The United Nation’s Human Rights Council (UNHRC) passed a resolution in March 2021 that has given mandate for the global body to establish a mechanism to gather evidences outside the country over alleged human rights violations during and after a 26-year war ended in 2009.

The resolution has allowed the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) “to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve information and evidence and to develop possible strategies for future accountability processes for gross violations of human rights or serious violations of international humanitarian law in Sri Lanka, to advocate for victims and survivors, and to support relevant judicial and other proceedings, including in Member States, with competent jurisdiction”.

The resolution was approved despite strong protest by the Sri Lankan government which said the move was infringing its sovereign rights.

Sarath Weerasekera, a legislator and retired Navy Admiral as well as the Chairman of the Sectoral Oversight Committee on National Security said he has “summoned” representatives of Foreign Ministry, Defence Ministry, chief of all three forces, and attorney general to review external mechanisms that has been established as per resolution 46/1 in Geneva about the evidence gathering mechanism.

“It is a mechanism to gather evidence against the leaders of such military and elected leaders who gave orders,” Weerasekera told reporters at a media briefing on Wednesday in Colombo.

INTERNATIONAL JURISTICTIONS

“Though our government and Foreign Ministry had rejected this mechanism, this process is now on. According to this mechanism, legal cases can be filed in different countries under international jurisdictions against the military leaders and those officials who gave orders to the military,” he said.

“Already the UN Human Right Commissioner has looked into if legal actions can be taken by various countries against those involved. If that happens they can take our military and political leaders to International Court of Justice ( ICJ) and International Criminal Court (ICC). We have that threat now.”

“That will have an impact on the country’s national security because such step will demotivate our military.”

Since the end of the war in 2009, Sri Lanka has strongly rejected any human rights violation and said it had maintained zero casualties in its final war.

However, the UN has repeatedly said it has found credible evidence of nondiscriminatory killing by both Sri Lanka military and the fighters of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the final phase of the war.

The new move comes as the island nation is likely to face another resolution to pressure Sri Lanka to probe alleged rights abuses at the next UNHRC meeting in four months, right groups say.

Already select Sri Lankan military and political leaders are facing some targeted travel bans and freezing of financial assets mainly by some Western nations.

TRAVEL BANS 

A new OHCHR report released on May 18 has already recommended targeted sanctions on officials responsible for disappearances in Sri Lanka since 1970 and has called for justice outside the country for the families of victims.

A limited number of Western nations have already imposed targeted sanctions, including travel bans for some Sri Lankan political and military leaders, after finding credible information about human rights violations.

The United States has imposed a travel ban on former Army Chief Shavendra Silva and his immediate family members, Navy intelligence officer Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, Army Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake, army officer Prabath Bulathwatta, and former Navy chief Wasantha Karannagoda, citing human rights violations, the recent UN report said.

Canada last year imposed financial sanctions to freeze the assets of former Sri Lankan presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, citing rights abuses.

Some top Sri Lankan military officials have been deprived of taking part in lucrative UN Peacekeeping Missions due to human rights allegations during the war.

Human rights analysts say some Sri Lankan political and military leaders are still unaware that they have been blacklisted by Western nations for rights abuses and will only become aware of such measures when they request visas from these countries.

Weerasekera admitted that there is a travel ban for senior retired military leader Shagi Gallage and the current defence secretary Kamal Gunaratne as well.

“Terrorism is no more local or regional. It is global and transnational. Therefore there has to be a concerted effort from the part of the international community to address this menace,” he said.

“We in fact defeated a terrorist group that has been banned by 32 countries. So other countries should support us. The denial of visa is wrong. We see it as a move opposing our anti-terrorism moves.”

“This is a violation of Geneva act. This is an act totally demotivating our armed forces.”

The Rajapaksas and military leaders have denied any wrongdoing, and successive governments have rejected an independent international investigation into alleged human rights violations, citing infringement on the country’s sovereignty.

Tamil families have been waiting for justice and accountability from successive governments since 2009. Rights groups say the Sri Lankan government has been dragging most of the local probes of such human rights abused accusations including thousands of forced disappearances. (Colombo/May 30/2024)

Released last week, just before the 15th anniversary of the war’s end and four months ahead of the next UN human rights session where Sri Lanka is likely to face a new resolution, the report has sparked significant attention from rights groups.

The report, titled “Accountability for Enforced Disappearances in Sri Lanka,” urged justice for all Sri Lankan ethnic groups, including Sinhalese and Muslims, during the war and other insurrections, rather than focusing solely on ethnic minority Tamils as in the past.

Sri Lanka ended a 26-year civil war in 2009 with the state military defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), who fought for an independent state in the island nation’s North and East. The civil war was rooted in 35 years of discrimination against ethnic minority Tamils by the majority Sinhalese.

Tamil families have been waiting for justice and accountability from successive governments since 2009 to find their relatives disappeared during the final weeks of the conflict, amid failures from global rights bodies, including the UN.

