The United Nations Human Rights Office expressed concern on Thursday about the state of basic freedoms in Sri Lanka, as the nation prepares to elect a new president in September. A report released by the UN agency emphasized that despite promises to reform, Sri Lanka has not updated its human rights protection mechanisms since emerging from a severe economic crisis. New laws and bills enacted since 2023 have instead granted extensive powers to security forces and imposed broader restrictions on freedom of expression, opinion, and association, according to the OHCHR.
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk highlighted this trend as particularly worrying given the upcoming election. The OHCHR also pointed out the weakening of democratic checks and balances, ongoing threats and intimidation towards civil society and journalists, and the recurrence of past human rights violations. The report documented continued arbitrary arrests and detentions, including cases of torture and deaths in custody.
Sri Lanka's large military presence, relative to its population, has persisted since the end of the civil war in 2009. Turk called on Sri Lanka to acknowledge the suffering of victims and the role of security forces in committing gross human rights violations, as the report criticized the lack of accountability and impunity. According to UN estimates, at least 40,000 civilians were killed during the final months of the conflict, with accusations of indiscriminate shelling by Sri Lankan forces.
The High Commissioner emphasized that crimes and violations committed during and after the civil war must be addressed. Sri Lanka has faced significant financial difficulties, defaulting on its $46 billion foreign debt in April 2022 due to a lack of foreign exchange for essential imports. The economic crisis in 2022 led to widespread shortages of food, fuel, and medicine, sparking unrest. Austerity measures have disproportionately affected women and the poor, according to the report. Local elections, originally scheduled for last year, were postponed indefinitely due to financial constraints.
