A/HRC/25/23
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February 2014
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Human Rights Council
Twenty-fifth session
Agenda item 2
Annual report of the
United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the
High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
for Human Rights and reports of the Office of the
High Commissioner and the Secretary-General
Promoting reconciliation and accountability in Sri Lanka
Summary
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In the present report, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner
for Human Rights acknowledges the progress made in reconstruction and the
implementation of some of the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission. The Government of Sri Lanka has, however, failed
to ensure independent and credible investigations into past violations of
international human rights and humanitarian law. The report also contains
updates on the ongoing attacks on religious minorities, and the harassment
and intimidation of human rights defenders, lawyers and journalists.
The Government has not responded to the offers of technical assistance
made by the High Commissioner and the special procedures. Meanwhile, new
evidence continues to emerge on the events that took place in the final
stages of the armed conflict. Against this background, the High Commissioner
recommends the establishment of an independent, international inquiry
mechanism, which would contribute to establishing the truth where domestic
inquiry mechanisms have failed.
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Contents
Paragraphs Page
I. Introduction....................................................................................................... 1–2 3
II. Engagement of the Office of the High Commissioner and the
special procedures.... 3–11 3
III. Recent human rights developments...................................................................... 12–26 5
A. Former combatants and detainees............................................................... 16–19 6
B. Attacks on religious minorities, human
rights defenders and freedom of
opinion and
expression.............................................................................. 20–22 6
C. Extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary
killings............................................... 23–24 7
D. Mass graves............................................................................ ................. 25–26 8
IV. Implementation of the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation
Commission............................................................ ................. 27–35 8
V. Progress in accountability issues...................................................... ................. 36–64 10
A. Domestic initiatives................................................................................. 36–46 10
B. Emblematic cases.................................................................................. 47–64 12
VI. Conclusions and recommendations................................................................... 65–75 16
A. Conclusions.................................................................................. 65–73 16
B. Recommendations........................................................................ 74-75 18
============================================
I. Introduction
1. The present report is submitted pursuant to
Human Rights Council resolution 22/1, in which the Council encouraged the
Government of Sri Lanka to implement the constructive recommendations of the
Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,[1] as well as those made by the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights in her report,[2] and to conduct an independent and credible
investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights and
humanitarian law.[3]
2. In resolution 22/1, the Human Rights Council
also encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to take all necessary additional
steps to fulfil its relevant legal obligations and commitment to initiate
credible and independent actions to ensure justice, equity, accountability and
reconciliation for all Sri Lankans, and to cooperate with the special
procedures. It also encouraged the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) and
relevant special procedures mandate holders to provide advice and technical
assistance on implementing the above-mentioned steps. Lastly, the Council
requested OHCHR to present a comprehensive report on the implementation of the
resolution at its twenty-fifth session, with input from relevant special
procedures.
II. Engagement by the
Office of the High Commissioner and the special procedures
3. At the invitation of the Government, the
High Commissioner visited Sri Lanka from 25 to 31 August 2013. In accordance
with the request made by the Human Rights Council in resolution 21/1, she presented
an oral update on the situation to the Council at its twenty-fourth session
(A/HRC/24/CRP.3/Rev.1), in which she suggested concrete steps that the
Government could take that could help the Council to assess progress made in the
areas identified by the Council in resolution 22/1 by the time of its twenty-fifth
session. These included inviting the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary
Disappearances and the Independent Expert on minority issues; demonstrating a
credible national investigation process with tangible results, including the successful
prosecution of individual perpetrators; and setting a clear timeline for
disengagement of the military from activities that are meant to be civilian.
Regrettably, none of these steps had been taken by the end of the period of
review.
4. The Government of Sri Lanka did not respond
positively to the offer of technical assistance made by the High Commissioner
following an OHCHR technical mission to Sri Lanka in November 2012. On 31
October 2013, following her visit to Sri Lanka, the High Commissioner again
addressed a letter to the Minister for External Affairs and other officials in
which she reiterated the readiness of her Office to provide technical
assistance. The areas of possible assistance highlighted by the High
Commissioner were in line with some of the recommendations accepted by the
Government during its universal periodic review and with those made by the
Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts on Accountability in Sri Lanka.[4] The High Commissioner regrets that she has
received no response.
5. With regard to the issue of disappearances,
the High Commissioner urged the Government to invite the Working Group on
Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, to ratify the International Convention
for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and to finalize
measures to criminalize disappearances in national law.
6. With regard to criminal justice and
accountability, the High Commissioner offered technical assistance in various areas,
including draft legislation on hate speech and witness and victim protection,
to ensure compliance with relevant international standards. In relation to some
long outstanding criminal investigations, the High Commissioner offered to
identify international experts who could assist the national inquiries.
7. Furthermore, the High Commissioner offered
to provide technical advice on how truth-seeking mechanisms and reparations
policies could be developed in accordance with international standards.
8. On 17 December 2013, the Assistant
Secretary-General for Human Rights met with the Secretary of Defence of Sri
Lanka, in New York, and reiterated the High Commissioner’s offer of technical
cooperation. Subsequently, on 20 January 2014, the High Commissioner met with
the Secretary to the President, Lalith Weerathunga, in Geneva.