On Saturday (May 18), the island nation witnessed two commemorations: Victory Day, mostly in the southern part of the country, and Remembrance Day for the Tamils in Sri Lanka’s North.

London-based rights group Amnesty International has estimated the number of disappeared victims in Sri Lanka between 60,000 and 100,000, although the Sri Lankan government has repeatedly disputed these figures. There is no credible numbers recorded by the government.

“Impunity remains entrenched,” the OHCHR said in its report, expressing dissatisfaction with the Sri Lankan government’s measures over the last 15 years.

“Notwithstanding steps such as the criminalization of enforced disappearances and the establishment of the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) and the Office for Reparations, these have not translated into concrete results that would satisfy victims’ rights to truth, justice, reparations, and guarantees of non-recurrence.”

UN investigations have found credible evidence of crimes under international law and other violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed by both sides of the conflict.

The government has strongly and repeatedly rejected such allegations, and there has been little to no independent or impartial national inquiry into these serious crimes.

The OHCHR said the latest report was prepared with “a series of consultations with victims exploring the impacts of enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka and their perspectives on accountability.”

It held bilateral interviews with 39 victims and convened focus groups involving 43 victims, with a higher ratio of women to compile the report.

TARGETED SANCTIONS

A limited number of Western nations have already imposed targeted sanctions, including travel bans for some Sri Lankan political and military leaders, after finding credible information about human rights violations, the OHCHR said.

The United States has imposed a travel ban on former Army Chief Shavendra Silva and his immediate family members, Navy intelligence officer Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi, Army Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake, army officer Prabath Bulathwatta, and former Navy chief Wasantha Karannagoda, citing human rights violations, the report said.

Canada last year imposed financial sanctions to freeze the assets of former Sri Lankan presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa, along with Chandana Prasad Hettiarachchi and Sunil Ratnayake, citing rights abuses.

Human rights analysts say some Sri Lankan political and military leaders are still unaware that they have been blacklisted by Western nations for rights abuses and will only become aware of such measures when they request visas from these countries.

“Consider further targeted sanctions, consistent with international law, against those who are credibly alleged to have been responsible for enforced disappearances and other gross violations and abuses of international human rights law or serious violations of international humanitarian law,” the OHCHR said.

The Rajapaksas and military leaders have denied any wrongdoing, though successive governments have rejected an independent international investigation into alleged human rights violations, citing infringement on the country’s sovereignty.

Alan Keenan, London-based International Crisis Group’s Sri Lanka Senior Analyst, said the latest report broadens the time horizon to include the disappearances of Sinhala youth during the insurrections led by Marxist group Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) as well.

“It’s an issue that all Sri Lankans have been affected by, which goes to the core of the legal system and the failure of multiple governments, basically every government since the 1970s, to deal with,” Keenan told EconomyNext.

“So I think this report is important in that it reminds everybody in the international community and in Sri Lanka of the depth of the problem that Sri Lanka faces in terms of its lack of effective institutions of the rule of law and the many decades of impunity for the most serious violations of international human rights law and, during the war, international humanitarian law.”

“What’s also positive is that the range of recommendations in the report potentially benefits all communities—Tamils, Sinhalese, Muslims, men, and women, rich and poor.”

He noted that human rights issues are often presented by the government in the media as being anti-Sri Lankan and anti-Sinhala majority, favoring only Tamils, Muslims, Christians, or other minority groups.

“This report shows that acting on accountability, holding people accountable, setting up new institutions to make that possible, bringing out the truth, and reforming and strengthening the institutions of justice and the rule of law is everybody’s issue. It should benefit all communities. That’s what’s most interesting and important about this report.”

INTERNATIONAL JURISDICTION

The OHCHR has urged the international community to engage with Sri Lanka due to an “accountability gap at the domestic level,” with victims urging prosecution in a third State due to “widespread impunity in Sri Lanka.”

Citing examples of some Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) filing legal actions against former Sri Lankan military leaders in Brazil, Australia, Germany, and Switzerland, the OHCHR noted that no state has yet issued an arrest warrant or prosecuted any Sri Lankans suspected of involvement in an enforced disappearance.

“A key stumbling block has been the immunities afforded to persons who remain in high office or have subsequently been appointed to diplomatic posts,” it said.

“Use all potential forms of jurisdiction, including under accepted principles of extraterritorial and universal jurisdiction, to investigate and prosecute crimes under international law committed in Sri Lanka, strengthen coordination in relation to ongoing investigations, and consider support for other avenues of international justice.”

International Crisis Group’s Keenan explained that cases targeting alleged perpetrators in Sri Lanka could also be pursued in other countries.

Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard, who witnessed the Remembrance Day by the Tamils in the final battlefield of Mullivaikkal, said the Sri Lankan government is best placed to provide answers to the victims, though past “domestic mechanisms to establish accountability in the last 15 years have been mere window dressing.”

