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UNHRC urges Sri Lanka to pursue urgent reforms and accountability after upcoming elections
Following the upcoming elections, the newly-elected government should – as a matter of urgency – pursue an inclusive national vision for Sri Lanka that addresses the root causes of the conflict and undertakes fundamental constitutional and institutional reforms needed to strengthen democracy and devolution of political authority and advance accountability and reconciliation, the Advance unedited version of ‘Situation of human rights in Sri Lanka – Comprehensive report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights,’ issued yesterday (22) by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has said.
Conclusions and recommendations of the report are as follows: “As Sri Lanka approaches Presidential and Parliamentary elections, it has an opportunity to recommit to the transformational changes demanded by the broad cross-section of Sri Lankans who protested in 2022. The Government has a responsibility – prior, during and after the election period – to fully protect and respect the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, including by refraining from the use of unnecessary or excessive force against protestors, to take measures to prevent and tackle divisive and discriminatory rhetoric and practices, based on religious, gender or other grounds, and prevent election-related and other human rights violations and abuses.
“The High Commissioner is mindful of the deep impacts the economic crisis and debt burden are having on all Sri Lankans, particularly the poorest and those in other situations of vulnerability. This economic stress is exacerbated for Sri Lanka and many other developing countries by the prevailing global economic situation and international financial architecture. He urges that decisions on economic policy and fiscal consolidation be guided by Sri Lanka’s international human rights obligations, including by ensuring adequate social protection. Sri Lanka’s external creditors should provide the Government with the fiscal space needed to realise economic, social and cultural rights and to ensure austerity measures do not undermine Sri Lanka’s ability to fulfil its human rights obligations.
“Emerging trends observed during the reporting period, including a continuing lack of respect for fundamental freedoms as evidenced by new regressive laws, erosion of democratic checks and balances, instances of threats, intimidation and violence against victims, civil society actors and journalists and resurfacing of serious human rights violations of the past, are of deep concern.
“Failure of the Sri Lankan State to specifically recognize victims’ suffering, to acknowledge the military and other security forces’ role in the commission of gross human rights violations, and to address violations committed in the past and present, has been a key obstacle to the rule of law, democracy, and good governance. Many of the structures and some of the members of the State apparatus credibly implicated in the grave crimes and human rights violations remain in place, preventing meaningful progress in terms of accountability and perpetuating human rights violations. As noted in the report to the 51st Human Rights Council session, entrenched impunity has also been manifested in the corruption and abuse of power that contributed to the economic crisis and drove the popular protests in 2022.
“Following the elections, the newly elected Government should – as a matter of urgency – pursue an inclusive national vision for Sri Lanka that addresses the root causes of the conflict and undertakes fundamental constitutional and institutional reforms needed to strengthen democracy and devolution of political authority and advance accountability and reconciliation.
“Fundamental changes are needed for advancing accountability, reconciliation, and preventing future human rights violations and the abuse of power. This includes implementing significant security sector reforms, which should involve vetting to remove those implicated in serious violations and establishing an operational and judicial framework ensuring strict compliance with human rights standards. The Government should undertake the constitutional, legal and institutional reforms necessary to comply with the country’s international human rights obligations, prevent the recurrence of grave violations and strengthen democratic and devolved systems of governance. OHCHR continues to stand ready to assist Sri Lanka on this path.
“The Human Rights Council and individual UN Member States should continue to fill the accountability gap in Sri Lanka by supporting and using the full potential of OHCHR’s strengthened capacity to undertake accountability-related work under Human Rights Council resolutions 46/1 and 51/1, and contributing to creating necessary conditions and political will for undertaking meaningful accountability and reconciliation efforts in the country.
“The following recommendations to the Government build upon the High Commissioner’s recommendations in his previous reports.
