In a statement released the day before Sri Lanka's UPR at the Human Rights Council, Amnesty International reiterated the "lack of progress on a number of human rights issues highlighted in the first review four years ago", and a "culture of impunity for human rights violations".
The statement continued:
'While the government of Sri Lanka has defeated the LTTE, it has failed to implement commitments to enhance human rights protections and to account for past violations.
It has yet to repeal oppressive anti-terrorism legislation which is used to justify abusive practices including arbitrary detention and restrictions on freedom of expression. A lack of witness protection laws and continued lack of independence of the National Human Rights Commission had added to a culture of impunity for human rights violations.
Amnesty International continues to receive reports of enforced disappearances, torture and other ill treatment in detention, which the authorities refuse to investigate. Security forces’ use of arbitrary arrests and detentions have targeted members of armed groups, political opponents and journalists.'
See here for Amnesty's full UPR submission.
See also 'HRW - 'Approach Sri Lanka with skepticism' (30 Oct 2012)
And our TG View -'How meaningful is Sri Lanka's UPR?' (25 Oct 2012)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
