The Core Group on Sri Lanka stressed the importance of “building meaningfully on past work and recommendations that address the root causes of conflicts and impunity” in a statement at the 53rd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC). 

The Core Group, made up of Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the UK and the United States, also expressed their concerns over the island’s continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). 

“We acknowledge an ongoing effort to replace the PTA and urge the Government to ensure that terrorism legislation is consistent with Sri Lanka’s international obligations,” the Core Group said. 

The PTA has been used for decades to detain Tamils and Muslims arbitrarily and to extract false confessions through the use of torture. Despite multiple pledges from successive governments, Sri Lanka has failed to repeal the legislation. Although Sri Lanka has stated that it will replace the legislation, the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) retains PTA provisions that enable prolonged detention for up to one year which can be extended on the request of the Attorney General. Moreover, the proposed bill grants police and military sweeping powers to stop, question, search, and arrest anyone, or seize any document or object without a warrant, if they believe they have “reasonable grounds.”

The statement also calls on the Sri Lankan government to work with the High Commissioner, Volker Turk, to address the Resolution 51/1 even though Sri Lanka has continuously rejected the resolution. 

In October 2022, the UNHRC  adopted resolution 51/L1 on Sri Lanka, which will “extend and reinforce the capacity of the Office of the High Commissioner to collect, consolidate, analyse and preserve” evidence that may be used in future war crimes trials.

Read the full statement here.