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Human Rights Watch calls on Sri Lanka to protect all communities whilst safeguarding basic rights

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a statement calling on the government to protect refugees and asylum seekers whilst ensuring basic rights are safeguarded.

This statement follows local attacks on Muslim minorities in retaliation for the Easter Sunday bombings which killed over 250 people. 

The report states that nearly a thousand refugees and asylum seekers were displaced from their homes as landlords came under pressure to evict them. They have since sought shelter in nearby mosques or at the police station in Negombo.

There are reports from the Ahmadiyya community of people being dragged out of their tuk-tuks (auto rickshaws) and beaten with sticks as well as being stoned. There are also reports of houses being broken into.

Meenakshi Ganguly, HRW South Asian director, stated that 

“Sri Lankan authorities not only have a responsibility to apprehend those responsible for the heinous Easter Sunday attacks, but also to protect all those now at heightened risk” [...]

“This means providing safe and secure shelter for refugees and asylum seekers, but also taking prompt legal action against anyone who threatens them”.

HRW reports that the communities are primarily Muslim Pakistani and Afghan migrants but they also include Christians. Several hundred are staying at Ahmadiyya mosque in Negombo whilst others have been shelved in a local school. There are also around 650 migrants have been at the mosque in Pascal, just east of Negombo. 

Efforts to transfer these vulnerable communities to safe areas have come to a halt due to protests from local communities. On at least four occasions, busloads of migrants were forced to return to the overcrowded Negombo police station.

HRW has called for greater protection at mosques, police stations, and other locations where refugees are staying as well as transferring them to safer areas, and working closely with humanitarian agencies providing assistance.

The statement further warns against the use of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The report states that act has been used to detain suspects without charge or trial and have been subject torture and other abuses.

Sri Lanka had pleaded to the UN Human Rights Council in October 2015 to repeal and replace the law but has failed to do so. 

Meenakshi Gangly states that the: 

“Sri Lankan authorities have a responsibility to arrest and prosecute all those involved in the Easter Sunday attacks and prevent further extremist violence [...] But as Sri Lanka’s civil war history makes clear, doing so without ensuring basic rights will be counterproductive. Fostering cooperation by all of the country’s religious and ethnic groups is crucial for the safety of all.”

Babar Baloch, a spokesman for the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) told reporters:

“UNHCR is working closely with local and national authorities who have been very supportive and helpful to ensure the security and safety of all refugees and asylum-seekers during this time of weighted anxiety and concern”.

There are an approximate 1,600 refugees and asylum seekers registered with the UNHCR in Sri Lanka.

Read the full statement here.

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