“UNWARRANTED, PREPOSTEROUS” REPORT

Sri Lanka’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the UN report, stating that no member country had given a mandate to the OHCHR to compile such a report at a time when Sri Lanka was commemorating the 15th anniversary of the war’s end.

“This is unwarranted,” a Foreign Ministry spokesman told EconomyNext.

“The timing of the release is politically motivated and seems to be targeting the 15th anniversary of the end of the war. The content is unsubstantiated, not credible, and unfounded. It has just interviewed a few victims and targeted our senior officials and military personnel.”

He accused the United Nations Human Rights body of deliberately targeting a small country like Sri Lanka to “draw attention away from human rights violations elsewhere in the world.”

“It has asked to probe disappearances from 1970–2009. This is almost 40 years, covering a substantial period of post-independent Sri Lanka. This is totally preposterous.”

Sri Lanka will respond to the UN Human Rights High Commissioner on the content of the report through its Geneva envoy, he said.

Sri Lanka has admitted to some human rights violations but has strongly rejected any foreign probes into the allegations. Despite the island nation’s protest, the UN rights body has passed two resolutions to conduct an independent investigation with its own officials. (Colombo/May 21/2024)

“Applications from eligible persons have been called to fill the vacancies in the posts of member in
the Office on Missing Persons (OMP),” it said in a statement.

Applications should be prepared in accordance with the information available on the Parliament website and sent on or before May 27 to; ‘Secretary-General to the Constitutional Council, Constitutional Council – Office, Parliament of Sri Lanka, Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte by registered post, or by email to constitutionalcouncil@parliament.lk the statement said.

Applicants should indicate ‘Appointment of Members to the OMP’ on the top left-hand corner of the envelope, or as the subject of the email.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe has said the government hopes to resolve the issue of missing persons by 2025. “We are committed to resolving the land issue in the North and addressing the missing persons’ matter before the conclusion of 2025,” Wickremesinghe was quoted in a statement by his media division earlier this year.

The Council of the European Union in November in a Joint Staff Working document on the progress of Sri Lanka, highlighted concerns regarding the independence and effectiveness of the Office on Missing Persons and the Office of Reparations, after the introduction of the 20th amendment of the Sri Lankan Constitution in October 2020.

A trade concession scheme with the European Union trade bloc, namely, the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+), for Sri Lankan exports is conditional on compliance with international human rights conventions.(Colombo/May6/2024)

Philippe Lazzarini, head of UNRWA, in a letter addressed to President Ranil Wickremesinghe, “expressed sincere appreciation for Sri Lanka’s substantial financial contribution towards addressing the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip,” a statement by the president’s media division said.

“Lazzarini emphasized the dire situation faced by over two million Palestinians in Gaza, particularly the majority who are Palestine Refugees under UNRWA’s mandate. Despite formidable challenges, UNRWA staff remain steadfast in delivering essential aid, advocating for adherence to international humanitarian law, and ensuring continuous humanitarian support across Gaza.”

The contribution from Sri Lanka to UNRWA “will significantly bolster efforts to address critical humanitarian needs, especially for the more than a million individuals seeking shelter in UNRWA facilities.”

Expressing gratitude for Sri Lanka’s unwavering commitment to Palestine Refugees and to UNRWA, Lazzarini conveyed confidence in continued support from the Sri Lankan government, according to the statement.

The deadline for the Children of Gaza Fund has now been extended until May 31. Originally scheduled to conclude on April 30, the extension follows appeals from across the island.

Those wishing to donate should deposit their contributions to Bank of Ceylon (7010), Taprobane Branch (747), account number 7040016 before the deadline. Donors are also requested to forward the receipt of their deposit to 077-9730396 via WhatsApp, as per the instructions from the Presidential Secretariat. (Colombo/May1/2024)

“As Sri Lanka observes Ramadan today, a sombre situation unfolds in the Gaza Strip, where the Muslim community mourns the loss of approximately thirty-five thousand lives,” Wickremesinghe was quoted in a statement by his media division.

“In light of this tragedy, we have decided to forego the national Ramadan festival this year and allocate the funds to support the people of Gaza. Additionally, a commitment has been made to construct a school in Gaza once the conflict subsides.”

Contributions totaling 10 million rupees from Kathankudi Mosque, 2.2 million from Katu Kale Jumma Mosque, and 3.5 million from Muslim foreign employment agencies were handed over to President Ranil Wickremesinghe for distribution among the affected community.

“It’s noteworthy that Ramadan coincides with the Sinhala New Year, reflecting a culture of inclusivity transcending racial and religious barriers throughout our history.”

Wickremesinghe acknowledged past challenges faced by the community. “The recent pandemic posed challenges for the Muslim community in conducting proper last rites, causing immense distress.

“To address this, future legislation will enable individuals to carry out their last rites in accordance with their religious beliefs or final wishes, ensuring everyone’s right to burial or cremation. We are committed to formulating the necessary regulations to honour individuals’ preferences in this regard.”

