Human Rights Council should uphold SL commitments: HRW

The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has expressed disappointment that the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) did not make an effort to hold Sri Lanka to fulfilling its commitments when it announced that it is withdrawing from the resolutions it co-sponsored to promote reconciliation and accountability.

HRW Geneva Director John Fisher said Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has left little doubt that Sri Lanka would not enforce its commitments on justice and accountability agreed to at the United Nations Human Rights Council, and Foreign Relations Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s announcement in Geneva last week that Sri Lanka was withdrawing from the 2015 resolution was no surprise.

In a report Fisher said it was particularly disappointing that the UN Core Group on Sri Lanka – including the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, North Macedonia, and Montenegro – did not stand by the numerous victims of abuses by calling for renewed Human Rights Council action.

In its statement, the Core Group merely “encourage[d] the Government of Sri Lanka to continue cooperation and dialogue” – a naïve appeal in the face of the Sri Lankan Government’s explicit repudiation of its commitments.

The HRW said that since taking office, Rajapaksa has repeatedly made clear his Government was not going to punish members of the security forces accused of war crimes, and has already stalled pending investigations.

“At the same time, the Government is rapidly putting civilian State agencies under military control, and intelligence agencies are increasing their surveillance and intimidation of victims’ families, human rights activists, and journalists,” the Human Rights Watch charged.

“The Government told the Council it would create yet another domestic Commission of Inquiry, but there is a long record of such bodies failing in Sri Lanka,” it said.

The rights organisation pointed out that international involvement is crucial for any accountability process in Sri Lanka to have credibility, and to obtain a measure of justice for the victims. But under the current administration, victims have no realistic options beyond the Human Rights Council.

“Instead of placing faith in empty Government promises, the Core Group should be leading the call for the Council to create an international justice mechanism,” Human Rights Watch Geneva Director Fisher said.