Category: Sri Lanka

SRI LANKA: UN Human Rights Mechanisms Ought to Explore New Approaches to Protect Rights

48th - Session - September 2021, ALRC AT THE UN, Sri Lanka, Written Submissions September 14, 2021 admin 0 Comments

A Written Statement to the 48th Regular Session of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre For several decades now, the widespread practice of enforced disappearances has been experienced in several countries in Asia and elsewhere. Despite many attempts by the UN human rights agencies including the Working Group on Enforced Disappearances, there are hardly any cases where credible investigations or prosecutions have taken place concerning the cases which sometimes go into thousands which are being reported. The Asian Legal Resources Centre (ALRC) urges the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Killings and the Working Group on Enforced […]

SRI LANKA: AHRC’s Letter to Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith on Sri Lanka Easter Sunday Attacks on Churches and Hotels

Sri Lanka, statements April 26, 2019 Admin 0 Comments

Cardinal Malcolm RanjithArchbishop’s House, Colombo – 8, Sri Lanka Phone: +94 11-2695471-2-3 / 2696054 Fax: +94 11-2692009 Email: archbishop@sltnet.lk / cardinalmalcolm@gmail.com  Dear Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith, On behalf of the Asian Human Rights Commission, we are writing to express our solidarity with the Catholic community in Sri Lanka, as well as the entire Sri Lankan people, who have experienced fear and trauma as a result of the brutal and horrendous terrorist attacks that killed more than 359 persons, and injured many more, as well as damaging three churches and some tourist hotels. At this painful time, we wish to share through you our concern and support for the families of those who have suffered, […]

SRI LANKA/WORLD: Josefina Bergsten’s documentary “The Activist”

Announcements, Basil Fernando, Sri Lanka March 1, 2018March 1, 2018 Admin 0 Comments

The full documentary can be viewed HERE. Josefina Bergsten is a producer of several social documentaries. Some of these documentaries are, “Unjust – a story of three surviving widows of three human rights activists who were assassinated in their countries”. They were, Munir Said Thalib from Indonesia, who was assassinated by poisoning while travelling in an Indonesian Garuda Airlines to the Netherlands; Mr Somchai Neelaphaijit, a senior human rights lawyer in Thailand who was abducted while travelling in Bangkok and thereafter disappeared; and Jerad Perera a Sri Lankan torture victim who was pursuing his cases before the courts and who was murdered while he was travelling to work by bus.

SRI LANKA: ALRC has submitted Alternative Report to the Committee Against Torture

ALRC AT THE UN, Commission on Human Rights, Sri Lanka, Written Submissions October 12, 2016January 15, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

The Asian Legal Resource Centre wishes to inform you that ALRC along with its partners Janasansadaya, Sri Lanka; Human Rights Office, Sri Lanka; Right to Life, Sri Lanka; Gampaha Citizen’s Committee, Sri Lanka; and Rule of Law Forum, Sri Lanka; have submitted an Alternative Report on Sri Lanka today, 11 October 2016, to the Committee Against Torture of the United Nations.

SRILANKA: Proposed Office of Missing persons is no substitute for immediate investigations into murders

32nd Session- 2016 June, ALRC AT THE UN, Commission on Human Rights, Sri Lanka, Written Submissions June 7, 2016January 16, 2017 Admin 0 Comments

It seems no progress can be made in Sri Lanka on the attitude to murder. Murder is now regarded as normal and therefore not something to worry much about. And, this is exactly what should worry everyone. But hardly anyone seems to worry about it. We see the same thing in the proposed Office of Missing Persons (OMP). The simple fact about a missing person in Sri Lanka is that he or she is dead. Very rarely, does a missing person re-appear. As in the case of the dead, missing persons normally never appear again. At least that is case in Sri Lanka, whatever the case may be elsewhere off […]

SRI LANKA: Enforced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings

27th Session - 2014 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, Human Rights Council, Sri Lanka August 29, 2014January 16, 2017 ALRC 0 Comments

ALRC-CWS-27-02-2014 August 29, 2014 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Twenty seventh session, Agenda Item 3, Interactive Dialogue with Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre SRI LANKA: Enforced Disappearances and Extrajudicial Killings 1. Although, technically speaking, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings are two distinct categories of gross violations of human rights, these two categories often overlap in Sri Lanka. Often, what get classified as enforced disappearances are kidnappings followed by interrogation, which often involve the use of torture and ill-treatment, followed by executions done in secret and, finally, the secret disposal of bodies. Despite several commissions looking […]

SRI LANKA: The neglect of mass graves

25th Session - 2014 March, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, documents, Human Rights Council, Sri Lanka, Written Submissions February 21, 2014July 10, 2015 ALRC 0 Comments

ALRC-CWS-25-06-2014 February 21, 2014 HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Twenty fifth session, Agenda Item 3, General Debate A written submission to the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre SRI LANKA: The neglect of mass graves 1. A mass grave has been found at Thiruketiswaram, Mannar in January 2014. In 2013 a mass grave was also found at Matale and the investigations are still at early stages regarding the body parts found in this grave. The general condition prevailing, relating to both of these mass graves is that the investigations are not being conducted in terms of modern forensic methodologies which are essential for the proper preservation of the […]

SRI LANKA: Signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction

24th Session - 2013 September, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, documents, Human Rights Council, Oral Statements, Sri Lanka September 26, 2013July 14, 2015 ALRC 0 Comments

Date: September 26, 2013 Document id: ALRC-COS-24-11-2013 HRC section: Item 10, General Debate Speaker: Ms. Answer Styannes A Joint Oral Statement to the 24th Session of the UN Human Rights Council by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC) and Franciscans International (FI), non-governmental organizations with general consultative status SRI LANKA: Signs of heading in an increasingly authoritarian direction Thank you Mr. President, The ALRC and Franciscans International (FI) welcome the statement delivered by the High Commissioner at the end of her country mission to Sri Lanka on the 31st of August, 2013 in which she made the following comment: “I am deeply concerned that Sri Lanka, despite the opportunity provided […]

SRI LANKA: The absence of action regarding complaints of torture and ill-treatment

22nd Session - 2013 March, ALRC AT THE UN, Countries, documents, Human Rights Council, Sri Lanka, Written Submissions February 21, 2013July 14, 2015 ALRC 0 Comments

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 21, 2013 ALRC-CWS-22-09-2013 Language(s): English only HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL Twenty second session, Agenda Item 3, General Debate A written statement submitted by the Asian Legal Resource Centre (ALRC), a non-governmental organisation with general consultative status SRI LANKA: The absence of action regarding complaints of torture and ill-treatment 1. The ALRC and its sister organisation the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has submitted to the government of Sri Lanka in 2012 a total of 46 complaints relating to torture and ill-treatment. All these cases related to serious assaults on persons after arrest and during the period of detention at police stations. The victims in these cases and […]