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Geneva controversy: Ambika hits back hard at Foreign Ministry
Human Rights Advocate Ambika Satkunanathan has alleged that the culture of impunity is well documented, not only by civil society organisations, human rights defenders and the UN, but most importantly the Supreme Court and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. Since 2020 several incidents of violence by state officials have been publicly recorded. Yet, to date, the number of persons held accountable is negligible.
The former member of the Human Rights Commission said so in a statement issued in response to a statement titled ‘Human Rights: FM challenges Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust over its representations to Geneva ‘ in Feb 5, 2022 edition of The Island. The following is the text of her statement issued in response to the Foreign Ministry statement that dealt with Satkunanathan’s representations before the European Parliament Sub-Committee on Human Rights:”The FM
statement contains numerous misrepresentations and insinuations, and appears to be aimed at silencing critique of government policies and actions.
In my statement to the Sub-Committee, I spoke of a number of issues, many of which I have previously written about with supporting evidence. This is available in the public domain. These are issues that other civil society organisations and activists have raised and documented over the years. In this context, the government labelling my statement “misleading”, appears to be an effort to downplay the issues raised and deceive the public.
It is disturbing the government has taken umbrage at my appeal to the European Union (EU) to advocate with the government to fulfil its international human rights obligations using GSP Plus trade privileges as a conduit. The GSP Plus privileges are dependent on the recipient fulfilling human rights obligations. The said human rights obligations are obligations the government has a duty to fulfill as a member of the United Nations and signatory to several UN conventions. These are obligations that provide protections to the citizens of Sri Lanka.
It is regrettable the government refuses to acknowledge that any adverse outcome of the GSP Plus review process would only be due to its failure to fulfill the GSP Plus scheme’s requirements. Hence, it is the government that has to take responsibility for any adverse outcomes. Instead, the government implies that those who advocate for the protection of the marginalised, such as Free Trade Zone workers, are responsible for a possible adverse outcome because they highlight the government’s failures. This is an attempt to deflect blame. To ensure there is no adverse impact on vulnerable communities, the government needs to acknowledge that the crisis is the result of its poor policy decisions, taken without bearing the best interests of citizens in mind.
Efforts to bring lasting peace to Sri Lanka are undermined by denials of the root causes of the armed conflict, i.e. discrimination. Instead, the MFA statement labels discussion of the root causes as LTTE propaganda. This is ominous given the decades long strategy of weaponising the PTA against Tamils. Implying such discussion is a danger to communal harmony, as the Ministry does in its statement, can be used to weaponise the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act to stifle dissent. The government’s use of these phrases will create fear amongst civic activists, especially in the North and East, and shrink civic space further. The very space the government denies is shrinking.
In this regard, the insinuations made in the Ministry’s statement are dangerous. My attention has been drawn to articles peddling false information about my supposed links to the LTTE being circulated on social media in the wake of the statement. The statement therefore could cause persons with racist ideologies to harass and perpetrate violence, including cyber violence against me.
The culture of impunity is well documented, not only by civil society organisations, human rights defenders and the UN, but most importantly the Supreme Court and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka. Since 2020 several incidents of violence by state officials have been publicly recorded. Yet, to date, the number of persons held accountable is negligible.
The “war on drugs” (erroneously referred to as war and drugs in the statement) is being used to justify arbitrary arrests and detention as well suspected extra-judicial killings by police in Sri Lanka. The Bar Association of Sri Lanka too has raised concerns about this. It is important to curb the supply of drugs and international drug trafficking. However, such policies need to adhere to human rights standards.
Although the MFA claims Sri Lanka is a secular country, several statements have been made by the President in which he mentions inter alia, that ‘’protection of Sinhala Buddhists is his foremost responsibility’’ and that “all others who would love to live in unity have to be assimilated into this main socio-cultural basis of this country, based on rich Buddhist values”. This is illustrative of the Sinhala Buddhist nationalism to which I referred in my statement. Another example is the Presidential Task Force on Archeological Heritage Management in the Eastern Province, which has the membership of Buddhist clergy and is headed by a Buddhist monk. The ‘One Country One Law’ Task Force is chaired by Gnanasara Thera, who has publicly made inflammatory and discriminatory statements and incited violence against Muslim community. Such an appointment begs the question whether the government is concerned about the preservation of social harmony.
The Ministry has conflated the process of militarisation, with the military occupation of land. The former includes the military undertaking tasks that were and should be within the purview of civilian entities. The phenomenon of militarization has been meticulously recorded by civil society, including myself, and is publicly available for reference.
Despite the Ministry’s claim the government views civil society as partners and not adversaries, regrettably, its statement singling out my statement to the EU, is the perfect example of the government’s intolerance of dissent. Furthermore, several civil society organisations and activists, particularly from the North and East, have been questioned by the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) during the last year. That they are being subject to these “routine security checks” when there is no prima facie evidence of wrongdoing, casts doubt on the government’s assertion of partnership with civil society.
As a Sri Lankan citizen, it is my right and civic duty to question the actions of elected representatives of this country when such actions lead to the suffering and marginalisation of vulnerable communities, and demand accountability. Only a country that respects this right can be considered truly independent and democratic.
Finally, the Ministry has referred to my position as Chairperson of the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust in the statement. However, I did not make the statement to the Sub Committee as Chairperson nor represent the Trust at the hearing. I delivered the statement in my capacity as a human rights advocate, and it in no way has any relationship to the Trust.”
The government to launch a nationwide initiative aimed at establishing new restaurants, guaranteeing food security and providing the public access to nutritious and sufficient meals at reasonable prices.
This programme will be implemented with the collaboration of the National Food Promotion Board, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture. It will also involve current restaurant owners to secure their support. The first model restaurant under this initiative is scheduled to launch on April 01 in Narahenpita.