(a) Actively promote an inclusive, pluralistic vision for Sri Lanka, based on non-discrimination and protection of human rights for all, including by preventing and condemning speech and action of religious actors that incite discrimination, hatred and violence against women and minority communities;
(b) Ensure the right to political participation through free and fair elections at all levels of government;
(c) Create an enabling environment for transitional justice by implementing confidence-building measures, such as releasing military-held lands, stopping new land seizures in the north and east, releasing all long-term detainees under the PTA, and decriminalizing and supporting victim’s memorialization initiatives;
(d) Remove from power and refrain from appointing or promoting credibly alleged perpetrators of human rights violations to high-level positions in the Government, the security sector, or diplomatic postings, as well as any institution, especially those established to achieve transitional justice and accountability;
(e) Immediately impose a moratorium on the Prevention of Terrorism Act and ensure that any replacement legislation is consistent with international human rights law and the benchmarks previously laid out by UN human rights experts for counter-terrorism legislation;
(f) Repeal or amend existing laws or proposed laws that unduly restrict the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, association, and peaceful assembly, including the Online Safety Act, ICCPR Act, draft NGO Bill, and proposed amendment to Telecommunications Act;
(g) Publicly issue unequivocal instructions to all branches of the military, intelligence and police forces that arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, torture, sexual violence and other human rights violations are prohibited and will be systematically investigated and punished;
(h) Establish as a matter of urgency an independent prosecutorial authority, separate from the AG’s function, to assess relevant information and make independent prosecutorial decisions, including in relation to the cases of human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law committed in previous decades;
(i) Avoid the involvement of military in law enforcement, commercial and civil affairs and significantly reduce military presence in the Northern and Eastern Provinces;
(j) Order all security agencies and intelligence to immediately end all forms of surveillance and harassment of and reprisals against human rights defenders, journalists, victims of human rights violations and their families, especially women;
(k) Assess and mitigate the impact of austerity measures on the standard of living of disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups; and take all appropriate measures to protect that core content of rights under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, especially for those individuals and groups;
(l) Assess the negative impact of corruption on the enjoyment of human rights and ensure the adoption of anti-corruption measures aligns with human rights obligations;
(m) Ensure social protection measures reach disadvantaged and marginalized individuals and groups, including by increasing fiscal allocation for social security;
(n) Adjudicate land disputes in ways that are transparent, consultative, impartial and non-discriminatory, and ensure interfaith dialogue about the erection of religious sites;
(o) Stop the ‘Yukthiya’ operations, and release all individual detained under this operation; provide community-based treatment, rehabilitation and harm reduction support to people with drug dependency; and develop and implement a human rights and public health centred drug policy in line with the International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy; and
(p) Recognize the competence of the Committee on Enforced Disappearance to receive and consider communications under article 31 of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and accede to the Rome Statute of the ICC.
“The High Commissioner recommends that the Human Rights Council and Member States, as applicable:
(a) Cooperate in investigating and prosecuting alleged perpetrators of international crimes committed by all parties in Sri Lanka through judicial proceedings in national jurisdictions, including under accepted principles of extraterritorial or universal jurisdiction, through relevant international networks and mutual legal assistance processes, and in cooperation with survivors, families, and their representatives;
(b) Consider using other international legal options to advance accountability in Sri Lanka;
(c) Explore, as part of a wider range of accountability measures and consistent with international law, further targeted sanctions such as asset freezes and travel bans against individuals credibly alleged to have perpetrated gross international human rights violations or serious humanitarian law violations;
(d) Review asylum measures with respect to Sri Lankan nationals to protect those facing reprisals and refrain from any refoulement in cases that present a real risk of torture or other serious human rights violations; and
(e) Support OHCHR to continue its monitoring and reporting and its strengthened work on accountability for human rights violations and related crimes in Sri Lanka.”
… alleges Kanchana’s Electricity Act exploited to facilitate ‘deal’ with India
The Frontline Socialist Party (FSP) has alleged that President Anura Kumara Dissanayake entered into seven MoUs/Agreements with India without consulting Parliament or the Cabinet of Ministers.
Accusing President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, who is the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), as well as the National People’s Power (NPP), of undermining Sri Lanka’s sovereignty, the breakaway JVP faction pointed out the signing of seven MoUs/Agreements had coincided with the 54th anniversary of the JVP’s first insurrection.
