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STORY: OHCHR / SRI LANKA HUMAN RIGHTS
TRT: 02:07
SOURCE: OHCHR
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 13 AUGUST 2025 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND
1. SOUNDBITE (English) Jeremy Laurence, Spokesperson, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:
“A report by our Office calls on Sri Lanka’s Government to seize the opportunity to break with entrenched impunity, implement transformative reforms, and to deliver long-overdue justice and accountability for serious violations and abuses committed in the past, including international crimes. Today, an opportunity presents itself for Sri Lanka to break from the past, with the leadership pledging a fresh direction on long-standing issues, including delivering justice to victims, restoring the rule of law, and eliminating discrimination and divisive politics. Now, it needs a comprehensive roadmap to translate these commitments into results. This process should start with a clear and formal acknowledgment of the violations, abuses and crimes that occurred, including during the civil war, of the responsibility of the State and security forces personnel, as well as non-state armed groups such as the LTTE, and of the enduring impact of this violence on victims and communities. The pain and suffering of victims remains palpable and their demands for truth and justice must be addressed. The report urges the international community to contribute to meaningful accountability and reconciliation efforts. While the primary responsibility for investigating and prosecuting crimes under international law and ensuring accountability lies with the Government of Sri Lanka, this can be complemented and supported by international means. The report calls for the release of military-held land in the north and east, repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the release of long-term PTA prisoners, some of whom have now served decades in jail. It also details intimidation and harassment of civil society, land disputes, and environmental issues, as well as the intimidation and surveillance of the families of the disappeared.”
“A report published today by the UN Human Rights Office calls on Sri Lanka’s Government to seize the historic opportunity to break with entrenched impunity, implement transformative reforms, and deliver long-overdue justice and accountability for serious violations and abuses committed in the past, including international crimes,” UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said.
“Today, Sri Lanka stands at a crossroads with the leadership pledging a fresh direction on long-standing issues, including delivering justice to victims, restoring the rule of law, and eliminating discrimination and divisive politics. It now needs a comprehensive roadmap to translate these commitments into results,” he said.
“This process should start with a clear and formal acknowledgment of the violations, abuses and crimes that occurred, including during the civil war, of the responsibility of the State and security forces personnel, as well as non-state armed groups such as the LTTE, and of the enduring impact of this violence on victims and communities. The pain and suffering of victims remains palpable and their demands for truth and justice must be addressed,” he added.
The report comes shortly after the High Commissioner’s official visit to the country, where he engaged with the Government, civil society, victims’ groups, political parties and religious leaders, and visited Trincomalee, Jaffna and Kandy. It calls for comprehensive structural reform of the security sector, strengthening of the independence of the judiciary and prosecution service, and for broader constitutional, legal and institutional reforms that comply with the country’s international human rights obligations.
“These measures are crucial to realizing the Government's vision of ‘national unity’ and above all ensuring there can never be recurrence of past violations,” Türk said. He reiterated the UN Human Rights Office’s continued commitment to support Sri Lanka in advancing accountability, reconciliation and human rights.
Welcoming the Government’s initiative to establish an independent Public Prosecutors office, the report recommends the establishment of a dedicated judicial mechanism, including an independent special counsel, to address cases of serious human rights violations and grave breaches of international humanitarian law.
“The report urges the international community to contribute to meaningful accountability and reconciliation efforts. While the primary responsibility for investigating and prosecuting crimes under international law and ensuring accountability lies with the Government of Sri Lanka, this can be complemented and supported by international means,” Laurence said, adding the report, in particular urges UN Member States to leverage the UN Human Rights Office’s strengthened capacity to undertake accountability-related work and contribute to reconciliation efforts.
While the Government has opened space for memorialisation and debate, the report also describes a persistent pattern of intimidation and harassment targeting civil society actors, particularly those working on accountability for enforced disappearances, land disputes, and environmental issues, as well as the intimidation and surveillance of the families of the disappeared.
“According to the information received, military and civilian intelligence officials, including from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) or the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) often summon them or visit them at their homes or offices to question their programmes, funding, staff contacts and international travel, without legal basis. Some received police summons and faced legal harassment for participating in protests,” the report states.
“The report calls for the release of military-held land in the north and east, repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the release of long-term PTA prisoners, some of whom have now served decades in jail. It also details intimidation and harassment of civil society, land disputes, and environmental issues, as well as the intimidation and surveillance of the families of the disappeared,” the spokesperson added.
The report also examines the serious impacts of the economic crisis and current debt burden on all Sri Lankans, particularly the poorest and those in other situations of vulnerability, including the Malaiyahar Tamil community in the plantation sector.
The High Commissioner urges international financial institutions and external creditors to provide the Government with the fiscal space needed to realise economic, social and cultural rights and to ensure that austerity measures do not undermine the country’s ability to act to fulfil its human rights obligations.