Efforts are also underway to regulate Madrasa schools under the Ministry of Education, Wickremesinghe said. (Colombo/Apr8/2024)

“During this holy month of Ramadan, I extend my heartfelt apology to our Muslim brothers and sisters for the harm caused by the mandatory cremation policy during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Thondaman said on X (twitter).

Thondaman said that after he took responsibility as Minister for the water sector last year, he requested officials to conduct an independent study to determine whether there was any truth to the allegations of risk to ground water contamination by burials of those who succumbed to COVID-19.

“The findings of this study have now proven to us that the concerns regarding water contamination were misguided and the decision to forcefully cremate those who succumbed to COVID-19 was not based on any science.”

“I understand the grief to many that was caused by this policy and regret the pain it inflicted on so many families.

“As the Minister now responsible for water supply, I take responsibility for the mistakes and failures made by my predecessors in furthering this narrative of harm.”

The Sri Lanka government’s stubborn insistence, under the presidency of Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2020, 2021, on cremating Muslim and Christian victims of the virus, going against their religious believes, drew widespread condemnation from UN experts and Muslim countries.

Related stories

Sri Lanka foreign minister claims entire cabinet opposed COVID-19 cremations, blames media

Sri Lanka health official defends debunked COVID-19 cremation mandate

UN experts urge end to forced cremations of Covid dead

Thondaman said he and Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry will submit a Cabinet Paper for the Government to formally make an apology for the harm this policy caused. (Colombo/Apr4)2024)

During this holy month of Ramadan, I extend my heartfelt apology to our Muslim brothers and sisters for the harm caused by the mandatory cremation policy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

After I took responsibility as Minister for the water sector last year, I requested my… pic.twitter.com/6Zvfk42vCG

— Jeevan Thondaman (@JeevanThondaman) April 3, 2024

The donation was formally transferred to the Government of Palestine through the United Nations’ official channel, on Monday, a statement by the president’s media division said.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe presented the cheque to Palestinian Ambassador in Sri Lanka Zuhair M H Zaid.

In addition, over 20 million rupees has been contributed to the “Children of Gaza Fund”. These funds are scheduled to be formally transferred to the Palestinian government in the coming days.

Anyone interested in contributing could do so before April 30, by depositing money to the Bank of Ceylon (Account number: 7040016), Taprobane Branch (Branch code: 747). Donors are requested to send the relevant deposit receipt via Whatsapp to 077-9730396.

The primary source of aid to Gaza comes from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions, mostly from government donors. But allegations by Israel have seen several key donors withhold funding at this critical point. (Colombo/Apr2/2024)

President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government last year has disqualified the two Indian bidders Madras Security Printers (MSP) and Protein Technologies which won the tenders in the previous bidding process for the project which has raised concern over possible breach of personal data protection.

India has already given an advance aid of 450 million Indian rupees to the Sri Lankan government to fund the unique ID project, which aims to collect biographic and biometric information, including facial, iris, and fingerprint data.

“We are waiting for the cabinet approval. For that we have to present this to the cabinet and explain to them. We will be able to get the approval from the cabinet. Once we get the approval, we are ready to move ahead,” Kanaka Herath, the State Minister of Information Technology told reporters at a media briefing on Thursday.

Hearth himself on December 18 said the second call for bids “most probably” invited at the end of last year and the government “will be able to select a bidder most probably in the first quarter” of 2024.”

Officials who are aware of the project timeline did not say the reasons for the delay.

Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka Santhosh Jha last month said the project was in the process of appointing a consultant and the country would see in the “middle of this year.”

The decision to award the tender to print unique ID cards for an Indian firm has raised concerns over data privacy of Sri Lankan citizens and protection of personal data.

Some security analysts have raised concern over data privacy with Indian companies being selected to print the IDs. Minister Herath last week said there was no security concerns as the data inputs are handled by a local form.

LOCAL FIRM FOR DATA PROTECTION

“Since it is funded by the Indian government, we have to go with Indian firm. But the maintenance part and the service part are carried out by local company. Data capturing will be done by the local company,” he said.

Separately, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Public Security has called for tenders and four foreign manufactures with local partners have bided for a separate electronic National Identity Card (e-NIC) project, the Public Security Minister Tiran Alles said last month.

Alles has publicly acknowledged that the Indian project has the risk of data privacy breach, and he would not want data of Sri Lankan citizens “to go out to any other country”.

The Department of Personal Registration which is in charge of issuing NICs comes under the purview of Alles’ Ministry of Public Security. But the Indian project is handled by Ministry of Technology.

The Indian project is expected to store the personal data of every individual in a centralized system to issue identification cards as per the standards set by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), government officials have said, to effective and efficient delivery of government services, financial inclusion, and poverty reduction.

An Indo-Sri Lanka Joint Project Monitoring Committee (JPMC) has already been appointed to oversee the progress of the project. (Colombo/March 04/2024)

The government will contribute a million US dollars and use funds allocated by state agencies for Ifthar celebrations.