The top FSP spokesman and their Education Secretary, Pubudu Jayagoda, told a press conference, at their Nugegoda party office, that the JVP had completely betrayed those who sacrificed their lives during the 1971 and 1987-1990 insurrections. Having completely changed its policy towards India, the JVP was now down on its knees before India, Jayagoda said.
The dissident JVPer emphasised that such vital MoUs/Agreements couldn’t be finalised without proper consultations. Declaring that the MoUs/Agreements hadn’t been released yet, Jayagoda said that the FSP, in terms of the Right to Information Act, sought the copies of them as the public couldn’t be deprived of their right to know.
The section, now calling themselves FSP, split from the JVP in early 2012 after major differences among the top leadership over the direction of the party. Anura Kumara Dissanayake succeeded Somawansa Amarasinghe as the JVP leader in Dec. 2014.
Referring to the MoU, in respect of the implementation of HVDC interconnection for import/export of power, Jayagoda said that the NPP took advantage of the new Electricity Act that was enforced by the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government in late June last year to pave the way for a deal with India. The JVP-led NPP that moved court against the then Power Minister Kanchana Wijesekera’s Bill, and voted against the Bill at the second reading, exploited the same to its advantage, Jayagoda charged.
The Sri Lanka Electricity Bill repealed the 1969 Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Act and subsequent laws regarding the electricity industry.
Comparing the MoU, signed in the presence of President Dissanayake and Premier Narendra Modi, Jayagoda said that both Nepal and Bangladesh had been trapped in similar agreements they signed earlier.
Jayagoda alleged that Nepal was in such a pathetic situation even if they could meet electricity requirement through hydro-power generation, the agreement with India compelled them to obtain power from India.
Jayagoda pointed out that the government now boasted of a proposed new120 MW solar power plant at Sampur to be implemented in two stages after having crippled domestic solar power generation capacity. The former JVPer said that the NPP government was bending backwards to appease India and pursuing an agenda inimical to Sri Lanka.
Jayagoda dealt with the MoU on cooperation in the field of sharing successful digital solutions implemented at population scale for digital transformation. The FSP spokesman said that the Indian-funded project to issue digital NIC would be disastrous as it would enable India to gather information.
Commenting on a MoU that covered the health sector, Jayagoda alleged that the government had agreed to share authority exercised by the National Medicine Regulatory Authority (NMRA) with India.
Jayagoda said that the MoU on defence cooperation undermined the country’s vital security interests and jeopardised relations with other countries.
The FSP said that political parties, represented in Parliament, were largely silent and seemed to be reluctant at least to express their views on the betrayal of the country.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd. (APSEZ), India’s largest integrated transport utility, has announced the commencement of operations at the Colombo West International Terminal (CWIT), located at the Port of Colombo, the company said in a statement issued simultaneously in Ahmedabad and Colombo yesterday (07)
Developed under a landmark public–private partnership, CWIT is operated by a consortium comprising India’s largest port operator Adani Ports & SEZ Ltd., leading Sri Lankan conglomerate John Keells Holdings PLC, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority, under a 35-year Build, Operate, and Transfer (BOT) agreement.
The CWIT project represents a significant investment of USD 800 million and features a 1,400-metre long quay and 20-metre depth, enabling the terminal to handle approximately 3.2 million Twenty-foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) annually. It is the first deep-water terminal in Colombo to be fully automated, designed to enhance cargo handling capabilities, improve vessel turnaround times and elevate the port’s status as a key transshipment hub in South Asia.
Construction began in early 2022 and has since achieved rapid progress. With the installation of cutting-edge infrastructure now nearing completion, CWIT is poised to set new benchmarks in operational efficiency and reliability in regional maritime logistics.
“The commencement of operations at CWIT marks a momentous milestone in regional cooperation between India and Sri Lanka,” said Chairman of the Adani Group Gautam Adani. “Not only does this terminal represent the future of trade in the Indian Ocean but its opening is also a proud moment for Sri Lanka, placing it firmly on the global maritime map. The CWIT project will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs locally and unlock immense economic value for the island nation. It also stands as a shining example of the deep-rooted friendship and growing strategic ties between the two neighbours, and of what can be achieved through visionary public–private partnerships. Delivering this world-class facility in record time also reflects the Adani Group’s proven ability to efficiently execute large-scale critical infrastructure projects anywhere in the world.”
