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Impunity remains entrenched in Lanka: Amnesty International slams Sri Lanka’s human rights record
Amnesty International last Wednesday slammed the Sri Lankan government’s human rights record noting that “impunity remained entrenched with the Sri Lankan government making no notable progress around the right to truth, justice and reparation for those affected by war”.
Amnesty’s Annual Report 2023/24 detailed how the Sri Lankan continued to oppose measures to advance accountability for the war crimes committed by the Sri Lankan military; how the economic crisis has seen a doubling of the number of people beneath the poverty line; and the government concerted efforts to curb of freedom of expression, amongst other issues.
Commenting on the proposed “truth commission”, the report details that 9 international human rights organisations have criticised the plans in September. The report goes on to state: “Given the failure of domestic commissions of inquiry to ensure accountability, some victim communities rejected the plans outright. Others highlighted the need for trust-building measures before establishing any truth commission, noting concerns around continuing surveillance and the lack of space memorialisation.”
The report also details how other domestic transitional justice mechanisms (the Office on Reparations and the Office on Missing Persons) have made no notable progress over the year according to publicly available information. “Many cases –exemplars of impunity for human rights violations – dragged on in the domestic court system, again with no notable progress”.
Amnesty also details the government’s persistent rejections of international mechanisms such as the Sri Lanka Accountability Project, which was established in 2021.
Despite Sri Lanka’s assurances to the UNHRC of the steps the government had been taking, Amnesty noted that the Sri Lankan government ‘merely noted and did not support most recommendations made during the Universal Periodic Review in March on accountability for war-time serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law.”
Commenting on the state of poverty on the island, the report highlights the World Bank’s finding that the number of people living below the poverty line has doubled since 2022.Whilst the government has introduce a new “Aswesuma” welfare benefit payment scheme, Amnesty warns that the narrow target of the programme may mean that “only approximately 1.1 of the 2 million families living below the poverty level were eligible”.
It risked excluded many of the most vulnerable including those working informal sector, on daily wage incomes, from the Malaiyaha Tamil community, others with low or precarious incomes, and those whose incomes were lost due to unemployment.
Amnesty also slammed continued efforts by the Sri Lankan government to curb freedom of expression. The report cites an incident in November were nine Tamils were arrested under Sri Lanka’s draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act for a commemoration vigil in the eastern town of Batticaloa.
The report further details the persistent use of the PTA by the Sri Lankan government despite pledges to repeal the legislation. Amnesty notes that the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act, which seeks to replace the PTA, makes minor changes but the legislation’s capacity to enable human rights violations remained.
The human rights organisation also criticised Sri Lanka’s Online Safety Bill, which the OHCHR has slammed noting that; “many sections of the Bill contain vaguely defined terms and definitions of offences which leave significant room for arbitrary and subjective interpretation and could potentially criminalize nearly all forms of legitimate expression, creating an environment that has a chilling effect on freedom of expression”.
Amnesty also criticised the arrests of social commentors for their criticism of Buddhism.
The report also referenced the many protests which took place last year adding that the Sri Lankan government sought to ban protests and frequently resorted to excessive and other unlawful force against protesters ? deaths and many injuries resulted in both countries. In a different report released by Amnesty earlier this month, it called on the international community to “urgently review cooperation with the Sri Lankan government” including the training and provision of its security forces, as it released a new report detailing how the military and police engaged in violent suppression of protests.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
