The present Sri Lanka government, which initiated a “new, more open dialogue” with the international community during 2015, however took “no significant measures” to end "impunity for security force abuse", according to the Human Rights Watch (HRW)’s annual report.
The report, which covered events concerning human rights issues in over 90 countries from 2014 end to November 2015, pointed out that the government also had not yet repealed the “draconian” Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), despite promises to do so.
While accusing police in the country of having continued to routinely “torture and ill-treat” individuals taken into custody for different purposes, the report pulled up the government for its “failure” to ensure disciplinary or criminal prosecution against police officers concerned. The HRW contended that “only in a handful of particularly egregious cases in the media spotlight was serious action taken against the offending officers. Even in those cases, superior officers were not held to account as a matter of command responsibility.”
As for the United Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution of October 2015 on accountability and reconciliation, the report said “concerns remained about the failure” of sponsoring states to ensure proper provisions for international oversight of implementation of the terms of the resolution. “The resolution only calls for an oral update from the [United Nations] high commissioner [for Human Rights] during the council’s 32nd session in June 2016 and a written implementation report at the 34th session in March 2017.”
At the same time, a release of the HRW, quoting Brad Adams, Asia director, said “the pervasive culture of fear is largely gone and positive measures have been adopted, but the previous government’s disastrous restructuring of independent state institutions needs to be fully dismantled.”
The new government had “promptly initiated” a series of constitutional reforms, including establishing a constitutional council and restoring the independence of the judiciary, police, and human rights commissions. “Civil society groups are once again able to speak out safely on issues of concern. In December, the government signed the United Nations Convention against Enforced Disappearance, a step toward tackling a massive decades-long problem,” the release said, adding that the regime had begun to investigate some “emblematic cases of serious human rights violations” during the civil war including the killing and enforced disappearance of journalists.
(The Hindu)