9. There are currently nine outstanding
requests to visit Sri Lanka by special procedures: on minority issues; freedom
of peaceful assembly and of association; freedom of opinion and expression;
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; enforced or involuntary
disappearances; human rights defenders; independence of judges and lawyers;
discrimination against women in law and practice; and truth, justice,
reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence. In October 2013, the Working Group
on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Special Rapporteur on the
rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association followed up on their
requests to visit or made specific offers of technical assistance. These
requests remain pending. Since January 2012, the Government has transmitted
responses on 842 cases to the Working Group dating back to the 1990s.
10. At the invitation of the Government, the
Special Rapporteur on the rights of internally displaced persons visited Sri
Lanka from 2 to 6 December 2013 (see also para. 14 below). In August 2013, the
Special Rapporteur on the right to education received an invitation from the
Government, but had to defer his visit owing to conflicting engagements. The
Government has since extended an invitation to the Special Rapporteur on the
human rights of migrants to visit the country in May 2014.
11. The High Commissioner welcomes the
Government’s engagement in these important issues, but reiterates her calls to
invite the special procedures on enforced or involuntary disappearances and
minority issues as a matter of priority, considering that these issues featured
prominently in the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission and have also been identified by the Human Rights Council
as key concerns.
III. Recent human
rights developments
12. In her oral update to the Human Rights Council
at its twenty-fourth session, the High Commissioner acknowledged the
achievements made by the Government, with the help of the international community,
in demining, resettlement, reconstruction and rehabilitation since 2009. She
welcomed the elections to the Northern Provincial Council in September 2013,
and recommended that the Government should work with new provincial authorities
to promote meaningful community participation in reconstruction and development
programmes. She however also highlighted pressing concerns, including the lack
of progress in accountability for serious human rights violations; the situation
of detainees and former combatants, with regard to extrajudicial, summary and
arbitrary killings; continued militarization[5] and compulsory land acquisition[6] (particularly in the north and east of the
country); shrinking space for civil society and the media; rising religious
intolerance; and the undermining of independent institutions, including the
judiciary.
13. Following his visit in December 2013, the
Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons also
acknowledged the reconstruction effort, but emphasized the need to promote
durable solutions and to address the protection of women and girls, access to
land, and the withdrawal of the military from all civilian functions.[7]
14. In its comments on a draft version of the
present report, the Government of Sri Lanka stated that, since 2009, the total
strength of the military had been reduced by approximately 30 per cent in the
Northern Province, and by 26 per cent in the Eastern Province, and the vast
majority of checkpoints had been removed. It added that a total of 20,011 acres
of private land and 5,740 acres of State land had been released in the two
provinces. The High Commissioner noted, however, reports that more than 6,000
acres of private land had been acquired by the State in Jaffna around the
Palaly cantonement, and that more than 2,000 petitioners had taken legal action
to reclaim their land.[8] The Government stated that steps were being
taken to compensate the owners.
15. The High Commissioner remains concerned that non-governmental
organizations are still required to register and report through a secretariat
under the Ministry of Defence. She also draws attention to concerns that women are
vulnerable to sexual harassment and violence when there is a heavy military
presence.[9] For
instance, in May 2013, a soldier attached to an army camp in Nedunkerny
reportedly confessed to raping a 6-year-old child. In its comments on the
present report, the Government reported that the military had taken strict
action in such cases.
A. Former combatants and detainees
16. During the visit of the High Commissioner, the
Government informed her that more than 11,758 former combatants had been
rehabilitated and reintegrated into society, 234 detainees were undergoing
rehabilitation, and 91 detainees were facing legal proceedings. The Government
also reported that the files of 977 detainees who had been held for long
periods of time without charge had been opened, and that 160 files were pending
a decision by the end of January 2014.[10]
17. The High Commissioner welcomes such progress
and urges the Government to expedite decision-making on pending cases by
bringing charges, releasing or sending individuals for rehabilitation, and to
ensure that lawyers have access to their clients.
18. The High Commissioner again urges the Government
to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the regulations promulgated under
it, which allow for arbitrary detention.
19. The High Commissioner notes with appreciation
the Government’s report that all former child combatants had been reintegrated
by May 2010 and been provided with formal education.[11] At the same time, she reminds the Government
that, as highlighted in Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission recommendation
9.79, there has yet to be any prosecutions or trials for the war crime of child
recruitment, including against former cadres of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE) and former paramilitary leaders now serving in the Government.
B. Attacks on religious minorities, human
rights defenders and freedom of opinion and expression
20. The High Commissioner remains deeply disturbed
by the significant surge in attacks against religious minorities and the incitement
of violence by Sinhala Buddhist nationalist groups, led predominantly by
certain extremist Buddhist monks. She received reports from the Secretariat for
Muslims, a non-governmental organization, according to which there were some
280 incidents of threats and violence against Muslims in 2013,[12] as well as attacks on mosques and places of
business. Christian groups also reported more than 103 incidents of attacks on churches
and Christians in 2013. After a lull prior to the Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting, five violent attacks led by Buddhist monks were reported
against multiple churches in December 2013 and January 2014. In its comments on
the present report, the Government cited 182 incidents affecting all religions,
of which only 147 were reported to police. Although the Government stated that,
the police had taken necessary action, in many cases perpetrators were readily
identifiable in video footage, where police are seen standing as onlookers to
the violence. The Government also reported that amending legislation to enhance
existing provisions of the Penal Code and ICCPR Act with regard to hate speech
had been prepared.
