Sri Lanka
Respect for fundamental human rights in Sri Lanka fell in serious jeopardy following Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s election as president in November 2019. Sri Lanka not only stalled on providing accountability and reconciliation 10 years after its civil war ended, but also withdrew from commitments made at the UN Human Rights Council. The draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act remains in effect, facilitating torture and other abuse. The government failed to initiate security sector or criminal justice reform. Human rights defenders and victims of past abuses are subjected to intimidation and surveillance. Muslims and other religious minorities face ongoing threats and violence. Government measures to control the Covid-19 pandemic discriminate against Islamic funeral practices.
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Free SpeechThe Sri Lankan government should end the targeted arrests, intimidation and threats against the lives and physical security of lawyers, activists, human rights defenders and journalists, 10 international human rights organizations said today. A campaign of fear has intensified since the 2019 presidential election, and has cast a shadow over the 2020 parliamentary election campaign.Sri Lanka: Human Rights Under Attack
July 29, 2020
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Free SpeechThe Sri Lankan authorities should stop targeting, intimidating, and harassing journalist and woman human rights defender, Dharisha Bastians, and her family. The Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Front Line Defenders condemn this assault on human rights and press freedom in Sri Lanka and call on the Sri Lanka Police to immediately stop the harassment and ensure Bastians’ safety.Sri Lanka: End Persecution of Journalist
June 24, 2020
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Sri Lanka: Muslims Face Threats, Attacks
Authorities Should Act Against Incitement by Buddhist Nationalists
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“All Five Fingers Are Not the Same”
Discrimination on Grounds of Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation in Sri Lanka
News
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Sri Lanka: Human Rights Under Attack
Lawyers, Human Rights Defenders, and Journalists Arrested, Threatened, Intimidated
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Sri Lanka: End Persecution of Journalist
Dharisha Bastians Targeted for Reports, Defense of Human Rights
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Sri Lanka Investigates Rebel Leader Turned Politician
Colonel Karuna Implicated in Killings, Torture, Child Recruitment
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Sri Lankan Officials Stoke Covid-19 Communal Hate
11 Years After Civil War’s End, No Reconciliation Efforts
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Sri Lanka Uses Pandemic to Curtail Free Expression
Police Ordered to Arrest Critics in Military-Led COVID-19 Response
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Sri Lanka: Justice Undone for Massacre Victims
Presidential Pardon Shows Rajapaksa’s Indifference to Army Atrocities
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Sri Lanka: Security Agencies Shutting Down Civic Space
Rights Activists, Journalists Facing Surveillance, Threats
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UN Rights Council Should Uphold Sri Lanka Commitments
Weak Response from Country Core Group Ignores Victims’ Plight
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UN rights body should ensure accountability in Sri Lanka, independent reporting on Xinjiang, and annual updating of OPT database
Statement on Item 2 General Debate at HRC43
