UN Security Council report notes increased sexual violence against Tamils in Sri Lanka post-conflict
The UN Security Council noted in a report published Monday, the ongoing incidents of sexual violence against Tamils in Sri Lanka, stating that there were "indications that abduction, arbitrary detention, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence have increased in the post-war period" in Sri Lanka and that acts of sexual violence were being targetted specifically at those perceived to be associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
The report, by the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, on 'Conflicted related sexual violence', urged the UN Security Council to take action to prevent and ensure accountability for sexual violence in conflict. It examined ongoing concerns of sexual violence since 2014 in 19 countries, including Sri Lanka.
"One of the major unaddressed issues is impunity for conflict-related sexual violence," the report said on Sri Lanka.
It further noted:
"There are indications that abduction, arbitrary detention, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence have increased in the post-war period. Notably, Tamil women and girls have reported sexual abuse in the context of the ongoing militarization of their areas of residence.""Allegations of sexual violence by the Sri Lankan security forces against members of the Tamil community in the closing months of the war and in the post-conflict period have been extensively documented, but rarely addressed."
"Testimony of women released from detention in 2014 indicates that acts of sexual torture were accompanied by racial insults and specifically directed against individuals perceived as having been linked to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam."
In his recommendations, Mr Moon said:
"I call upon the newly elected Government of Sri Lanka to investigate allegations of sexual violence, including against national armed and security forces, and to provide multi-sectoral services for survivors, including reparations and economic empowerment programmes for women at risk, including war widows and female heads of household."
See full report here.
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