A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Saturday, February 24, 2018
Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka
Excerpts
from the annual report of the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights and reports of the Office of the High Commissioner and the
Secretary-General
( February 23, 2018, Geneva, Sri Lanka Guardian) Pursuant
to Human Rights Council resolution 34/1, the present document is an
update on progress made in the implementation of resolution 30/1 on
promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka
during the period from March 2017 to January 2018, in particular with
regard to the Government’s commitment to put in place transitional
justice measures. In the present update, the Office of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights also looks at the general
human rights situation in the country, including with respect to
accountability.
Conclusions and recommendations
48. The High Commissioner reiterates his appreciation for the
constructive engagement of the Government of Sri Lanka with OHCHR and
United Nations human rights mechanisms since January 2015. However, as
he noted in March 2017, this constructive collaboration must be
accompanied by the implementation of key commitments. The fulfilment of
the transitional justice commitments made under Human Rights Council
resolution 30/1 has been virtually stalled for more than a year.
Progress with some confidence-building measures has often been
insufficient and inconclusive, and the structures set up to coordinate
implementation have not consolidated enough or did not receive
sufficient political support to move things
forward.
forward.
49. In statements and reports issued since 2015, the High Commissioner,
while expressing concern over the lack of progress on accountability and
reforms, was encouraged by the positive improvement of the general
human rights situation. However, 2017 was marked by intermittent
inter-ethnic tensions and attacks on minorities which are unlikely to
dissipate completely.
50. While the Government has managed to steer many of these worrying
events in a positive direction, this type of violence in a country that
has experienced cycles of extreme violence roughly every 10 years is
deeply troubling, particularly when accompanied by hate speech,
misinformation and agitation through social media and political
manipulation.
51. The continuing allegations of torture and surveillance and the lack
of sufficient progress in implementing critical confidence-building
measures, such as the release of land, the repeal of the Prevention of
Terrorism Act and the solution to the pending cases under the Act, have
antagonized key constituencies that could be instrumental to the
Government’s reform efforts.
52. The High Commissioner urges the Human Rights Council to continue to
play a critical role in encouraging progress in accountability and
reconciliation in Sri Lanka. It also calls on Member States to explore
other avenues, including the application of universal jurisdiction, that
could foster accountability.
Read the full report here;
UN-High-Commissioner-report-Sri-Lanka-Feb-2018.pdf by Thavam on Scribd