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Foreign Ministry refutes claims made by Ambika Satkunanathan to the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights
The Foreign Ministry on Friday noted with concern the numerous misleading statements contained in the testimony of the Chairperson of the Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust Ambika Satkunanathan, during an exchange of views on the situation of human and labour rights in Sri Lanka at the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights on 27 January, 2022.
The Ministry in a release said: Ms. Satkunanathan’s testimony completely ignores the progress made by the government of Sri Lanka on many fronts and creates doubts about the government’s intents and sincerity, particularly at a time when it is engaged in a long-standing cooperation with the UN human rights mechanisms and the UN Human Rights Council and is delivering on its commitment to address accountability and reconciliation through domestic processes and institutions.
The Ministry is disappointed that among the recommendations made by Ms. Satkunanathan is that the EU uses its leverage on GSP plus facility to exert pressure on the government on human rights. If Sri Lanka loses the EU GSP plus facility, particularly at a time when livelihoods of millions of Sri Lankans belonging to all communities are already affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the resulting losses would exacerbate poverty and income inequality. Some of the worst affected sectors will be fisheries and agriculture which are among the key industries in the North and the Eastern Provinces of Sri Lanka.
The Ministry also notes that the unfounded allegations about discrimination of ethnic communities in her testimony are reminiscent of LTTE propaganda that once stoked hatred among communities. In a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country such as Sri Lanka, such allegations need to be refuted in the interest of social harmony and to prevent the spread of dangerous fallacies about Sri Lanka in the international community.
The Ministry refutes Ms. Satkunanathan’s claims on ‘a culture of impunity’. The Ministry wishes to point out that the government is engaged in a long-standing cooperation with the UN human rights mechanisms as well as with the UN Human Rights Council. Sri Lanka is delivering on its commitment to address accountability and reconciliation through domestic processes and institutions. The government has been actively engaging the international community including the UNHRC’s Universal Periodic Review and Special Procedures to address the various concerns that have been raised. This includes the allegations of systematic torture. The Government has made it clear that additional reforms will be undertaken to further strengthen rule of law, access to justice, and accountability. It remains open to a constructive discussion on suggestions and further steps to address shortcomings.
The Ministry notes that Ms. Satkunanathan makes references to ‘Sinhala Buddhist nationalism’ and ‘militarisation’ as driving the actions of the Government. She makes vague claims of racial profiling in the absence of any concrete evidence of discrimination against minorities. In reply, the Ministry wishes to point out that Sri Lanka is a secular country and all citizens, irrespective of their religion or ethnicity share the same fundamental rights under the Constitution. Furthermore, Sri Lanka ensures access to public services such as free education and free health facilities without any discrimination on the basis of ethnicity or religion. In fact, even during the military conflict when large areas of the Northern and the Eastern Provinces were under the control of the LTTE, the government continued with the provision of such public services to the areas so that the civilians, who were mainly ethnic Tamils and Muslims, would not be affected.
Ms. Satkunanathan points to the Presidential Task Force on Archaeology which she accuses of being a tool for land grabbing and changing the demographics of minority-heavy areas and the Presidential Task Force on “One-Country One Law” which she accuses of stoking ethnic hatred and violence. After the war, as displaced persons returned to the Northern and the Eastern Provinces, there has been an increase in unauthorized encroachment into forest areas inevitably leading to destruction of archaeological sites. So, there is an urgent need to take concrete measures in order to protect these sites. There is no truth in the claims that the Presidential Task Force on Archaeology is a pretext for land grabbing and introducing the Sinhalese to these areas. It may be noted that there is representation of all ethnic communities in this Task Force. With respect to the Presidential Task Force on “One Country One Law,” it should be noted that it is expected to play an advisory role only. The Task Force’s recommendations will be first studied by the Justice Ministry, then the Cabinet of Ministers and finally the Parliament following the democratic traditions.
With regard to her allegations that the Northern and Eastern Provinces are ‘occupied’ by the military, it should be pointed out that the the majority (more than 92%) of the private lands occupied by the military at the end of the conflict in year 2009 have already been released to legitimate land owned civilians. A mechanism is already in place to expedite the process of releasing remaining private lands.
It is particularly disappointing to see Ms. Satkunanathan’s allegations that ‘civic space’ is shrinking and that informal and extra-legal processes are used to curtail the activities of civil society organizations. The Ministry asserts that government views NGOs as partners and not as adversaries. The government acknowledges the constructive contributions made by civil Society organisations in the work of the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) and Sustainable Development Council of Sri Lanka. It has also introduced certain policy changes to facilitate the work of NGOs such as bringing the NGO Secretariat under the Foreign Ministry. It must be reiterated that apart from operating routine security networks in the interest of national security, particularly after the devastating Easter Sunday terrorist attacks, the Security Forces and intelligence agencies are not engaged in monitoring or targeting any specific group of people in the country.
The Ministry refutes Ms. Satkunanathan’s claims of extra-judicial killings and arrests under the pretext of a “war and drugs.” With regard to the PTA, it should be noted that the government is in the process of amending the Act, which is now at the final stage and the international community is being briefed on that process.
Ms. Satkunanathan also alleges that the government is exploiting its friendship with China to “undermine the efforts of states that call for accountability for human rights violations” in Sri Lanka. On the contrary, mindful of strategic competition that is increasing in the Indo-Pacific region, our main foreign policy directive is to maintain neutrality, in line with the non-aligned foreign policy we have adopted since Independence. The Ministry wishes to point out that apart from China, Sri Lanka has entered into partnerships with several countries such as India and Japan to fill gaps in national infrastructure development. Such partnerships have no bearing on Sri Lanka’s commitment to address accountability and reconciliation through domestic processes and institutions.
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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