In a meeting with the Netherlands Ambassador Ms. Gonggrijp, Mr. Sampanthan Leader of the Tamil National Alliance has pointed out that “The UNHRC resolution was based on promoting reconciliation accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka. If we are to achieve lasting peace in this country, all three aspects must be addressed”. The Ambassador has […]

Image: Families of the disappeared writing names of the missing loved ones on a memorial wall. Sri Lanka does not yet have a figure regarding the total number of persons that have disappeared, says OMP. Issuing a statement on the Second Anniversary of the establishment of the Office on Missing Persons it says that “The […]

Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne has said that the Government had integrated military and civil capabilities through ‘Integrated Contingency Planning’ to enable the military to work alongside with civilian first-responders to mitigate the impact of disaster situations, worker strikes and civil unrests and take the lead if necessary. “Defence Ministry is capable of […]

Under the government programme for placement of 100,000 unemployed graduates and diploma holders, the interviewing process is underway at Divisional Secretariats by senior government officials with the participation of military officers on the interview board. This raised concerns among those who came for the interview at a DS office in the North this week. It […]

There is a dreadfully fractured logic in what the Government of Sri Lanka articulated before the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) as it withdrew from UNHRC Resolution 30/1 this week. This is playing to the nationalist gallery with an eye to the impending General Elections. It has disastrous consequences for the country, make no […]

Former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera has said that the decision to co-sponsor Geneva Resolution 30/1 was taken by the yahapalana government under the leadership of then President Maithripala Sirisena. Samaraweera, in a statement issued on withdrawal from Resolution 30/1 and subsequent resolutions extending its mandate in the UN Human Rights Council, has said: “At a […]

Making Joint Oral Statement at the ongoing 43rd session of the Human Rights Council today (28 February 2020.) eight International Human Rights organisations urged the Human Rights Council to hold Sri Lanka accountable to its obligations under international law. Given this week’s announcement that the new Government will not continue to engage with the clear framework […]

Image: Thierry Mathou in Colombo. A senior visiting French diplomat said yesterday said that despite Sri Lanka’s withdrawal from co-sponsorship of the UNHCR Resolution on Promoting Reconciliation, Accountability and Human Rights in Sri Lanka, the resolution remains legally binding. “Sri Lanka’s decision to withdraw from co-sponsorship of the UNHCR resolution doesn’t mean the resolution has […]

Delivering the joint statement of the Core Group on Sri Lanka, International Ambassador for Human Rights of the United Kindom, Rita French told the ongoing 43rd session of the HRC that   “we are deeply disappointed and concerned that the government has changed its approach to the resolution. We remain profoundly committed to resolution 30/1 and […]

Sri Lanka today told the ongoing 43rd session of UNHRC that “with regard to the issues on missing persons, steps would be taken, after necessary investigations, to issue death certificates or certificates of absence, while also providing livelihood and other assistance to affected families.” The statement read by Sri LankaMinister of Foreign Relations makes no […]

Image:  ” Do not make Geneva promises disappear!” a placard at the “Missing Lovers Day” held by the Families of the Disappeared on 14.02.2020 in Colombo. Following Sri Lanka’s decision to withdraw from its commitments to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this week, Amnesty International calls on the Council to establish an international […]

Speaking at HRC 43 today Human Rights High High Commissioner called on the Human Rights Council to remain alert to Sri Lanka’s situation in terms of prevention and to explore all possible avenues for advancing accountability. Her statement in full: I move to our update on Sri Lanka, HRC/43/19, assessing the progress made in implementing […]

Sri Lanka’s unilateral withdrawal from Resolution 30/1 is a clear rejection of human rights and accountability and displays total disregard for UN Member States Sri Lanka is unwilling & unable to hold state officials accountable for heinous violations of int’l human rights & humanitarian laws. Reason-it is the state itself that committed these heinous crimes”— […]

43RD SESSION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL – HIGH LEVEL SEGMENT STATEMENT BY HON. DINESH GUNAWARDENA, MINISTER OF FOREIGN RELATIONS OF SRI LANKA 26 FEBRUARY 2020 Media Releases , Minister’s Statements | Wed, 26 Feb 2020   43rd Session of the Human Rights Council – High Level Segment  Statement by Hon. Dinesh Gunawardena, Minister of Foreign Relations of Sri […]

Image: Sri Lanka FM Dinesh Gunawardana’s speech at HRC is based on statement made by him on 20 Feb 2020. In May 2009, following the end of the 30 year-long internal armed conflict with the defeat of the LTTE, a terrorist organization proscribed by 32 countries, the government led by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa, […]

For the third successive year, Families of the Disappeared (FoD) celebrated the “Missing Lovers Day” On 14th February in Colombo at the Vihara Maha Devi Park. Nearly 1000 attended from 9 districts in South and Batticoloa from East. They gathered at the park around noon and started the campaign meeting at 130 pm. President of the […]

The Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) and its Executive Director, Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu filed a Fundamental Rights application challenging some powers granted to the Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Allegations of Political Victimization During the Period Commencing 08th January 2015 and Ending 16th November 2019 (The CoI), appointed by Gazette (Extraordinary) No. 2157/44 of 9th January 2020. […]

Cartoon by Namal Amarasinghe. In a joint letter to Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the President of Sri Lanka, Julie Verhaar Acting Secretary General, Amnesty International in a joint letter with RSF and CPJ, says that  they are  concerned by reports that journalists and other media workers in Sri Lanka are being subject to harassment, intimidation and surveillance […]

Image: At the Independence day ceremony former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda was sitting close to AG Livera. For the fourth time, Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar today ordered to re-issue summons on former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda in connection with the indictments filed over the abduction of eleven persons in 2008 and 2009. Wasantha Karannagoda is […]