In the second phase of this initiative, the government intends to introduce a programme aimed at improving the standards of existing restaurants.
A preliminary discussion on this programme was held om Thursday (27) at the Presidential Secretariat, with the participation of officials from the National Food Promotion Board, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture.
During the discussion, officials emphasized the importance of protecting the public’s right to safe and nutritious food. The dialogue addressed several key aspects, including creating an environment that allows consumers to access food that meets proper health standards, enhancing consumers trust and encouraging collaboration between the public and private sectors.
Furthermore, discussions were held on the practical implementation of existing food policies and standards, ensuring that the business community embraces the importance of providing nutritious and safe meals. Officials also examined how the “Clean Sri Lanka” initiative contributes to this change in the food sector.
The meeting was attended by Kapila Bandara, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, S.P.C. Sugeeshwara, Additional Secretary to the President and other senior officials representing the National Food Promotion Board, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture.
News
Gender inequality is not a women’s issue, it is a societal issue that demands attitudinal and behavioural transformation. – Prime Minister
“For countries like Sri Lanka, collaborative efforts like THRIVE are essential in ensuring gender parity and eliminating gender-based violence”
The Prime Minister made these remarks while attending the official launch of ’THRIVE- Together for Her: Resilience-building, Inclusivity, and Voices for Equality in Sri Lanka’, held on Tuesday [25 March] at the Australian High Commission in Colombo which was jointly hosted by the High Commissioner of Australia, UN Women, and Chrysalis.
THRIVE is a five-year initiative implemented by UN Women and Chrysalis, and funded by the Government of Australia. This project contributes to achieving Outcome 6 – “Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment” – of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Sri Lanka 2023-2027, which has been co-signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the United Nations, guiding the work of the UN system in Sri Lanka.
The project aims to advance gender equality and women’s empowerment in Sri Lanka by strengthening the economic and social resilience of marginalized women to navigate and recover from crises, insecurity, and the impacts of climate change aiming women with disabilities, women-headed households, and women in the plantation sector across six districts – Mannar, Kilinochchi, Nuwara Eliya, Badulla, Moneragala, and Colombo.
Delivering the keynote address, Prime Minister Amarasuriya emphasized the need for structural and attitudinal change for ensuring gender parity and eliminate violence against women.
“Sri Lanka ranks high on the Human Development Index, with a literacy rate exceeding 92%, and over 60% of university students being women. However, only 35% of women participate in the paid workforce. It is necessary to find ways and means to ensure that women have opportunities to contribute towards the economy through employment opportunities and equal pay with given a dully acknowledge and recognize unpaid work and unpaid care work, which are often disproportionately carried out by women.
The Parliament of Sri Lanka adopted the Women Empowerment Act in 2024 which includes the establishment of an independent National Commission on Women to oversee women’s rights, and to create of a National Fund for Women. The administrative process for appointing the Commissioners is currently underway.
Further, as a government, we have implemented several benefits for women and young women under the national budget. As Minister of Education, I can confidently say that we have allocated funds to ensure children from marginalized communities have access to education including providing free uniforms, shoes, sanitary facilities, meals, books, and a stipend, ensuring that no child drops out due to economic barriers.
However, it is statistically proven that the 90% of women faced sexual harassment in public transport at least once in their lifetime and the Global Gender Gap Index of Sri Lanka lists at 122 among 146 countries that marks gender disparity is not just a women’s issue. It is a societal challenge that transcends gender, race, religion, and age.
Moreover, new threats are emerging. While digital tools offer great potential for development and technological advancement, they are also being misused to silence women, amplify biases, and fuel harassment. It is essential to create an inclusive digital space where everyone—regardless of gender, race, religion, or age—has equal opportunities to thrive in the digital age. The government remains committed to closing the gender digital divide and ensuring that women, especially young women, can participate independently in the digital economy.
Gender inequality is not a women issue, it is a societal issue that demands policy change, education, attitudinal and behavioural transformation. For countries like Sri Lanka, collaborative efforts like THRIVE are essential in creating a future where all women have equal opportunities to thrive.”
The event was attended by the Australian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Paul Stephens; UN Women Deputy Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific, Ms. Maria Holtsberg; United Nations Resident Coordinator, . Marc-Andr Franche; and other esteemed dignitaries.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Sri Lanka, Ms. Dr. Eliska Zigova, met with Sri Lanka Prime Minister, Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, at Temple Trees on Tuesday [25th of March]. The meeting underscored the longstanding friendship between the two nations and explored avenues to enhance bilateral cooperation.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya welcomed Ambassador Zigova and acknowledged the Czech Republic’s continued support for Sri Lanka. In response, Ambassador Zigova commended the new government’s commitment to democratic governance and holding two peaceful elections, reflecting political stability and public trust.
Discussions during the meeting focused on strengthening diplomatic and economic ties. Ambassador Zigova emphasized the importance of existing agreements and reiterated her government’s willingness to expand collaboration in key areas. Particular attention was given to discuss the posibility of signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on science and education, aimed at building academic partnerships, research collaboration, and knowledge exchange between institutions in both countries.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya highlighted the “Clean Sri Lanka Programme,” a nationwide initiative dedicated to environmental conservation and urban sustainability. Additionally, the two dignitaries discussed prospects for enhancing tourism, with the Prime Minister inviting more Czech visitors to experience Sri Lanka’s cultural heritage, natural landscapes, and growing eco-tourism sector.
The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Embassy of the Czech Republic to Sri Lanka. The Sri Lankan delegation included Pradeep Saputhanthri, Secretary to the Prime Minister, and P.R.S.S. Gunaratna, Director General of the Europe & North America Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The government to establish new restaurants to provide nutritious meals at reasonable prices.
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