Public contributions are also called.

The Presidential Secretariat is requesting public donations citizens for the “Children of Gaza Fund” to be contributed to account number 7040016 at Bank of Ceylon (7010), Taprobane Branch (747) by 11th April.

Deposit receipts should to be forwarded to 0779730396 via WhatsApp. (Colombo/Feb27/2024)

“I emphasized Sri Lanka’s commitment to pursuing tangible progress on reconciliation and Human Rights through domestic institutions while maintaining its constructive engagement with the United Nations,” Minister of Foreign Affairs M U M Ali Sabry said on social media platform X (twitter).

Sabry chaired the inaugural session of the Inter-Ministerial Standing Committee on Human Rights at the Ministry pf Foreign Affairs on Tuesday (13).

Foreign Secretary Aruni Wijewardane, Sabri said, “explained the structure of the Committee as a permanent national framework to ensure efficient coordination and reporting on Sri Lanka’s voluntary international commitments regarding human rights and reconciliation. (Colombo/February13/2024)

“Tea, deeply rooted in our culture, is a gesture of comfort and strength. Sri Lanka extends our support to the people of Palestine, hoping that this contribution brings solace and strength during moments of crisis. Sri Lanka stands in solidarity with Palestine during these difficult times,” State Minister of Foreign Affairs Tharaka Balasuriya said on X.

The donation was received by the Ambassador of Palestine to Sri Lanka, Zuhair Hamdallah Zaid who expressed appreciation for the goodwill gesture.

Colombo-based ambassadors of Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran as well as diplomats from Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Libya and UAE were also present, the ministry said.

Balasuriya expressed Sri Lanka’s solidarity with the people of Palestine and emphasized the collective action to address their suffering.

Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe has offered to build a school in Palestine “upon the return of stability”. Gaza has been under siege for nearly four months.

Sri Lanka Tea Board arranged the donation of Ceylon Tea, and Sri Lankan Airlines will airlift the consignment to Riyadh. (Colombo/Jan30/2024)

“In my address to the NAM Committee on Palestine, I reiterated Sri Lanka’s continued support for a ceasefire in Gaza, provision of humanitarian aid and a lasting solution based on UN resolutions and 1967 borders Palestine,” Sabry said on X.

“We must acknowledge that until everyone is safe, no one is safe. Until the Palestinians are safe, the middle east is not safe. Until the middle east is safe, the world is not safe,” Sabry said.

Reiterating that non-alignment is the cornerstone of Sri Lanka’s foreign policy, Sabry said that “contemporary global crises had brought the fragilities of the world to the forefront and that this has magnified the relevance of the Movement, as never before” according to a Foreign Ministry statement.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Sabry held bilateral discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Uganda – Odongo Jeje Abubakher, Pakistan – Jalil Abbas Jilani and Algeria – Ahmed Attaf.

Sri Lanka was a founding member of the Movement and hosted the 5th NAM Summit of Heads of State and Government in 1976.

The NAM consists of 120 member states is based on the Bandung Principles.

Uganda assumed the Chairmanship of the 19th Summit of the Heads of State and Government. (Colombo/Jan19/2024)

Sri Lanka has recognized the drug menace as one of the key threats and Alles has backed drastic measures in a police-led operation titled “Yukthiya” (justice) to nab the drug distributors across the country.

Since the operation was launched in mid-December, the police have arrested nearly 39,000 people mostly with drugs including heroin, cannabis, synthetic drugs, and cocaine, police data show.

The UN Human Rights Commission last week said it was “very concerned that authorities in Sri Lanka” were “adopting a heavily security-based response to the country’s drugs problem, instead of public health policies grounded in human rights”.

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has urged the Sri Lankan government to review the ongoing “Yukthiya” operation, and to implement human rights based approaches, notably the right to health, in addressing the issues of illicit drugs in society.

Liz Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in a statement said people were reported to have been subjected to a number of violations during and after these operations, including unauthorised searches, arbitrary arrests and detention, ill-treatment, torture, and strip searches in public.

Throssell also said lawyers acting for those detained have alleged that they have faced intimidation from police officers.

However, Minister Alles said most of the content in the statement by the UN was generalized.

“Unfortunately, the Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka and the UN Human Rights Commission, they go on the people who write to them with various kinds of things,” Alles told Foreign Correspondents’ Association (FCA) forum on Thursday (18).

“If they say these 3-4 incidents have happened and please inquire, it is that I will accept. But generally, you make a statement. On what basis?”

“The Human Rights Commission’s duty is to tell us: okay, these are the incidents and get our answers. Without all that, they issue statements.”

“ON WHAT BASIS THEY ISSUED THIS STATEMENT?”

The operation has led to nab around 4.8 billion Sri Lankan rupee worth drugs and the police have taken assets worth of 725 million rupees including assets and properties under the Money Laundering Act, police data show.

According to the police data, out of 39,000 arrested, 1,703 people have been detained with detention orders, while nearly 2,000 people have been sent to rehabilitation and others have been released on bail.

