Sri Lanka

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 […]

Conclusions and recommendations: 86. Ten years after the end of the lengthy ethnic conflict, there has been no closure on a number of issues arising from that conflict and which the Government had pledged to address at the UN Human Rights Council. While there have been some elementary steps taken, lack of accountability and impunity […]

Hiruni, a fisherman’s wife, who has to manage her household (of five people) with an income of about 2.5 euros (= 500 Sri Lankan rupees) per day, is heavily indebted. In order to increase her household income, she borrowed 50,000 rupees (250 euros) from the LOLC bank, which specialises in micro-credit (https://www.lolc.com/lolc-micro-credit). With this money […]

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 […]

1 January 2, 2020, Batticaloa: Sri Lankan police in plain clothing has entered the house of the Batticaloa based journalist: S. Nilanthan, purportedly to arrest him, and threatened his family when it was discovered he was not at home. (https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/sri-lankan-police-threaten-family-tamil-guardian-correspondent-arrest-warrant) 2 January 5, 2020, Kilinochchi: Foreign Journalist was denied access to Iranaitheevu island by the […]

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, […]

Image: Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne and visiting Zambian Army Chief Lt. Gen. W.M Sikazwe. Defence Secretary Maj. Gen. (Retd) Kamal Gunaratne has told the visiting Zambian Army Chief Lt. Gen. W.M Sikazwe that although the Sri Lankan military had completely defeated LTTE terrorism militarily 10-years ago, the challenge of defeating its separatist […]

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 from newswire.lk. Members of the Sri Lanka Corps Military Police (SLCMP) of the Army on the guidelines given by the acting Chief of Defence Staff and Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Shavendra Silva have now been deployed in most congested entry/exit points in the Greater Colombo area under a new assignment in order […]

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 […]

Ahisma Wickrematunge has filed a complaint against Senior Superintendent of Police W.Thilakaratna for attempting to aid Udayanga Weerathunga to escape arrest, at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC). The complaint has been filed on 21 Feb 2020. In her complaint, she says that 0n 07 February 2018 acting under case number […]

The Defence Ministry has established a Task Force (TF) to monitor the progress to speed up the on-going investigation by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) into last year’s Easter Sunday serial terrorist attacks in the country, which had claimed more than 250 lives, reports defence.lk. The six-member TF, which includes top officials from various intelligence […]

Image: On 19th at a public meeting in Galaha, President Rakapaksa has said that ” Do not consider the independence given to judiciary as our weakness.” (Lankanesweb) When Sri Lanka’s President, Gotabaya Rajapaksa reportedly articulates that, ‘unnecessary judicial interventions are harmful to democracy’ (The Island, February 21st, 2020), one is intrigued. Pray, what would a […]

Image: Kapila Chandrasena & Nishantha Wickramasinghe. The Board of Inquiry on Sri Lankan Airlines. The Board of Inquiry was appointed on 16th February 2015 . Its members were J.C.Weliamina, Chair Person (President’s Counsel and social activist), U.H. Palihakkara (Chartered Accountant, former Chairman of Finance Commission), BAW Aberywardana (f Accountant, an expert in procurement and public […]

Image: According to the report, a number of countries have already banned the burqa. | Photo Credit: AP. (PTI)The report suggested that the police should have the power to ask anyone wearing a face covering in a public place to take off such clothing in order to establish the identity of the person. A Sri […]

Image: how countries vote on Sri Lanka resolution in 2012. Sri Lanka government has decided to inform UNHRC 43 session it’s commitment to achieve sustainable peace through an inclusive, domestically designed and executed reconciliation and accountability process, including through the appropriate adaptation of existing mechanisms, in line with the Government’s policy framework. This would comprise […]

Image: Major General (Retd) Prasad Samarasinghe served as the Army Spokesman and the Director Media of the Sri Lanka Army. Major General (Retd) Prasad Samarasinghe Appointed Chief Manager Of Lotus Tower Colombo Sri Lanka Government has appointed two more Retired Major Generals to rin civilian institutions. Retired Major General Prasad Samarasinghe has been appointed the […]

Image: The best chance of a political settlement is while Tamil leader R. Sampanthan is alive and active. He is the only one with the moral authority to persuade the Tamils and the international community. After him, no one will have that stature. The ‘diplomatic drone strike’, the dramatic US strictures against the Army Commander, […]

Collective travel ban imposed on the Army Commander and his family by the USA. The United States of America has prohibited the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Lt. Gen. Shavendra Silva or members of his family from entering that country. Even though we are now in the 21st Century, even members of his family […]

Image from berkeleyhighjacket.com. Issuing a statement National Peace Council of Sri Lanka says that “the appropriate path for Sri Lanka to take at the present time would be that of restorative justice where the state would acknowledge the human rights violations and crimes of the past that occurred on all sides and focus its priority […]

Summary: Pursuant to resolution 40/1 of the Human Rights Council, the present update assesses the progress made in implementing Human Rights Council resolution 30/1 on promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka, particularly during 2019. While some progress has been made since 2015 in promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in line with […]