21. OHCHR continues to receive complaints of widespread
harassment and intimidation targeting human rights defenders, activists,
lawyers and journalists, including reprisals against those who engage with the
United Nations human rights mechanisms and OHCHR. The High Commissioner
expressed grave concern at the harassment and intimidation against individuals
or groups who met or attempted to meet with her, even months after her visit.
OHCHR received reports of at least 10 serious cases involving targeting
individuals and groups between the end of October and November 2013 in the
run-up to and during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting hosted by Sri
Lanka. These included the case of a prominent human rights defender who, on 4
November, was the target of threats and derogatory remarks during a radio
broadcast hosted by the State-owned Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation. In
another instance, on 13 November, the police blocked buses carrying members of
families of the disappeared as they were travelling to Colombo to participate
in a human rights event and in a demonstration calling for accountability for
enforced disappearances.
22. Attacks against journalist and media outlets
continued in 2013. Several incidents targeted the Tamil newspaper Uthayan: on 10 January, two distributers
were attacked and copies of newspapers burned; on 13 April, armed men attacked
employees and set fire to printing machines in the Jaffna office; and, on 11
July, armed men attacked the newsroom. On 24 August, an associate editor of the
Sunday Leader was attacked by masked
men at her home, and her computer was stolen in a subsequent break-in, on 8
September.
C. Extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary
killings
23. The High Commissioner and several special
procedures mandate holders continued to follow developments in recent cases in
which the apparent excessive use of force led to the death of unarmed
protesters or of prison inmates. On 1 August 2013, approximately 6,000
residents of Weliweriya, a small suburb of Colombo, protested against the State’s
failure to address community concerns about the contamination of their drinking
water supply by a local factory. Army personnel were deployed in support of the
police to control the protest, which had turned violent and reportedly used
excessive force, leaving three people dead and many others with critical
injuries.[13] On 2 August 2013, the Army Commander appointed
a military court of inquiry into the incident. The court submitted its report
on 21 August, but it has not been made public. On 30 August 2013, the Army
announced that four senior officers had been relieved of their duties with
immediate effect, although no court martial has been initiated.[14] The factory has since been relocated and
compensation offered to the families of those killed.
24. On 12 November 2012, the Ministry of
Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms appointed a committee to inquire into events
in Welikada prison on 9 November 2012, when Special Task Force personnel
conducted a search operation and army personnel subsequently intervened to
control a riot; at least 27 inmates were killed and 43 injured.[15] The committee handed over its report to the Ministry
of Rehabilitation and Prison Reforms on 15 January 2014, but it has not been
published. According to media reports, it concludes that the prisoners shot
each other. The Government informed the High Commissioner that a similar
inquiry had been carried out into custodial deaths when security forces had stormed
Vavuniya prison to free officials taken hostage by prisoners in June 2012,
which was highlighted in her previous report,[16] but to date no report has been made public.
D. Mass graves
25. On 26 November 2012, a mass grave with
approximately 155 skeletal remains was uncovered in Matale, central Sri Lanka. In
June 2013, a presidential commission of inquiry was appointed to probe the
circumstances surrounding the gravesite, despite the initiation of a judicial
process in the Matale Magistrate’s Court. There are concerns regarding the
manner in which the remains are being preserved, the protection of the site and
the investigation process.[17] In December 2013, it was reported that another
gravesite with 52 skeletal remains, including of children, was discovered in
Mannar, northern Sri Lanka.
26. It is vital that the integrity of the sites, and
exhumation and identification procedures, be given due attention. The rights of
families to know the fate of their missing loved ones is critical, and they
must be actively involved in the legal and humanitarian efforts to locate,
exhume, rebury and memorialize the dead. In this context, an uncompromised
exhumation and investigation process is essential, and could benefit from
international assistance.
IV. Implementation of the
recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission
27. In May 2012, the
Cabinet appointed a presidential task force to monitor the implementation of
the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission. In July 2012, the task force issued a national
plan of action for the implementation of some of the recommendations. The
Government released its latest update on the implementation of the plan of
action in January 2014.[18] The High Commissioner had the opportunity to
discuss progress with the Secretary to the President on 20 January 2014.
28. The High Commissioner welcomes the progress
reported in implementing a number of recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt
and Reconciliation Commission, for instance giving effect to the trilingual
policy, promoting the official use of the Tamil language, the upgrading of
schools in the northern and eastern provinces, and measures to promote ethnic
diversity in schools and equity of access to higher education.
29. Noting the breadth and depth of the full range
of recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,
the High Commissioner has questioned the process and rationale for the
Government’s selectivity in implementing only some of the recommendations. In
some instances, as discussed below, she also observed that certain
recommendations had been watered down in the national plan of action or during
various stages of implementation.
30. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission
made approximately 285 recommendations. In the national plan of action, the
Government pledged to support the implementation of 92 recommendations. In
August 2013, it announced that it would implement an additional 53
recommendations,[19] bringing the total to 145 recommendations. At the
universal periodic review of Sri Lanka in November 2012, the Government stated
that some of the remaining Commission recommendations fell under the ambit and
scope of the national plan of action for the protection and promotion of human rights
(2011-2016), progress reports on which are not available in the public domain.
