Human Rights Watch this week urged the UN Human Rights Council to the maintain its scrutiny on Sri Lanka until the commitments agreed on within the 30/1 resolution were implemented in full.
"The Sri Lankan government should present a time-bound implementation plan to carry out its pledges to this body, and the Council needs to maintain scrutiny until Sri Lanka’s commitments are met in full," HRW said in its submission to the Council on Wednesday.
"In that resolution, Sri Lanka pledged to set up four transitional justice mechanisms to promote “justice, reconciliation and human rights” in the country. These included an accountability mechanism involving international judges, prosecutors, and investigators; a truth and reconciliation mechanism; an office of missing persons; and an office for reparations.
Thus far only the Office of Missing Persons (OMP) has been set up – just ahead of the current session in Geneva.
There is little progress on the three other promised mechanisms.
Nor has the government delivered on its promise to repeal the abusive Prevention of Terrorism Act. The Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, after his visit last year noted that the “use of torture is deeply ingrained in the security sector.”
Highlighting the role of the Council and the importance of ensuring the co-sponsored resolution is implemented, HRW said, "we all need Sri Lanka to be a success story. But it risks becoming a Council failure, fueling disillusionment and discontent, if human rights are sidelined in the name of perceived political expediency, if the Council’s attention moves onto other issues while the promise of justice remains unfulfilled."
