A number of countries voiced their support for the High Commissioner’s oral update today and re-asserted their commitment to ensuring full implementation of Resolution 30/1. While welcoming the positive steps taken by the Sri Lankan government, several countries expressed concern with ongoing human rights violations and the pace of progress.

The need for international participation

Many countries specifically reiterated the necessity of international participation in a judicial mechanism as per the Resolution.  

“International participation in the accountability mechanism will…be important in ensuring that the process is both credible and perceived as such by all sides in line with the October commitments,” said the Netherlands on behalf of the European Union.

See statement here:

In addition to pointing to the need for international judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers and investigators in a judicial mechanism, Estonia once again called on the Sri Lankan government to ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Stressing operative paragraph 6, Norway said:

“It is further our expectation that Sri Lanka adheres to OP 6 in the resolution, regarding the planned judicial mechanism to investigate allegations of violations and abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, and of the importance of participation in the judicial mechanism of Commonwealth and other foreign judges, defence lawyers and authorized prosecutors and investigators.”

Macedonia also stated the importance of international participation in the form iterated by the Resolution, as did Ireland.

Canada reiterated that international involvement in a judicial mechanism was importance to “enhance its credibility, especially to victims.” 

The need for tangible steps on human rights violations

The United States encouraged Sri Lanka to make continued tangible steps in fulfilling their commitments under the Resolution.

“Protecting human rights in this post-conflict context is central, and we urge Sri Lanka to work to further improve the human rights situation, especially in the North and East," said Denmark.

The Sri Lankan military has constructed a new Buddha statue besides a Hindu temple in Mannar, in a move decried by locals as yet another government sponsored act of Sinhalisation of the Tamil North-East.

The statue was built on an area of land by Manthai junction located in front of the ancient Thiruketheeswran temple. The five acres of land is currently occupied by the Sri Lankan military.

The Supreme Court of Sri Lanka has refused to grant leave for a Fundamental Rights petition against Eastern Province Chief ("EPC") Minister Nazeer Ahamed for allegedly verbally abusing and threatening a Naval Officer.

The incident which the petitioner alleges amounted to verbal abuse and threats occurred at the end of May and was telecast on numerous media channels. The video showed the EPC Chief Minister raising his voice at a naval officer in front of others.

Almost 100 kilograms of cannabis, thought to have been smuggled in from India, was seized by Sri Lankan police in Jaffna this week.

Sri Lanka’s Special task Force arrested two people after the haul was discovered along the Achchuveli-Valalai coast in Jaffna following a tip off.

The prevalence of illegal drugs has risen in the war torn North-East increasingly over the last few months. This week, Sri Lankan president Maithripala Sirisena said the government gains the most amount of tax from intoxicants from the Tamil North-East.

Also see our earlier post:

Writing in the Tamil Guardian today, the UK Minister of State for Asia, Hugo Swire recognised progress made by the Sri Lankan government but said "much more remains to be done" in the country.

Expressing agreement with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights' oral update on Sri Lanka, Mr Swire highlighted the need for further land releases, repeal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the development of credible justice processes, in consultation with victims and families in Sri Lanka and the diaspora.

The full text of Mr Swire's op-ed follows:

A long way in a short time, but more needs to be done

Sri Lanka has come a long way since President Sirisena’s election in January 2015. I have been struck by the progress made. No one should underestimate the challenge of dealing with the legacy of a 30 year conflict.  Sri Lanka is in a far better place now than even the most optimistic could have imagined, only 18 months ago. Yet much remains to be done.