31. In many instances, however, the specified
activity in the national plan of action does not fully correspond to or address
the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission,
or the activity has been only partially completed. For instance, while recommendation
9.73 calls for the investigation of allegations against illegal armed groups,
the corresponding activity is the disarming of armed groups.[20]
32. In other examples, recommendation 9.46 called upon
the Government to direct law enforcement authorities to take immediate steps to
ensure that allegations of abductions, enforced disappearances and arbitrary
detention are properly investigated and perpetrators brought to justice. The
corresponding activity identified by the Government does not respond to the
call for investigations, but focuses on the capacity-building of police and
community policing.[21] Recommendation 9.270 called for the
establishment of interfaith mechanisms to facilitate early warning and
prevention of communal or religious violence, but this is being implemented by civil
defence committees established by the Ministry of Defence during the war.[22]
33. Little progress has been made with other key
recommendations relating to justice and accountability issues, a core concern
for the Human Rights Council; for instance, recommendation 9.120 urged the
Government to implement the recommendations of the report of the presidential commission
of inquiry (the Udalagama Commission) appointed in 2006 to investigate alleged
serious violations of human rights committed since August 2005,[23] particularly the killing of five students in
Trincomalee, in January 2006, and of 17 aid workers of Action contre la Faim,
in August 2006. Limited progress has been reported under the national plan of
action on these two cases (see paras. 47 – 64 below); furthermore, the plan does
not address any of the other 13 high-profile cases investigated by the Udalagama
Commission, including the murder of a former Minister for Foreign Affairs and of
other parliamentarians, and the disappearance of a Catholic priest.
34. Recommendation 9.213 called upon the
Government to investigate the serious allegations against illegal armed groups (some
of which had operated as paramilitaries), and to prosecute and punish perpetrators
irrespective of their political links. In the national plan of action, the
Government reported that, as at January 2014, 76 suspects were being detained
by the Terrorist Investigation Division, and that an investigation concerning
some of them was ongoing.[24]
35. While the paramilitary groups have largely
been disbanded, no action has been taken to date in relation to two senior
paramilitary leaders now serving in ministerial positions, Douglas Devananda
and Vinayagamoorthy Muralitharan (alias Karuna), or the former Chief Minister
of the Eastern Province, Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan (alias Pillaiyan), all
of whom are linked to numerous allegations of serious crimes during the armed
conflict.[25] Both Karuna and Pillaiyan were former LTTE
commanders who subsequently formed the breakaway Karuna faction named in the Lessons
Learnt and Reconciliation Commission as well as successive reports of the
Secretary-General on children and armed conflict as being responsible for child
recruitment, a war crime.[26]
V. Progress in
accountability issues
A. Domestic initiatives
36. In its resolution 22/1, the Human Rights
Council called upon the Government to conduct an independent and credible
investigation into allegations of violations of international human rights and
humanitarian law and to take all necessary additional steps to fulfil its
relevant legal obligations and commitment to initiate credible and independent
actions to ensure justice, equity, accountability and reconciliation for all
Sri Lankans. A number of the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission also called for further investigation into specific
cases and issues, in particular allegations of the indiscriminate killing of
civilians and the summary execution of prisoners. To date, the Government has
taken limited and piecemeal steps towards investigating serious allegations of
violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and none of
these have had the independence or credibility required.
37. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission recommended further investigations into, inter alia, the
circumstances under which specific instances of death or injury to civilians
could have occurred, and, that, if such investigations disclosed wrongful
conduct, that perpetrators be prosecuted and punished, as well as into the
Channel 4 video recordings to establish the truth of the allegations arising
from them. The Commander of the Army convened a military court of inquiry in
February 2012 to investigate and submit a report on the observations made by
the Commission. Little, however, is known about the proceedings, as the court
has been closed to the public and it has not issued any report.
38. In its update of the national plan of action
of January 2014, the Government reported that the court of inquiry of the Sri
Lanka Army completed in February 2013 its investigation into the allegation of
killings of civilians, and concluded that instances of shelling referred to in the
report of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission had not been caused
by the Army, and that civilian causalities might have been due to unlawful acts
by the LTTE. The Government reported that the second part of the investigation
into allegations made in the Channel 4 video was under way.
39. The High Commissioner has observed that
military courts of inquiry do not have the necessary impartiality and
independence to inspire confidence. The Commander of the Army who established
the courts was also the commander of the security forces in the main battle
zone of the conflict, and was actively engaged in the overall military planning
and operations there. In cases of alleged human rights violations by the
military or armed forces, investigations should be carried out by civilian
authorities, not by the armed forces themselves.[27]
40. According to the Government, the Census on
Human and Property Damages due to Conflict, completed in December 2013, will
shed light on the number of civilian deaths and injuries during the war, as
well as on the fate of missing persons. The results are reportedly being
analysed. The outcome of the census will not, however, provide a total picture
of all those who have died or disappeared since 1982; for instance, data were collected
only from the immediate family members of those dead or missing, thereby
missing those cases where all family members had died, disappeared or left the
country.
41. Other issues for which the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission recommended further investigation remain unaddressed
by the courts of inquiry or any other process. For instance, in paragraph 9.114
of its report, the Commission expressed deep concern at the persistent reports
concerning the killing of journalists and other forms of attacks on journalists
and media institutions, and the fact that these incidents still had to be
conclusively investigated and perpetrators brought to justice.
42. The High Commissioner is also concerned that
legal proceedings have not begun against any LTTE suspect for alleged war
crimes or other human rights abuses.
