The international community must do more to hold Sri Lanka to account for its ongoing human rights abuses, says Australian senator Lee Rhiannon.
In a speech to the Australian parliament, Greens senator Lee Rhiannon recounted how Sri Lanka’s chief of national intelligence, himself accused of perpetrating torture, evaded questions from the UN’s Committee Against Torture.
Quoting reports from Together Against Genocide, PEARL, Adayaalam, Journalists from Democracy in Sri Lanka and other organisations, the senator made the case for holding Sri Lanka more strongly to account, in particular calling for the EU to remain firm when considering restoring GSP+ to the country.
“As in 2010, the EU again has the opportunity to hold the Sri Lankan government to account and end entrenched impunity,” Senator Rhiannon said. “This opportunity must not be lost.”
See Senator Rhiannon’s full speech here.