The Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (Forum Asia), calling for sustained “international scrutiny” until tangible results were achieved on the ground, urged Sri Lanka to “fully demilitarise” the North-East of the island, release political prisoners and allow the OHCHR investigation into Sri Lanka (OISL) team full access into the island.
Calling on the Sri Lanka to honour the trust placed in it by the High Commissioner for human rights by allowing the OISL team access to the North-East, the NGO said,
“As a token of its assurances the government should at once release all detained political prisoners and human rights defenders. It should also demonstrate its sincerity towards change by taking immediate steps in the North and East, to fully demilitarise and ensure the fundamental freedoms are restored in full.”
Noting that political transition to a new regime “is not necessarily a guarantee for securing human rights,” the NGO urged the OISL team to ensure that the report would “advocate stringently for sustained international scrutiny until tangible results are demonstrably achieved on the ground.”
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