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Human rights situation in Sri Lanka further deteriorated in 2020: UK report
ECONOMYNEXT – The overall human rights situation in Sri Lanka continued to deteriorate in 2020, the UK’s annual report on human rights and democracy said.
Titled ‘Human Rights and Democracy: 2020 Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office report‘, the document noted an alleged increase in surveillance and intimidation of civil society, limited or no progress with regard to accountability, militarisation and other issues.
“The government of Sri Lanka delivered free and peaceful parliamentary elections despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and maintained low numbers of COVID-19 cases compared to global figures. However, there was increased surveillance and intimidation of civil society, constraints placed on communities practising religious burial rites, a number of lengthy detentions without charge, and several setbacks on post-conflict accountability and reconciliation,” it said.
Noting Sri Lanka’s withdrawal from the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) resolutions 30/1, 34/1, and 40/1 on post-conflict transitional justice, accountability and reconciliation, the UK report said there was no progress shown by Sri Lanka despite the government announcing its commitment to a domestic mechanism for reconciliation and accountability.
“The UK made clear its commitment to reconciliation and accountability in statements delivered on behalf of the Core Group on Sri Lanka at the HRC in February, June and September,” the report said.
In June 2021, the core group, comprising, Canada, Germany, North Macedonia, Malawi, Montenegro and the UK, expressed concern over what it called the lack of progress with regard to human rights, the rights of religious minorities and other issues highlighted in resolution 46/1.
The UK report, dated July 8, 2021, said Sri Lanka’s commitment to accountability was further called into question in March 2020 when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa pardoned and released former Army Staff Sergeant Sunil Ratnayake, who was convicted in 2015 for the murder of eight civilians (including children) in Jaffna in 2000.
Ratnayake, who was attached to the long range reconnaissance patrol of the army, was sentenced to death by the Colombo High Court in June 2015 for his alleged involvement in the Mirusuvil massacre in 2000. The former soldier, who was the first accused in the case, was found guilty of the murder of eight civilians including three children.
He was pardoned by President Rajapaksa on March 26, days after an island-wide curfew was declared to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Amnesty Intentional, too, said in May last year that in pardoning Ratnayake, the COVID-19 pandemic was exploited as an “opportunity to reverse justice”
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office report further said the President continued to appoint controversial military figures accused of war crimes to government roles, while civilian functions such as the Secretariat for Non-Governmental Organisations were brought under the control of the Ministry of Defence. In October, the government passed the 20th amendment to the constitution, which the report said extended executive power over appointments to the judiciary and independent institutions, and reversed several important institutional checks and balances.
“In March, the President dissolved parliament ahead of elections, which were then twice postponed because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Although the government went on to deliver peaceful and democratic elections in August, the delay resulted in a lack of parliamentary oversight between March and August. The government instead formed several presidential ‘taskforces’ without parliamentary scrutiny, including to oversee the COVID-19 response,” the report further said.
The report was also critical of the government’s widely condemned move in March 2020 to cremate Muslim victims of COVID-19 against the wishes of the community with little or no scientific basis to the decision. World Health Organisation guidelines had also permitted burials.
“This particularly affected Muslim and some Christian communities, for whom burial is an essential rite. In December, the Supreme Court dismissed several petitions that challenged this policy. The outbreak of COVID-19 also led to an increase in anti-Muslim sentiment, fuelled by hate speech and disinformation suggesting that Muslims were ‘carriers’ of COVID-19 and were violating prevention measures.
In June, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, expressed concern over the clampdown on freedom of expression, noting an announcement made by the police in April to arrest those critical of the Government’s COVID-19 response,” the report said.
The report also made references to allegations that judicial medical officers and police had conducted invasive intimate examinations on LGBT+ persons without their consent, following which the Justice Minister Ali Sabry gave instructions to halt and investigate the practice.
The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) has been a running theme in international pronouncements on Sri Lanka’s human rights record. The European parliament moved a resolution on June 10 calling for its release.
The UK report on Sri Lanka’s human rights situation in 2020, too, noted that the government of Sri Lanka continued to use the PTA, despite a renewed pledge at the 43rd session of the UNHRC to review the legislation.
“In April, prominent human rights lawyer Hejaaz Hizbullah was arrested by Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department under the PTA. Hejaaz was detained without charge or presentation before a court. International rights groups noted an increase in intimidation, surveillance and online abuse, including threats to lawyers, journalists, families of disappeared persons and individuals working on human rights and anti-corruption.”
Riots in Sri Lanka’s prisons in late 2020 were also highlighted in the report.
“In November, unrest at Mahara prison over COVID-19 concerns resulted in the death of eleven inmates and injury of over 150. A committee appointed to investigate the unrest concluded that the inmates’ demands had been reasonable, and autopsies revealed that all inmates had died of gunshot wounds. In November, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka wrote to the Inspector General of Police to highlight an increase in deaths in custody, and released a prison study which noted that the treatment of prisoners fell below international standards,” it said.
The UK will continue to press for progress on human rights, gender equality and protections for minorities and vulnerable groups in 2021, the report further said.
“We shall continue to invest in ambitious programs which support conflict-affected communities, promote the role of civil society, facilitate social cohesion, and underline the critical importance of post-conflict reconciliation and accountability,” it added.
… alleges Prez trying to control judiciary
Opposition grouping ‘Mahajana Handa’ has accused President Anura Kumara Dissanayake of trying to exercise control over the judiciary by appointing a sitting High Court judge as Additional Secretary to the Justice and National Integration Ministry.
