Hold a free election – UNHRC warns government

A UN Human Rights Office report issued on the 22nd identifies renewed threats to fundamental freedoms in Sri Lanka, evidenced by new or proposed regressive laws, erosion of democratic checks and balances, ongoing threats and intimidation against civil society and journalists, and recurrence of serious human rights violations of the past.
It states, “As the country approaches presidential and parliamentary elections, it has an opportunity to recommit to the transformational changes demanded by a broad cross-section of Sri Lankans, including accountability and reconciliation,” says Volker Turk, who prepared the report.
As such, the relevant Human Rights Commission report highlights several repressive laws and acts introduced by the government from 2023, giving the security forces broad powers and significantly hampering the previous restrictions on freedom of expression, opinion and association.
“Since Sri Lanka is in an important pre-election period, there is a possibility that these laws could be used against democracy,” the High Commissioner’s report warns.
Despite the temporary moratorium promised by the government to the Human Rights Commission, the authorities continue to use the Prevention of Terrorism Act to arrest and detain people and further arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and death in custody in Sri Lanka, south of India in the Indian Ocean. The report shows that the recent incidents have confirmed the information about the cases. Intimidation and harassment of journalists and civil society activists who advocate for press freedom continue, particularly in cases dealing with enforced disappearances, land disputes and environmental issues.
Also, families of those forcibly arrested and disappeared often face intimidation, arrests and surveillance by security forces when trying to find the truth or to commemorate their loved ones. The report shows that impunity and lack of accountability for crimes committed during and after the civil war, which ended in 2009, continues. According to the United Nations, the commission expects the new government to be elected on September 22 to take swift action against those who have gone unpunished for crimes and violations committed during and after the civil war, including the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.
The United Nations Human Rights Commission further emphasizes in its report that “The Easter attack and other human rights violations should be thoroughly investigated and those responsible should be strictly prosecuted,” Volker has said.
He has said that the new government that will be elected after September 22 next month will seek to find the causes of the country’s conflicts and re-dedicate itself to re-organize the judicial system to address the existing legal coverage and deficiencies in the current legal coverage to absolve those involved in various crimes.

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