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Top UN official flags ‘accountability deficit’ in Lanka

Published

2 years ago

2023/06/25

By MEERA SRINIVASAN

Accountability remains the “fundamental gap” in Sri Lanka’s attempts to deal with the past, a senior U.N. official has said while warning that “as long as impunity prevails, Sri Lanka will achieve neither genuine reconciliation nor sustainable peace.”

Referring to the Sri Lankan government’s plans to set up a Truth Commission, to probe allegations of war crimes and grave human rights violations during the country’s civil war, U.N. Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif noted that Sri Lanka has “witnessed too many ad hoc commissions” in the past that failed to ensure accountability.

“What is needed is a coherent plan that connects the different elements of truth, redress, memorialisation, accountability and creates the right enabling environment for a successful and sustainable transitional justice process,” she said, in an oral update to the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Wednesday.

While it is fundamentally the Sri Lankan authorities’ responsibility to directly acknowledge past violations and undertake credible investigations and prosecutions the international community can – and should – play complementary roles in the process until the “accountability deficit” remains, Ms. Al-Nashif said, amid known resistance within Sri Lanka’s Sinhala-majority to any international participation.

Further, pointing to recent arrests of a stand-up comedian and a Tamil legislator, the U.N. official said the past months witnessed “the old reflex of using draconian laws to curtail opposition and control civic space, with a heavy-handed approach to protests far too often”.

While “encouraging” President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s dialogue with Tamil political parties, and “welcoming” his promise to stop land acquisition for archaeological, forestry or security purposes, the U.N. official underscored the need for new laws, policies and practices that will “make good on these promises and bring about tangible changes”.

Commenting on the island’s persisting economic crisis, the Deputy Chief of Human Rights observed that it continues to severely impact the “rights and well-being of many Sri Lankans”. Terming the International Monetary Fund’s $ 2.9 billion-support an “important first step”, she called for “robust safety nets and social protection measures”, in order to ensure that “the burden of reforms does not further compound inequalities.”

Referring to last year’s historic people’s uprising [Janatha Aragalaya] in the island nation, that ousted former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Ms. Al-Nashif noted that the “full potential for the historic transformation that would address long-standing challenges has yet to be realised.”

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Sixth anniversary of Easter Sunday carnage: Special security provided to churches

Published

1 hour ago

2025/04/20

Thilina Walpola

Police and armed forces personnel will be deployed at all churches today as the sixth anniversary of the 2019 Easter Sunday terror attacks is marked.Police stations have been instructed to provide special security to churches in their areas and seek assistance from the STF and tri-forces where additional manpower is needed.

Security arrangements have been made under the direction of Acting Inspector General of Police (IGP) Priyantha Weerasuriya.

Defence Secretary Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuiyakontha convened a special meeting on Thursday, instructing the Commanders of the Tri-Forces to implement a comprehensive security plan to safeguard worshippers attending Easter Sunday services.

He further directed that the measures be taken in close coordination with the Ministry of Public Security to ensure effective implementation and to allow Christians to attend services without fear or inconvenience.The main commemoration service is set to begin with a procession from St. Lucia’s Cathedral at 7:00 a.m., with participation from Catholics

in nearby parishes—particularly from Colombo Central, Colombo North, Wattala, and Ragama—as well as brothers from junior and national seminaries, priests, and religious leaders. Colombo Archbishop Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith is expected to conduct the prayer service, which is scheduled to begin at 8:40 a.m.

A separate commemoration will also take place at St. Sebastian’s Church in Katuwapitiya, in two sessions—one at 8:30 a.m. and another at 4:30 p.m.

By Norman Palihawadane

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Easter Sunday carnage: Catholic Bishops’ Conference renews call for justice

Published

1 hour ago

2025/04/20

Thilina Walpola

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka says that ascertaining who the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday attacks in 2019 were and those who have aided and abetted in the dastardly act, is a matter of urgency.

In its special message for Easter the conference says: “This Easter also marks the sixth anniversary of the Easter Sunday bomb attacks on innocent worshipers at Catholic and other Christian Churches and in other places in 2019, causing death and injuries to hundreds of people. In this regard, we observe that certain positive steps have been taken by the present government to ensure an independent and impartial inquiry into this brutal attack.

While we appreciate the efforts made so far, we insist that as a matter of urgency and justice, the final aim of the inquiries should be to ascertain who the perpetrators are and those who have aided and abetted in the dastardly act.

We shall continue to pray earnestly for wisdom and courage for the leaders of our country, as well as solace and healing for the victims,” the message signed by the President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference in Sri Lanka, Bishop Harold Anthony Perera and Secretary General Bishop Anthony Jayakody said.