Alles said he had asked the local UN Resident Representative this week to speak to the Human Rights Commission and ask them “on what basis they issued this statement”.

“I don’t want these kinds of statements. Tell them to come up with facts and figures,” he said.

“I will be very honest. As far as I am concerned, the UN Human Rights Commission…can issue statements. But I will not stop this operation. We will go ahead, and we will do it in the same way because we know that we are doing something good for the children of this country, for the women of this country.”

“And that is why the general public is whole heartedly with us in this operation. If we are doing anything wrong on the ground, people are not going to support this.”

The UN in its statement said a heavy-handed law enforcement approach is not the solution for the drug use which has become “a serious challenge to society”.

It said the abuse of drugs and the factors that lead to it are first and foremost public health and social issues.

“People suspected of selling or trafficking drugs are entitled to humane treatment, with full respect for due process and transparent, fair trials,” Throssell, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said. (Colombo/Jan 18/2024)

The government was committed to safeguarding the freedom of navigation while ensuring a minimal adverse impact on Sri Lanka’s economy, Wickremesinghe was quoted as saying in a statement by his media division.

Led by the Palestinian Ambassador, representatives of Egypt, Qatar, UAE, Libya, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iraq attended the meeting.

Wickremesinghe emphasized Sri Lanka’s commitment to the two-state solution in Palestine, and underscored the necessity for authorities to take steps in removing settlers from the West Bank while advocating for the establishment of a permanent, functional Palestinian Government.

He called for continued humanitarian supplies, including contributions by Sri Lanka, to Gaza.

The President outlined Sri Lanka’s foreign policy, which includes the strengthening of relations with Asia, West Asia, Africa and the Middle East in addition to existing relations with the West.

Sri Lanka is dedicated to contributing to regional stability, he pointed out.

The government’s decision to send a Navy ship to the Red Sea, where ships affiliated with Israel have come under attack by Yemen’s Houthi faction, has raised concerns.

Related stories
Sri Lanka to send Navy ship to counter Houthi attacks in Red Sea

Sri Lanka sails in to the breach as ships by-pass Middle East over Houthi attacks

Container terminals at Sri Lanka’s Colombo have seen daily volumes surge as much as 80 percent, a top official said, as the port stepped in as the transshipment hub for Middle Eastern by-passed by vessels over Houthi attacks. (Colombo/Jan12/20024)

The US embassy said in a statement Monday December 11 afternoon that this will be Smith’s first trip to South Asia in her new role. The official will be making stops in Colombo, Nuwara Eliya, and Kandy.

Throughout the week, Special Representative Cormier Smith will meet with Malaiyaha Tamils, civil society groups, and government officials to reiterate US government support to help advance the human rights of members of marginalised ethnic communities in Sri Lanka, the US embassy said.

“Special Representative Cormier Smith will participate in the launch of the US Embassy’s English Access Scholarship Programme in Nuwara Eliya, a State Department-funded global programme that provides a foundation of English language skills to bright, economically disadvantaged students. She will also present awards to 25 students who successfully completed an intensive three-month bootcamp dedicated to content creation. This initiative aims to equip youth from the Malaiyaha Tamil community with new job skills to enhance their economic opportunities,” it said.

The welfare of the ethnic group has received the attention of the government of India as well, with the Narendra Modi government announcing plans to expand a housing project for Indian-origin Tamil plantation workers residing in the island nation’s central hills.

Related:

Modi govt expands housing project for Sri Lanka’s Indian-origin estate workers

President Wickremesinghe has also announced a “comprehensive programme” to “fully integrate this community into Sri Lankan society”.

The government is committed to providing Malaiyaha Tamils with land titles and ensuring their right to education, he recently said at an event organised to mark 200 years since the Indian Origin Tamils arrived in Sri Lanka from India as plantation workers.

Related:

President assures Malaiyaha Tamils integration

(Colombo/Dec11/2023)

Sri Lanka is facing an international investigation through a United Nation Human Rights Council (UNHRC) into its human rights records amid allegations that its military committed war crimes in the final phase of a 26-year civil conflict that ended in 2009.

Successive Sri Lankan governments have resisted international probes, but repeated resolutions led by Western nations including the United States, Britain, and Canada, where diaspora of ethnic minority Tamils are influential, have resulted in UNHRC ordering for an external probe.

“We have to look after our people’s human rights in our country. What are the human rights they (Western nations) have in their country?” Sabry asked the reporters in Colombo when he was questioned over why Sri Lanka’s relation with foreign countries is odd when it comes to human rights.

“16,000 people have been killed in Gaza. Are they asking to stop it? They fund it and provide arms. We don’t accept their double standards. But we need to treat our people with dignity.”

RIGHTS ABUSES 

Analysts say ethnic minority Tamils and Muslims have sought external intervention on human rights violations against them because of repeated failure mainly by the judiciary and police in implementing the rule of law.