“We are proud to see the progress in the development of the West Container Terminal, a project that strengthens Sri Lanka’s position as a regional maritime hub,” said Chairperson, John Keells Group Krishan Balendra. “This project is one of the John Keells Group’s largest investments and is among the most significant private-sector investments in Sri Lanka. Together with the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and the Adani Group, we will elevate Colombo’s status as a leading transshipment hub. We are confident that the project will enhance global trade and connectivity in the region”, he said.
Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Life Limited (SLICLL) has concluded the year 2024 with outstanding financial performance, achieving a remarkable profit before taxation of Rs. 30.7 billion. The text of SLIC statement: “The company recorded a robust Gross Written Premium (GWP) of Rs. 26.3 billion, reflecting an impressive 25% growth. Remarkably, as of December 31, 2024, Sri Lanka Insurance Life marked a historic milestone with a New Business volume of Rs. 5.3 billion, recording a 48% growth, the highest in the company’s history.
Demonstrating its unwavering commitment to policyholders, Sri Lanka Insurance Life disbursed Rs. 13.7 billion in maturity settlements and claim payments in 2024, these figures reaffirm the company’s financial strength and dedication to fulfilling its obligations. Further cementing its position as a market leader, SLICLL continued to expand its asset base to an impressive Rs. 237 billion and grew its Life Fund to Rs. 213.2 billion. These achievements were realised amidst organizational transformations and challenging economic conditions. Additionally, the company recorded 319 MDRT qualifiers, the highest ever for SLIC Life.
Highlighting its prudent investment strategies and unwavering commitment to policyholders, Sri Lanka Insurance Life declared the largest Life Insurance bonus in the industry for 2023, amounting to Rs. 11.2 billion. Over the past two decades, the company has consistently delivered industry-leading bonus payouts, with cumulative declarations exceeding Rs. 104 billion. Continuing this legacy, Sri Lanka Insurance Life is set to declare its highest ever bonus for 2024, with official communication to be released in the near future.
Group Chief Executive Officer of Sri Lanka Insurance, Mr. Chandana L. Aluthgama, stated, “Our exceptional financial performance is a testament to the dedication and resilience of our team, who have navigated challenges with unwavering commitment. Despite economic fluctuations and internal transformations, our strategic focus has reinforced our market leadership. As we step into the future, we remain committed to innovation, customer trust, and industry leadership.”
Chairman of Sri Lanka Insurance, Mr. Nusith Kumaratunga, emphasized, “Sri Lanka Insurance Life has proven its strength and stability, delivering sustainable growth while reinforcing its role in the nation’s economic progress. Our vision extends beyond business success, we aim to contribute to national development by strengthening the economy and reducing dependency of the people on state support.”
Beyond financial success, Sri Lanka Insurance Life continued to earn industry recognition in 2024. The company was named ‘The Most Loved Life Insurance Brand’ by LMD for the seventh consecutive year and was ranked among the ‘Top 100 Most Valuable Brands’ in Sri Lanka by LMD Brand Finance. Additionally, SLIC Life secured top honors at the ‘Best Management Practices Company Awards 2024,’ ranking among the top ten companies and winning the ‘Insurance – Public Sector Company’ category.
Committed to international standards and operational excellence, Sri Lanka Insurance Life maintains ISO 9001:2015, ISO/IEC 27001:2013, and ISO 14064-1:2018 certifications. The company also continues its social impact initiatives, including the free Life Insurance cover gifted to parents of newborns on World Children’s Day for the third consecutive year, supported 1100 families in flood affected areas, providing emergency assistance to pilgrims traveling to Anuradhapura for Poson Poya and the awarding of 370 Suba Pathum scholarships to outstanding students in national examinations.
Looking ahead, Sri Lanka Insurance Life remains focused on driving innovation, enhancing customer confidence, and making meaningful contributions to society. With a solid foundation and a clear vision, the company is poised to maintain its legacy of excellence and leadership in the insurance industry.
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