British Minister for South Asia Pressures Sri Lankan Foreign Minister for “Truth, Justice and Reconciliation”

01-03-2022 

Judit Kolbe 

Sri Lanka and Human Rights Researcher  

Global Human Rights Defence 

The 46th session of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council started yesterday, on February 28, 2022, in Geneva, Switzerland. The British Minister for South Asia, Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon, met with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister, G.L. Peiris, and urged him to improve and develop “truth, justice and reconciliation mechanisms” (Tamil Guardian, 2022). This meeting follows the publication of a report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR), Michelle Bachelet, on February 25, 2022, where she voiced her concern over “the lack of accountability for past human rights violations and recognition of victims’ rights in Sri Lanka, particularly those stemming from the conflict that ended in 2009” (UN OHCHR, 2022). Additionally, the report identified a trend “towards militarization and ethno-religious nationalism that undermine democratic institutions, increase the anxiety of minorities, and impede reconciliation” (UN OHCHR, 2022). In the past, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister had regularly attacked the UN Resolution mandating the collection and preservation of evidence of war crimes for future criminal trials, as well as human rights organisations for their reporting on Sri Lanka’s human rights situation which he claimed to be “igniting and aggravating domestic discord”. Peiris additionally stated that Sri Lanka needs “sufficient space for the local institutions”, whose work cannot be discharged by external or international bodies (Tamil Guardian, 2022). 

Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon called on the Sri Lankan government to implement (domestic) mechanisms for “truth, justice and accountability”, despite the call of human rights organisations and Sri Lankan minorities for an international accountability process  (Tamil Guardian, 2022). Notably, Britain has not imposed any sanctions on Sri Lankan military personnel or other authorities who were allegedly involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity (Tamil Guardian, 2022).

Sources and further reading:

Tamil Guardian (2022, February 28). Britain Presses Sri Lanka on ‘truth, justice and reconciliation’. Tamil Guardian. Retrieved March 01, 2022, from https://www.tamilguardian.com/content/britain-presses-sri-lanka-truth-justice-and-reconciliation. 

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (2022, February 25). Promoting reconciliation, accountability and human rights in Sri Lanka; Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (A/HRC/49/9). UN Human Rights Council. Retrieved March 01, 2022, from https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session49/Pages/ListReports.aspx.