Addressing the media at Dr. N. M. Perera Centre, Punchi Borella, on Tuesday (20) top Opposition spokesman and former External Affairs Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris warned the High Court judge D.M.D.C. Bandara’s appointment was nothing but a direct executive intervention in the judiciary.
Responding to The Island queries, Prof Peiris asked how the government could compel courts to deal with a sitting judge who functioned as Secretary to the Justice and National Integration Ministry.
Prof. Peiris explained that the latest move by the Executive should be examined taking into consideration the attacks on Attorney General Parinda Ranasinghe Jr, PC., the deliberate delaying of the appointment of Auditor General and the controversy over the process of promotions of Judicial Officers, Judges of the High Court and the Court of Appeal in Sri Lanka. Prof. Peiris pointed out that the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) had raised those controversial promotions with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.
D.M.D.C. Bandara, Senior Assistant Secretary, Judicial Service Commission, was among altogether 18 High Court judges appointed by President Dissanayake in early Sept this year. The group consisted of 17 Special Class Judicial Officers and a Senior State Counsel serving in the Attorney General’s Department.
Referring to a recent meeting ‘Mahajana Handa’ representatives, including him had with the Mahanayake theras of the Asgiriya and Malwatta Chapters in Kandy, Prof. Peiris said that they had received the blessings of the Mahanayakes to go ahead with what he called a programme of action meant to address major issues.
Prof. Peiris said they would initiate talks with other like-minded political parties and groups in this regard soon. Referring a protest held at the Hulftsdorp on Wednesday (21) demanding the removal of the AG Ranasinghe, Prof. Peiris emphasized that the government’s hand in that demonstration was very clear. President Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed him as the AG in July 2024 with the unanimous backing of the Constitutional Council.
Prof. Peiris said that action was yet to be initiated to appoint new civil society representatives to the Constitutional Council. That issue hadn’t received sufficient public attention, Prof. Peiris said, urging President Dissanayake to come down from his high horse.
Asked whether the President could appoint a sitting judge as an Additional Secretary to a Ministry without consulting the Chief Justice and President of the High Court Judges Association, sources familiar with the issues at hand said that certain appointments could be made on secondment. However, that has to follow the proper procedure, sources said.
The Island sought a response from the Justice and National Integration Ministry to the accusations made by Prof. Peiris on behalf of ‘Mahajana Handa,’ but did not receive one until this edition went to press.
By Shamindra Ferdinando ✍️
The largest narcotics haul in Sri Lanka’s history was seized last year, according to Police Media Spokesperson and Assistant Superintendent of Police F.U. Wootler.
Addressing a media briefing at the Department of Government Information at Narahenpita on Wednesday (22), ASP Wootler said nationwide operations carried out under Operation Ratama Ekata had helped curb the spread of illicit drugs.
He said police taken into custory 10,871 kilos of heroin, cannabis, ice, hashish and cocaine in 2024, while seizures rose sharply to 23,692 kilograms and 307 grams in 2025.
by Norman Palihawadane ✍️
The Electricity Consumers’ Association has raised serious concerns over the consultation process for the proposed National Electricity Policy, describing it as inadequate and legally questionable.National Secretary of the Association, Sanjeewa Dhammika, said he had been given only 30 minutes to present his views on the policy at a meeting held on Wednesday (21) at the Ministry of Power and Energy.
He said that although six members had been appointed to the National Policy Committee, only three were present at the meeting, casting doubt on the credibility and seriousness of the process.
Dhammika also criticised the absence of Dr. Tilak Siyambalapitiya, who is widely reported to have drafted the policy, from the committee meeting.
“He wrote the policy and then walked away. We didn’t even get a chance to question him,” Dhammika said.
He alleged that the consultation lacked proper notice and planning, noting that he had been informed only by a phone call the previous evening and asked to attend the meeting the following morning.
“This is not how public views should be obtained on a national policy. It should have been done well in advance, in a systematic and transparent manner. It wasn’t even communicated to the media,” he said.
Comparing the process to the public consultation mechanisms used by the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL), Dhammika described the exercise as a “makeshift, token process.”
He also raised concerns over the composition of the committee, stating that the inclusion of a retired senior official of the Ceylon Electricity Board—whom he said bears responsibility for the current state of the power sector and continues to favour coal power while opposing renewable energy—was a serious issue.
According to Dhammika, the proposed National Electricity Policy has been drafted in violation of existing laws.
“Under the current law, the authority to determine electricity tariffs lies with the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka. Through this new policy, there is an attempt to remove those powers from the Commission,” he alleged.
He warned that the policy centralises key decision-making powers—including licensing, power plant acquisitions, power infrastructure development, and renewable energy decisions—into the hands of a few individuals, calling it a high-risk approach.
“This is similar to how the Education Act was distorted under the guise of education reforms. It is shocking to see whether this is what the government calls a progressive new law,” he said.
The Electricity Consumers’ Association strongly opposes the formulation of the policy, with Dhammika describing it as “one of the most failed initiatives seen in recent times.”
He said that if implemented in such a haphazard way, the policy would result in higher electricity bills for low-consumption users, while high-consumption users would benefit from reductions of approximately 38% to 45%.
Dhammika also alleged that the policy discourages the solar power industry and promotes a diesel- and coal-dependent energy model driven by vested interests aligned with oil-based power generation.
By Anuradha Hiripitiyage ✍️
Showers will occur at times in the Northern, North-central, North-western,Eastern and Uva provinces and in Matale and Nuwara-Eliya districts
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JVP stunted Lanka’s progress by opposing education reforms: SJB
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