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AI: Lanka made “no progress” in addressing HR violations
Sri Lanka has made “no progress” in addressing the human rights violations committed in the armed conflict Amnesty International said in its latest annual world report.
The report, The State of the World’s Human Rights, highlighted that Sri Lankan authorities failed to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable in domestic courts and that “no notable progress” had been made on emblematic cases either. Given “Sri Lanka’s failures to provide redress to victims of crimes under international law and grave human rights abuses”, the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adopted resolution 51/L1 on Sri Lanka, which will “extend and reinforce the capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve” evidence that may be used in future war crimes trials.
In their report, Amnesty International also noted that Tamil families of the disappeared don’t have any confidence in domestic mechanisms such as the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) which have failed to provide any answers. The families have been engaged in continuous roadside protests demanding to know the fate of their loved ones, who were forcibly disappeared at the hands of the Sri Lankan forces. Instead of addressing the families demands, the state’s forces have repeatedly subjected them to intense surveillance and harassment and have been “pressured to accept financial compensation and death certificates.”
The report further highlights the ongoing use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), a draconian law, which has been used disproportinately to detain Tamils and Muslim. Despite repeated pledges to repeal and replace the legislation, Sri Lanka has continued to use it.
Last year, protests erupted across the island following routine power cuts and a lack of fuel and food due to the island’s economic crisis, leading to the resignation of Gotabaya and Mahinda Rajapaksa. The state responded to the protests with excessive force in an attempt to quash the mass protests.
“There were multiple instances of excessive and unnecessary force being used against people queuing for fuel,” the report said.
The rights group also noted that human rights defenders, trade unionists and students were charged with participating in “unlawful assemblies”.Amnesty International’s country report on Sri Lanka noted that by the end of the 2022, the government did not support a Private Member’s Bill which is seeking to amend the Penal Code provisions that criminalise same-sex conduct.
In a press release, Amnesty International expressed that the international community’s responses to Sri Lanka’s economic crisis and its crackdown on dissenting voices were “inadequate”. The organisation went on to say that “the failure of global and regional institution – hamstrung by the self-interest of their members – to respond adequately to global conflicts, climate change and global energy and food crises has disrupted an already weak multilateral system.”
News
Cabinet nod to increase the number of new automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranayake International Airport to 12
Approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 19.05.2025 to purchase four (04) automated passenger clearance gates for Bandaranayake International Airport.
In addition, it is expected to extend the automated passenger clearance gates facility so far given only to the Sri Lankans
parallel to the e – passport issuance system to be introduced in the year 2027 also to the foreigners who travel to and from this country.
Furthermore, considering also the number of air passengers rapidly increasing with the fast – forwarding business and tourism field, the appropriateness to increase the total automated passenger clearance gates up to twelve (12) in number has been recognized.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers, approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs to initiate the procurement and installation of 12
automated passenger clearance gates altogether with the already approved four (04) and another eight (08) automated passenger clearance gates adhering to the formal procurement procedure
Based on the observations submitted by the Task Force on Prevention of Money Laundering and Financing for Terrorism, approval of the Cabinet of Ministers was granted at their meeting held on 18.12.2024 to amend the Trust Ordinance No. 9 of 1917 including amendments proposed by the Financial
Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.
Accordingly, clearance of the Attorney General has been granted for the Trust (Amendment) Draft Bill formulated by the Legal Draftsman.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution furnished by the Minister of Justice and National Integration
to publish the said draft bill in the government gazette notification and thereby, submit the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Action was taken to provide a fuel relief for the fuel consumers during the months of April, May and June of 2026 to redress by minimizing the impact caused to the day today life of the citizens of this country as well as the entire economy due to the price hike of petroleum fuel in the global market resulting from the war situation in the Middle East.
Government mediation is essential for minimizing the impact on the day to today life of citizens in this country due to that war situation not being ended further. Therefore, it has been planned to redress on the sale price for Auto Diesel and Industrial Diesel for a period of 03 months by the Government to provide relief to the public as well as to maintain the prices at a bearable level to the consumers without escalating the fuel prices in this country compared to the escalation of fuel prices
in the international market.
Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the resolution furnished by the President in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Planning and Economic Development to
allocate provisions subject to the monthly limitations respectively as rupees 15 billion for the month of October, rupees 13.5 billion for the month of November and rupees 12.15 billion for the month of December to provide the said relief
Cabinet nod to increase the number of new automated passenger clearance gates at the Bandaranayake International Airport to 12
Draft Bill for amending the Trust Ordinance
Implementing further relief programme to Public sffected by the Middle East conflict situation
Establishment of a Spectrum Management and Monitoring System and a Quality of Service and Quality of Experience System for the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka
Appointment of a Committee for the Restitution of Sri Lankan Cultural Heritage Held Abroad
Ten-Year National Action Plan on the Social Protection Sector (2026–2035)
‘Dates have the highest sugar content to fight Coronavirus’
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