They blame the police for using the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) to arrest people who are dissenting against those in power. At least 11 Tamil youth were arrested under the PTA last week for glorifying the banned organization of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) who were defeated in the war 14 years ago.

However, Sabry said he disagrees using PTA “unnecessarily”.

“I don’t agree with the recent PTA arrests. The PTA was amended when I was the justice minister. It is not because of what they (foreign countries) say. But we need to create a situation to allow the Tamils to live with dignity in the country,” he said.

“We request the young Tamil generation not to join the idea of separatism. All the local Tamil leaders in parliament say they do not have the separatist ideology. However, the Tamil diaspora still has that ideology.”

He said the Truth Reconciliation Commission should come to serve justice for Tamil and the PTA should be changed.

“What we advise is people can do memorialization. We don’t have an issue with that. Even the parents of Prabakaran (LTTE leader) can have a remembrance event for their son. But don’t glorify LTTE,” he said.

“Memorializing your loved ones, we have absolutely no problem. But glorifying a banned terrorist organization which brought violence to this country, which sent a generation of Tamils backward, we don’t want a repeat of that. No one wants that.”

“We must solve our problem here. No one else is going to solve our problem. They (Tamil diaspora) are doing vote bank politics.” (COLOMBO/Dec 8/2023)

The forum brought together families whose loved ones have gone missing due to armed conflict, migration, or other situations of violence.

“Thirty-seven families of missing persons from all communities in Sri Lanka joined from Colombo, Vavuniya and Batticaloa to share their experience and exchange their views with families from other countries,” a statement by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sri Lanka said.

The event was hosted by ICRC delegations and Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies through 44 conference hubs around the world.

“The conference provided a virtual platform for families to see how others around the world are coping with the uncertainty, understand the challenges, learn about the support services available to them and how families can help each other.”

The participating families were also given the opportunity to interact with the Global Alliance for the Missing, a group of 12 member states established in 2021 to advocate on the issue of missing persons at diplomatic level.

The conference highlighted the urgency of providing answers about the fate of missing persons, the importance of the participation of families of missing persons in the search process, and the need for dignified treatment of families of missing persons.

The significance of keeping the issue of missing persons on national and global agendas was also pointed out.

Sri Lanka has seen tens of thousands of its citizens disappear without a trace in several insurgencies over the last five decades, most notably during the civil war. (Colombo/Nov30/2023)

Members of parliament Rauff Hakim and Dilan Perera, among others, expressed their support for Palestine on Wednesday at an event organized by the Palestinian Embassy in Sri Lanka.

“The league of nations mandate over Palestine was ending for Britain and France,” Perera said. “To retain control, they created new nations. Israel was formed by expanding into Palestinian land. Israel was Europe’s colony in the middle east under the fantasy of God’s chosen people.”

In October, the South African government announced that it would recall its diplomats from Israel in protest over the bombing of Gaza.

Perera expressed his support for South Africa’s stance and expressed the idea of recalling Sri Lankan diplomats in Israel.

South Africa also filed a referral to the International Criminal Court to arrest Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes.

Perera pointed out that the case of Attorney General of the government of Israel vs Eichmann established the principle of universal jurisdiction, where human rights violations could be prosecuted universally.

“Eichmann was living in Argentina when he was taken to Israel, given a fair trial and executed,” Perera said. “I’m not saying they should be executed but they should be charged for war crimes.”

“The R2P principle was used to suit their own agenda,” Hakeem said referring to western powers.

The Responsibility to Protect, or R2P, is an international norm that seeks to ensure that the international community does not fail to halt the mass atrocity crimes of genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

“Unfortunately, we see this in the Arab world such as in Libya and in Syria. They even tried to justify the invasion of Iraq even though the principle was not invented at the time.”

Ambassador of Kuwait in Sri Lanka Khalaf M M Bu Dhhair pointed out that, “The deprivation of water and electricity that the Palestinian people are facing is a violation of Human Rights in Gaza.”

The United Nations Resident Coordinator Marc-André Franche expressed his support for the 1977 resolution and the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of both Israel and Palestine.

“It is the right of the Palestinians to defend themselves. No one can tell us who can be our leader,” Palestinian Ambassador Zuhair Zaid said. (Colombo/Nov30/2023)

Speaking at a ceremony celebrating the 34th anniversary of the CRC in Colombo on Monday November 20 UNICEF Representative for Sri Lanka Christian Skoog said that, since ratifying the convention, Sri Lanka been able to maintain universal immunisation, achieve near-universal access to primary education at 99 percent, reduce and maintain low rates of children dying before their  fifth birthday at 11 per 1000 live births, and sustain over 88.5 percent access to safe drinking water.

“These are just a few of several remarkable achievements the country has made in protecting children, including through the years of conflict, then tsunami, COVID-19 and most recently, the economic crisis,” said Skoog.

However, more work needs to be done in a number of areas, the official said.