43. In August 2013, the Government announced the
appointment, by the President, of the new Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances.
The Commission, which conducted its first public sittings from 18 to 21 January
2014, in Kilinochchi District, received approximately 13,700 complaints from
all parts of the country.[28] The Government has also sought information
from other countries concerning Sri Lankans who may now be abroad. The High
Commissioner welcomes this effort, but notes that the Commission will only
cover disappearances in the northern and eastern provinces between 1990 and
2009. Many disappearances reported in Colombo and other parts of the country in
recent years will therefore not fall within its scope.
44. In November 2013, the Government announced
that the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka would conduct a national inquiry
into allegations of torture committed between 2009 and 2013, with the support
of the Human Rights Division of the Commonwealth Secretariat. In early December
2013, the Commission announced that the inquiry had been postponed indefinitely.[29]
45. In her previous report,[30] the High Commissioner recommended that Sri
Lanka should establish a more comprehensive truth-seeking mechanism, which
would build upon the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission. It is important to stress that any truth-seeking mechanism must
fully comply with the State’s international legal obligations, and must be
fully independent, including the selection of its members and budgetary
considerations. It should enjoy the broadest possible mandate covering the
entire period of the conflict and the whole territory. It should be based on a
broad national consultation process, which should include the views of victims
and survivors and of civil society organizations from all parts of the country.
Lessons must be learned from the failure of past commissions of inquiry to
ensure that any new mechanism enjoys the independence and powers necessary to
be effective. For instance, any comprehensive truth mechanism should be
established on a specific legislation meant for the mechanism, not under the
currently flawed Commission of Inquiries Act.
46. The High Commissioner notes that it would not
be permissible for any truth mechanism to grant amnesties that prevent the
prosecution of individuals who may be criminally responsible for war crimes,
genocide, crimes against humanity or gross violations of human rights,
including gender-specific violations. A truth commission should consider
seeking international support, for example special technical, legal and policy
assistance, as well as the involvement of international investigators to assist
the process. Lastly, any such truth commissions should be complemented by
comprehensive and coherent transitional justice mechanisms and processes that
include prosecution, reparations, vetting and other accountability or reform
programmes.
B. Emblematic cases
47. The failure of the Government to make any significant
progress towards accountability is illustrated by the lack of independent and
credible investigations into allegations of serious human rights violations in several
emblematic cases. These cases have been repeatedly been drawn to the attention
of the Human Rights Council by the High Commissioner and international human
rights mechanisms. The Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts highlighted in its report many of these cases (paras. 149, 170 and 414), which were
investigated by previous national commissions of inquiry and for which the Lessons
Learnt and Reconciliation Commission also recommended further investigations.
In some cases, the Government has repeatedly reported to the Council that
progress had been made in investigations. None of these cases has, however, resulted
in the perpetrators being brought to justice. These cases are only a small but
representative sample of the grave allegations of serious human rights
violations committed by the Government and the LTTE during the conflict that have
yet to be investigated or remain unresolved.
1. The Trincomalee five
48. On 2 January 2006, five students were
allegedly beaten and executed by Sri Lankan security forces at the Trincomalee
sea-front. The Trincomalee Magistrate’s Court concluded in its inquest that the
deaths had been due to gunshot injuries, and directed the police to conduct
further investigations and to bring the suspects to court. A number of special task
force members at the scene were detained as suspects soon after the incident,
but released the same year. Since then, the magistrate in Trincomalee has
postponed the case on a monthly basis, requesting the Criminal Investigation
Division to produce reports of its investigations. The Division has failed to
do so and has not provided justifiable reasons for the delay. Several witnesses
and their family members fled the country after receiving threats.[31]
49. In 2006 and 2007, the Trincomalee case was
investigated by the Udalagama Commission, which was observed by an
international independent group of eminent persons. The Government has never
published the Commission’s report. The case was also investigated by the Human
Rights Commission of Sri Lanka at the time; its report, which concluded that
security forces had been involved, first appeared in the public domain in
January 2014.[32] The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation
Commission had expressed dismay at the lack of follow-up to the findings of the
Udalagama Commission, and recommended that the Government investigate the
killings further.
50. In 2013, the Government informed the Human
Rights Council that the Attorney-General had instructed the police to commence
a non-summary inquiry before judicial authorities. At the time, the Government
noted that the matter “may be brought to a conclusion and is concrete evidence
of our commitment to accountability”.[33]
51. In June 2013, 12 Special Task Force officers were
arrested and remanded in connection with the murders. The Senior Superintendent
of Police, who was in command at the time, was not among them (he has since been
promoted to Deputy Inspector General and returned to Trincomalee). The Attorney-General informed the High
Commissioner in August 2013 that the anticipated time frame for proceedings of
this kind was three months, but pointed out the difficulties in convincing witnesses
to come forward. The officers were released on bail in October 2013. On 20
January 2014, during a meeting with the Secretary to the President, the Attorney-General’s
Office informed the High Commissioner that evidence had been recorded from 14
witnesses, and affidavits examined from another seven. The Attorney-General’s
Office has summonsed a further 14 witnesses, although had had difficulties
contacting those outside the country. After eight years of investigations,
commissions of inquiry and repeated commitments by the Government, it is of
great concern that this case has not been brought to a conclusion.
