SL takes a dip in Freedom House rankings

•  Rights watchdog cites corruption and impeachment of CJ for downgrade

US based rights watchdog Freedom House downgraded Sri Lanka on its annual survey of civil and political rights in countries across the world, saying the country’s score had deteriorated due to increasing corruption and the recent impeachment of the Chief Justice.

The Freedom House annual survey for 2013 said the most serious declines in the Asia-Pacific region took place in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

The Organization lists countries according to how ‘free’ they are, with the ranking 1 representing the most free and the ranking 7 denoting the least free ranking.

Sri Lanka ranked 5 on the Political Rights ranking and 4 on Civil Liberties, while the country was among the largest net losers in the Freedom House total aggregate score, losing 9 points between 2008-2012. Sri Lanka is listed on the Freedom House survey as a ‘Partly Free’ country.

Freedom House classifies only 90 out 195 countries as having been “free” in 2012, three more than the previous year. Despite the incremental shift, however, the organization’s general conclusion is anything but positive. Twenty-seven countries in the world declined in freedom rankings, while only 16 made positive gains.

Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s flagship publication, is a comparative assessment of global political rights and civil liberties. Published annually since 1972, the survey rates and reports on 195 countries and 14 related and disputed territories. (DB)