According to a recent Child Multidimensional Poverty in Sri Lanka survey, he said, 42.2 percent of children under five years are deprived or live in a household deprived of two or more basic rights related to health, education, adequate living standards, or early childhood development.

As per the national assessment conducted by the Ministry of Education in 2021-2022, said Skoog, only 14 percent of Grade 3 students reached all essential learning competencies in literacy. In numeracy, it was 15 percent. Yet these competencies form the foundation on which children build their knowledge and different skills for the future, he said.

Across Sri Lanka, the UNICEF representative said, there are over 10,000 children in institutional care and detention living in conditions that fall far short of what they need to develop to their full potential. Over 90 percent of these children have a family to go to and with the right support could return home.

Children aged 16-17 are still judged as adults by the law and detained for long periods of time, he added.

According to Skoog, violence against children continues to stalk children at home, at school and in the community. Given the economic hardships, there is a risk that cases of abuse will increase and at the same time, services will struggle to respond, he said.

“A major tool for a country to address glaring gaps in child rights is the resources it allocates. However, Education and Health budgets remain far below international benchmarks and clearly insufficient to sustain and accelerate progress,” he said.

“According to estimates, in 2023, Sri Lanka invests 7.2 percent of total government expenditure (international benchmark is 15 to 20 percent) towards education, equivalent to 1.3 percent of GDP (international benchmark is 4 to 6 percent).”

On health, said Skoog, the government allocates an estimated 7.3 percent of its total government expenditure in 2023, or 1.4 percent of GDP (international benchmark is 5 percent to achieve Universal Health Coverage).

“The writings are on the wall. Action, at speed, is required especially that threats confronting children continue to emerge at an alarming rate, including environmental disasters,” said SKoog.

A UNICEF statement said it calls for the following:

• Prioritisation and increased spending on social sectors to avoid further deterioration of the situation of children, help them overcome the consequences of recent shocks, and put them on a viable path to grow and develop to their full potential.
• Sri Lanka needs to spend smartly and investments in the youngest children yield the highest returns. Evidence on child development and efficiency in public expenditures show the importance of the earliest years of children, with the first 1,000 days in a child’s life providing an unprecedented opportunity to support physical and cognitive growth. Child benefits are an evidence-based and scalable policy that prevents poverty and supports child health, nutrition and education outcomes. They can be progressively implemented, starting from programmes such as the pregnancy voucher for pregnant and lactating women.
• The country needs to take urgent steps to strengthen Foundational Learning now as a core base of human capital development for its future socio-economic development. Evidence shows that as little as $10 to $15 can provide a child with remedial education and strengthen education systems to help ensure every child learns the critical foundational skills.
• The Ministry of Education has developed a strategy (2023 – 2025) for implementing a comprehensive learning recovery programme for primary education in Sri Lanka and all nine provinces have developed costed action plans. While these are encouraging steps, it is important these plans are adequately resourced, including funding and implemented effectively.
• Tackle all forms of violence against children, through the following:
  – Implement the Alternative Care Policy. UNICEF urges the operationalization of the alternative care policy, which outlines a comprehensive range of alternative care options – primarily finding family solutions for all children and encourages reforming all formal structures that provide services for affected children.
  – Take urgent steps to ban and criminalize corporal punishment in all settings. It is not acceptable, not beneficial for anyone, that although its use and harmful effects are known, in Sri Lanka, corporal punishment remains lawful—for parents and teachers to be physically and emotionally violent towards children in the name of discipline and correction.

• Finally, child rights must continue to be above every interest, including political. Child rights can only be achieved if every citizen upholds them and takes decisions and actions based on the best interest of the child.

“Sri Lanka has demonstrated its ability to be a champion for child rights. It now has a choice. Inaction is not one of them,” said Skoog.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) was adopted in 1989 as a promise to every child to protect and fulfil his/her rights, the UNICEF statement said.

The Convention recognises that childhood or being under 18 is a special moment in life for physical growth, play, learning and mental development, said UNICEF, adding that the Convention is the most widely ratified human rights treaty in history and has over the years helped transform children’s rights around the world.

Sri Lanka was among the first countries to sign the Convention in 1990 and ratified it in 1991, committing to implement it and be held accountable, it said. (Colombo/Nov22/2023

“There is an acute water shortage in the north. To mitigate this dangerous situation, we are in discussions on how to implement the ‘River for Jaffna’ project which was proposed by professor Arumugam,” Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena said in parliament on Wednesday.

Gunawardena said that the government is in discussions with engineers, relevant specialist institutions and international bodies on how to implement the policy, and resolve the water supply and irrigation obstacles in the region.

Gunawardena pointed out that desalination was costly and would incur heavy prices for consumers.

In 1954, Engineer Arumugam, former deputy director of the Irrigation Department, proposed a River for Jaffna for the benefit of the Jaffna peninsula water resources and environment.

Over the years, the irrigation department, Mahaweli Authority, various local and foreign consultants, and international agencies have contributed to and improved the proposal. (Colombo/Nov9/2023)