2. Action contre la Faim
52. On 4 August 2006, 17 aid workers
from Action contre la Faim were executed at their office premises in Muttur, when
the Government and LTTE were fighting for control of the town.[34]
53. An inquest into the killings began in the
Muttur Magistrate’s Court on 15 August 2006. In subsequent months, however, the
case was transferred to Anuradhapura then to Kantale, and then back to
Anuradhapura. In November 2007, the magistrate of Anuradhapura was transferred
to another location and the case was sent back to the magistrate in Muttur (a
different magistrate to the one who initially heard the case in August 2006),
where it has since ground to a halt. Action contre la Faim lodged a complaint
with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, later complaining of its total
ineffectiveness and lack of cooperation.[35]
54. Credible and independent local and international
organizations have conducted substantial inquiries into the case and made
serious allegations about its mishandling by the Attorney-General’s Department,
the police, the Judicial Medical Officer and the Ministry of Justice. They
noted that officials had destroyed, removed and otherwise tampered with
evidence. The families of the victims had been intimidated, threatened and, in
some cases, encouraged to sign statements of withdrawal.[36]
55. The case was also among those investigated by
the Udalagama Commission in 2007/08, although its report has never been
published. The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission recommended that the
Government should complete the investigation and prosecute those responsible.
During the High Commissioner’s visit to Sri Lanka, the Attorney-General informed
her that he had instructed his staff to re-examine archived files, while
pointing out that the investigation was proceeding slowly. In its comments on the
present report, the Government stated that a team of senior prosecutors
continued to pursue various lines of inquiry, although it has not been possible
to establish the identity of those responsible.
3. Executions of prisoners and those who surrendered
56. Since the end of the armed conflict in 2009,
video and photographic material have emerged depicting scenes from the last
phase of the war, in which prisoners appear to have been killed upon their surrender
or while in the custody of the security forces.
57. In June 2011, the Special Rapporteur on
extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions presented a technical report to the
Human Rights Council that demonstrated the authenticity of portions of the
video footage first broadcast by Channel 4 in August 2009.[37] On 10 September 2009, the Government had announced
the outcome of its own technical analysis on the basis of which it disputed the
previous findings of the Special Rapporteur. In response, the Special
Rapporteur commissioned independent experts to undertake a technical analysis,
which confirmed his initial conclusion. While the Lessons Learnt and
Reconciliation Commission did not reach a firm conclusion on the authenticity
of the material, it recommended that the Government should conduct further
investigations. According to the Government, this is now the subject of a
second stage of proceedings by the military court of inquiry, yet to be
concluded.[38]
(a) Balachandran Prabhakaran
58. In
February 2013, a series of photographs emerged depicting Balachandran
Prabhakaran, the 12-year-old son of LTTE leader Villupillai Prabhakaran,
sitting in a bunker, alive and apparently in the custody of Sri Lankan troops,
then his apparently dead body lying on the ground, his chest pierced by
bullets. The photographs were taken in May 2009, a few hours apart and with the
same camera. The authorities have maintained that the boy was killed in
cross-fire.
(b) T. Thurairajasingham (alias Colonel Ramesh)
59. Video
and photographic material obtained by Channel 4 and other sources depict LTTE commander
Colonel Ramesh being interrogated by Sri Lankan security forces, followed by
still images of his mutilated dead body. According to several witness
testimonies to the events surrounding the fate of Colonel Ramesh, he was in the
custody of the security forces at the time of his death.
(c) Shoba (alias Isaipriya)
60.
The analysis by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary
executions of the Channel 4 photographic and video material of the death of a high-profile
member of the LTTE press and communications wing, Isaipriya, revealed the
likelihood of summary execution by the army. The video and pictures showed that
her clothing had been pulled away to reveal her bare body.[39] In November 2013, Channel 4 released new
footage that shows her being captured alive by the army.
61. With regard to each of the above three cases,
the Government stated the authenticity of the footage and photographs remained
unsubstantiated and unverified. Whether this has been the subject of any
further investigation is unknown.
(d) “White flag” incident
62. The Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts
examined allegations of extrajudicial executions of high-level LTTE leaders on
18 May 2009, despite assurances from the Government that they could safely
surrender. High-ranking government and military officials have provided conflicting
accounts of the events in rallies and international forums.[40] While the circumstances surrounding the
incident remain uncertain, the Panel concluded that the LTTE leadership
intended to surrender. Evidence of this incident continues to emerge through non-governmental
sources from witnesses now located outside the country. In its report, the Lessons
Learnt and Reconciliation Commission failed to critically analyse or
investigate the “white flag” incident, but it cited testimonies from an army
general and a government agent, who dismissed these allegations. In its
comments on the present report, the Government stated that no further inquiries
were being conducted into the incident owing to lack of credible evidence.
4.
Prageeth Ekneligoda
63. On 24 January 2010, a Sri Lankan journalist
and cartoonist, Prageeth Ekneligoda, disappeared shortly after leaving work. A
few days earlier, he had published an article critical of President Rajapaksa.
Local residents told the Sri Lankan press that they had seen a white van
without numbered plates close to his house around the time of his
disappearance. In August 2009, Prageeth had already been abducted, then released
the following day, with his abductors saying that they had made a mistake. This
case is emblematic of the tens of thousands of cases of disappearance witnessed
over the past 30 years in Sri Lanka and remain unresolved. The Ekneligoda case
has been raised by the High Commissioner, the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary
Disappearances, the Committee against Torture and the Secretary-General’s Panel
of Experts. While the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission did not
investigate this case, it made general recommendations that the Government
investigate abductions, enforced disappearances and attacks on journalists.
