Amnesty International, Forum Asia, Human Rights Watch, the International Crisis Group, and the International Commission of Jurists have released a joint statement calling for the release of human rights activists detained by the Sri Lankan government and urged the international community to “stand up for human rights in Sri Lanka.”
David Griffiths, Amnesty International’s deputy director for Asia Pacific, said,
“The Sri Lankan authorities need to release Fernando and Father Praveen, and end the ongoing state harassment of human rights defenders… How can the international community take Sri Lanka’s claims to respect rights seriously when rights defenders continue to face intimidation and criminal charges for demanding accountability and human rights protection?”
Sam Zarifi, Asia director at the International Commission of Jurists, added,
“This ongoing campaign of reprisals against those speaking out against human rights violations shows the extent of the government’s impunity… The international community, through its voting at the Human Rights Council, must judge Sri Lanka not by its promises, but by its actions.”
The executive director of Forum-Asia, Evelyn Balais-Serrano, also stated,
“Sri Lankan authorities systematically clamp down on those who seek to reach out to the international community, especially around significant events such as the Human Rights Council sessions or the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting… Instead of protecting human rights defenders, the latest arrests show the Sri Lankan government is stepping up its aggressive stance towards those seeking justice and answers.”
Jonathan Prentice, the International Crisis Group’s chief policy officer,
“Arresting peaceful activists known for their work with victims of rights violations from all ethnic communities is not a way to build trust and restore relationships damaged by the war… If sustainable peace is to be more than an illusion, the rights of Sri Lanka’s victims and human rights defenders to speak freely and safely must be protected.”
Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, called on the international community to act, concluding,
“Human Rights Council members should demand the immediate release of Fernando and Father Praveen and be clear that this will not deter them from adopting a necessary resolution on Sri Lanka… The arrest of these human rights defenders shows just how important it is for the international community to stand up for human rights in Sri Lanka.”
See the full statement here.
The statement was released as the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) also condemned the arrests, stating,
“These are outrageous charges that cut deep to the heart of the deeply disturbing human rights issues confronting Sri Lanka. The frequency of these assaults demonstrates that the Sri Lankan Government believes it can ignore global opinion.”