UN High Commissioner for Human Rights presents report on Sri Lanka to 60th HRC

“Sri Lanka today has an historic opportunity to heal from the cycles of violence and impunity that have dominated for decades. The Government has a clear mandate from across the nation for transformative reforms, accountability, truth and justice,” he said.

During his recent visit to Sri Lanka he met with the country’s leadership, who pledged a fresh direction on long-standing issues. The High Commissioner says its crucial for this approach to be translated into a coherent, time-bound plan for concrete action.

In the report, he sets out key areas for focus, including delivering accountability and justice; fundamental legal and institutional reforms; and eliminating the discrimination and division that have poisoned politics for generations.

“First and foremost, my report calls for decisive action by the Government on justice and accountability, which are essential to forging a future of healing, reconciliation and sustainable peace,” he said.

He welcomes the Government’s pledge to take action on major, longstanding issues, including strengthening the rule of law and ending ethnic discrimination and the politics of division.

“During my visit, I witnessed the continued suffering of victims of human rights violations and abuses. At a mass grave site at Chemmani, I met a family who were searching for and grieving the loss of a loved one. A woman from a southern province told me that after 30 years, she is still looking for her husband. Independent, transparent and credible investigations are critical to restoring trust,” the High Commissioner said.

“My report notes that conflict-related sexual violence remains deeply stigmatized, and many survivors feel completely abandoned. Impunity can be a second form of violence that perpetuates cycles of harm. The demands of victims and survivors must be addressed. Their voices must guide the Government’s policies on accountability, truth, justice and reparation,” he said.

This calls for a formal acknowledgment of violations and abuses, including during the civil war. Victims and survivors need the State and its security forces to accept responsibility and recognize the lasting impact of violations and crimes committed by them, alongside those committed by non-state armed groups such as the LTTE.

There must be a shared sense of the facts, he said, welcoming the increased space for memorialisation by victims.

“There is an urgent need for Sri Lanka to undertake deep constitutional, legal and institutional reforms. This is crucial to ensuring that the tragedies of the past can never be repeated,” he said.

“I welcome the Government’s initiative to establish an independent Public Prosecution Office with independent investigators. It is important for civil society organizations to be included in this process,” the High Commissioner said.

His report recommends setting up a dedicated judicial mechanism with an independent special counsel, to look into violations of international human rights and humanitarian law over previous decades.

He urged immediate and sustained action to address deaths in custody and torture, which remain systemic issues.

And he strongly encouraged legislative reform in relation to counterterrorism and cjvic space. Despite the Government’s commitment to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, arbitrary arrests and detentions under the law continue, he said, urging the Government to impose an immediate moratorium on the use of this Act.

“Despite an increasingly open civic space, my report describes ongoing, persistent patterns of intimidation and harassment by security agencies of human rights defenders, victims’ groups and independent journalists. People working on accountability for enforced disappearances, and those working on land disputes and environmental issues, are particular targets,” he said.

“This underlines the need to change the mindset and practice of security agencies.

There is an urgent need for comprehensive security sector reform, including the demilitarization of the north and east; the return of land; and the devolution of power to all levels of governance,” the High Commissioner said.

He welcomed the Government’s declared commitment to economic and social justice. The report notes that many Sri Lankans are enduring extreme hardship, after the worst economic crisis in living memory. Both the poverty rate and food prices have almost doubled in the past five years; malnutrition and childhood stunting have increased by almost a third. Support for the Malaiyahar Tamil community needs to be a priority.

“International engagement, through my Office, this Council and the human rights mechanisms, can play an important part in the change Sri Lanka so desperately needs.

My Office stands ready to assist Sri Lanka on this journey,” Türk said.

One example of the Office’s work, a mandated by the Council, is the Sri Lanka accountability project, through which the Office has built a secure repository of over 105,000 items of evidence – a critical resource for legal processes, justice and truth-seeking, he added.

“I encourage Sri Lanka to seek international assistance with the exhumation of mass graves and other investigations.Together, the international community can support Sri Lankans to escape from the twin threats posed by persistent impunity, and deep inequality,“ the High Commissioner said.

ENDS

For more information and media requests, please contact:

In Geneva

Ravina Shamdasani: +41 22 917 9169 / ravina.shamdasani@un.org

Liz Throssell: +41 22 917 9296 / elizabeth.throssell@un.org

Jeremy Laurence: +41 22 917 9383 / jeremy.laurence@un.org

Marta Hurtado: + 41 22 917 9466 / marta.hurtadogomez@un.org

Thameen Al-Kheetan: +41 76 223 7762/ thameen.alkheetan@un.org

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