64. In June 2011, former Attorney-General (now
Chief Justice) Mohan Peiris was ordered to appear at a habeas corpus hearing in
the case after telling the Committee against Torture, in 2011, that Ekneligoda
was living in a foreign country. At the hearing, Mohan Peiris admitted that he
did not know Prageeth Ekneligoda’s whereabouts and said that his statement to the
Committee had been based on the instructions received. Ekneligoda’s wife faced
hostile questioning from State counsel over her activities at the Human Rights Council
side event held in March 2012, in Geneva.[41] The Government has reported that a magisterial
inquiry is in progress. This case, together with many of this kind, will not fall
within the mandate of the new Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances, which is
mandated to examine cases of disappearances only in the northern and eastern provinces.
VI. Conclusions and
recommendations
A. Conclusions
65. Despite
the significant progress achieved in the physical aspects of resettlement and
recovery, and the implementation of some of the recommendations made by the
Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission, the Government of Sri Lanka has
yet to satisfy the call made by the Human Rights Council for a credible and
independent investigation into the allegations of serious human rights
violations that persist or to take the necessary steps to fulfil its legal
obligations to ensure justice and redress.
66. It
is important for the Human Rights Council to recall the magnitude and gravity
of the violations alleged to have been committed by the Government and the LTTE,
which left many thousands of civilians killed, injured or missing. In its
report, the Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts concluded that, if proven,
some of these acts would amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. During
her visit to Sri Lanka in August 2013, the High Commissioner was struck by the
overwhelming sense of grief and trauma among victims and survivors that, if left
unaddressed, will continue to undermine confidence in the State and
reconciliation.
67. The
Government has launched initiatives and established mechanisms, such as the
military courts of inquiry and the Commission of Inquiry on Disappearances, but
none of these have the independence to be effective or to inspire confidence
among victims and witnesses. The military courts of inquiry lack independence
and transparency and are limited in scope. Past commissions of inquiry have not
always completed their mandate, their reports have not been published and their
recommendations have not been implemented or followed by prosecutions. The Human
Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, although handling many routine cases, has a
poor record in responding credibly to serious violations committed by the
military and security forces.[42]
68. For
the past several years, Sri Lankan courts have been compromised by politicization
and interference by the executive.[43]
Cases or presiding magistrates and judges are often transferred from one court
to other, thereby delaying judicial proceedings.[44] The
High Commissioner heard from lawyers about large numbers of fundamental rights
applications, including in cases of arbitrary detention and torture, that are
discouraged or not given leave to proceed by the Supreme Court.[45]
69. One
consequence of this situation is the understandable reluctance of victims and
witnesses to come forward in the absence of any effective system for their
protection. In many cases, witnesses have been intimidated to discourage their
giving testimony, and even killed. This has been a major constraint on criminal
investigations, as well as on the work of previous commissions of inquiry and
the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission. The Attorney-General himself
informed the High Commissioner that the reluctance of witnesses to come forward
was the main reason for the lack of progress in such emblematic cases as the ones
concerning Trincomalee and Action contre la Faim.
70. A bill
on assistance and protection for victims of crime has been in preparation since
2007, and was tabled in Parliament in June 2008. The previous drafts contained
many provisions that were not compliant with international human rights law. Although
the Supreme Court recommended several amendments, it is not clear whether they
were incorporated. According to the Government, the legislation is being finalized,
even though the final version has yet to be released for public consultation.
71. At
the same time, new evidence -- including witness testimony, video and
photographic material -- continues to emerge on the events that took place in
the final stages of the armed conflict. Human remains are also still being discovered,
for instance in Matale, in November 2012, and Mannar, in December 2013.
72. As
the emblematic cases highlighted above show, national mechanisms have
consistently failed to establish the truth and achieve justice. The High
Commissioner believes this can no longer be explained as a function of time or
technical capacity, but that it is fundamentally a question of political will.
The Secretary-General’s Panel of Experts and the initiatives taken by
international non-governmental organizations have shown that witnesses are
willing to come forward to testify to international inquiry mechanisms that they
trust and can guarantee their protection. For this reason, the High
Commissioner remains convinced that an independent, international inquiry would
play a positive role in eliciting new information and establishing the truth
where domestic inquiry mechanisms have failed. In the absence of a credible
national process, she believes the international community has a duty to take
further steps, which will advance the right to truth for all in Sri Lanka and
create further opportunities for justice, accountability and redress.
73. The
High Commissioner reiterates her concern at the continuing trend of attacks on
freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association, particularly against
human rights defenders, journalists and families of victims, the rising levels
of religious intolerance, and continued militarization, which continue to
undermine the environment where accountability and reconciliation can be
achieved. She therefore reiterates and updates the recommendations made in her previous
report to the Human Rights Council, most of which remain unimplemented.
B. Recommendations
74. The
High Commissioner recommends that the Human Rights Council establish an
international inquiry mechanism to further investigate the alleged violations
of international human rights and humanitarian law and monitor any domestic
accountability processes. OHCHR stands ready to assist in such a process.
