The families of the 12 political prisoners who are undertaking a hunger strike in Colombo's Magazine prison held a protest yesterday calling for their release.
In a joint letter from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, International Commission of Jurists and Forum Asia, has stressed that the UNHRC should adopt a strong resolution on end a pervasive culture of impunity and bring justice to victim communities.
During the 51st session of the Indian delegation expressed their concern over the lack of “measurable progress” on the Sri Lankan government’s “commitments of a political solution to the ethnic issue.”
During the first day of the 51st session of the UNHRC council, a coterie of rogue states including China, Russia, Iran and North Korea rushed to Sri Lanka’s defence, touting the country’s alleged progress on human rights and asserting their opposition to UN resolution 46/1.
During the 51st session of the UNHRC, western governments responded to a damning report by the UN High Commissioner, which revealed the “active reversal” of progress on accountability, and voiced alarm over Sri Lanka’s “persistent culture of impunity” and deepening militarisation.
Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Ali Sabry said the government "fundamentally" disagreed with the legitimacy of the UN Resolution 46/1 and claimed that the resolution violates the "sovereignty of the people of Sri Lanka" as the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council opened this morning.
While speaking with the Administrator for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) emphasized the need to push for accountability in Sri Lanka.
Signatures calling for the repeal of the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) were collected in Jaffna this morning after a campaign was launched yesterday.
The hunger strike of 12 Tamil political prisoners, who were detained between 2019 and 2020, has entered its 5th day as those imprisoned continued to demand for their release.
Farmers in Sri Lanka told me that what they desperately need now is quality fertilizer to increase crop yields. Glad to announce new @USAID funding to help them with upcoming planting seasons. pic.twitter.com/0Zb08ABDSS
A group of US Congress members have urged the State Department to use its leverage at the United Nations Security Council to refer Sri Lanka to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a recent article South Asia Director for Human Rights Watch (HRW), Meenakshi Ganguly denounced President Ranil Wickremesinghe and his government for the appoinment of three alleged human rights abusers.
On 8 September, Wickremesinghe appointed 37 new ministers. Three of the 37 appointees are implicated in serious human rights violations.
Responding to the Sri Lankan government’s brutal crackdown on press freedom, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has condemned the “constant attempts to intimidate Tamil media personal” and called “for an end to the use of illegal and abusive methods that dangerously undermine press freedom”.