The UN Human Rights Office has called on the Sri Lankan Government to strengthen accountability for human rights violations and accelerate efforts towards reconciliation and healing.
UN Human Rights spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said Sri Lanka had continued to face natural disasters and economic shocks over the past year, with the poorest communities bearing the greatest impact.
She welcomed measures taken to combat corruption, including high-profile arrests and investigations linked to political killings, enforced disappearances and the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. However, she said more action was needed to end Sri Lanka’s long-standing culture of impunity.
Shamdasani expressed concern over the continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which she said had resulted in arbitrary arrests and prolonged detention without charge.
She also highlighted allegations of torture and deaths in custody, as well as prison overcrowding and violence. Civil society activists and journalists continued to face state surveillance, while tensions surrounding land and religious sites remained unresolved, she said.
The UN urged Sri Lanka to intensify its reconciliation and accountability efforts, impose a moratorium on the use of the PTA until it is repealed, and release long-term detainees and prisoners held under the legislation.