75. The
High Commissioner recommends that the Government of Sri Lanka:
(a) Finalize
laws dealing with incitement to hatred, witness and victim protection, the
right to information and the criminalization of enforced disappearances, and
revise existing laws in accordance with international standards;
(b) Repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act and lift the regulations
promulgated under it that allow for arbitrary detention;
(c) Arrest, prosecute and punish perpetrators of attacks on
minority communities, media and human rights defenders, and ensure protection
of victims;
(d) Undertake independent and credible
criminal and forensic investigations with international assistance into all
alleged violations of human rights and humanitarian law, including recently
discovered mass graves;
(e) Establish a truth-seeking mechanism and
national reparations policy in accordance with international standards as an
integral part of a more comprehensive and inclusive approach to transitional
justice;
(f) Broaden the scope and tenure of the Commission of Inquiry on
Disappearances to encompass cases from all parts of the island and all periods
of the history of disappearances;
(g) Publish the final report of the military courts of inquiry, the presidential
commission of inquiry of 2006 and the more recent commissions of inquiry to
allow the evidence gathered to be evaluated;
(h) Take further steps in demilitarization, ensure military
disengagement from activities that are meant to be civilian, resolve land
disputes and promote meaningful community participation in reconstruction and
development;
(i) Engage civil society and minority community representatives
more fully in an inclusive and consultative process to support the implementation
of the recommendations made by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission;
(j) Implement the Commission’s recommendation for a national day of
commemoration, allow all citizens their right to hold individual or group
commemorations, and hold national consultations on the design of appropriate
memorialization for the victims of the war;
(k) Give positive consideration to the offers of technical assistance
made by the Office of the High Commissioner;
(l) Invite special procedures mandate holders with outstanding
requests to visit the country in 2014, particularly the Working Group on
Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances and the Independent Expert on minority issues.
குறிப்பு: உருமாற்றத்தால் ஏற்பட்ட சில நுட்பப் பிறழ்வுகளுக்கு வருந்துகின்றோம் enb
[1] The Commission was appointed in May 2010
by the President of Sri Lanka to investigate
the facts and circumstances that led to the failure of the 2002 ceasefire
agreement, the lessons to be learned from those events, and to suggest
institutional, administrative and legislative measures to prevent any
recurrence of such events, and to promote national unity and reconciliation
among all communities. The report of the Commission is available from www.llrcaction.gov.lk/reports/en/Final_LLRC_Report_en.pdf.
[5] See Office of the United Nations High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), A Protection Assessment of Sri Lankan
Internally Displaced Persons who have Returned, Relocated or are Locally
Integrating (“Tool Three”), June 2013 (available from
http://unhcr.lk/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/Tool-Three-Final-Report-July-12-2013.pdf
)figures 1.5, 1.6. & 1.7.
[6] See case studies on Jaffna, Sampur and Weli
Oya in Centre for Policy Alternatives, Politics, Policies and Practices with
Land Acquisitions and Related Issues in the North and East of Sri Lanka,
November 2013, available from
www.cpalanka.org/policy-brief-politics-policies-and-practices-with-land-acquisitions-and-related-issues-in-the-north-and-east-of-sri-lanka/.
[10] See the National Plan of Action for the
Implementation of LLRC Recommendations (available from www.llrcaction.gov.lk/npoa.html),
IR (1a), p. 7.
[13]
See Human Rights Watch, “Sri Lanka:
Investigate ‘Clean Water’ Protest Deaths”, 9 August 2013, available from www.hrw.org/news/2013/08/09/sri-lanka-investigate-clean-water-protest-deaths;
and Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, press communiqué, 30 August
2013, available from www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=Press_Communique_Weliweriya_Incident_20130830_03.
[17] For
instance, the Matale magistrate overseeing the inquiry was subsequently
transferred – according to the Government, on disciplinary grounds – to
Colombo.
[25]
See Human Rights Watch, “Sri Lanka:
Probe into LTTE Crimes Should Start with Karuna”, 28 March 2013 (www.hrw.org/news/2013/03/28/sri-lanka-probe-ltte-crimes-should-start-karuna),
and Amnesty International, Sri Lanka report, available from www.amnesty.org/en/region/sri-lanka/report-2010.
[26]
S/AC.51/2007/9.
See
also Human Rights Watch, “Sri Lanka: Karuna
Group Abducts Children for Combat”, 25 January 2007, available from www.hrw.org/news/2007/01/23/sri-lanka-karuna-group-abducts-children-combat.
[32] Available from
www.colombotelegraph.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/report-by-the-HRC-appointed-Special-Rapporteur.pdf.
[36]
See University Teachers for Human
Rights, special report No. 33, 4 August 2009, available from http://uthr.org/SpecialReports/spreport33.htm#_Toc237059512.
[39] See Amnesty International, Sri Lanka:
Briefing to Committee against Torture, October 2011 (available from www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ASA37/016/2011/si/2bb1bbe4-8ba5-4f37-82d0-70cbfec5bb2d/asa370162011en.pdf),
p. 20,
[43]
In her oral update to the Human Rights Council
(A/HRC/24/CRP.3/Rev.1), the High
Commissioner highlighted concerns about the degree to which the rule of law and
independence of the judiciary had been undermined in Sri Lanka, notably by the
18th amendment and controversial impeachment of the 43rd Chief Justice in
January 2013. The 18th amendment abolished the Constitutional Council, which
once recommended appointments to the independent bodies, such as the Elections
Commission, the Police Commission and the Human Rights Commission.
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