August 12, 2025 UN Human Rights Report Exposes Grave Violations and Persistent Impunity (UNHRC Report )

 

📰 UN Human Rights Report Exposes Grave Violations and Persistent Impunity in Sri Lanka’s Civil War Legacy

Geneva, August 2025 — A comprehensive and damning report released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has shed new light on the scale and severity of international crimes and gross human rights violations committed during Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war. The report underscores the Sri Lankan Government’s continued failure to acknowledge State responsibility and the role of its military and security forces in these atrocities, raising urgent concerns about entrenched impunity and the erosion of justice.

⚖️ Widespread Violations and International Crimes

The OHCHR report identifies a range of serious violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed during the conflict. Despite repeated calls for truth, justice, and reparations, the Sri Lankan Government has resisted acknowledging these crimes or initiating credible accountability mechanisms. Victims and survivors remain without redress, and many emblematic cases have stagnated or been dismissed.

🕵️ Enforced Disappearances: Thousands Still Missing

One of the most harrowing findings involves the unresolved fate of thousands of forcibly disappeared individuals. As of December 2024, the Office on Missing Persons (OMP) has traced only 18 out of 15,000 reported cases. These include:

• The disappearance of Tamil academic Vice-Chancellor Sivasubramaniam Raveendranath in 2006.
• The “Trincomalee 11” case, involving Tamil youths abducted between 2008–2009.
• Thousands of Sinhalese youths disappeared during the 1987–1989 insurgency, many suspected of ties to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP).

OHCHR also documented ongoing surveillance and harassment of families seeking answers, further compounding their trauma.

⚰️ Mass Graves and Forensic Challenges

The report calls for urgent preservation and exhumation of mass grave sites, with active investigations underway in Mannar, Port City (Colombo), Mullaitivu, and Chemmani near Jaffna. Weak forensic capacity and lack of political will threaten the integrity of these investigations and the potential for justice.

🚨 Conflict-Related Sexual Violence: Justice Elusive

OHCHR expresses deep concern over impunity for sexual violence allegedly committed by military and police personnel. Notable cases include:

• The 1996 rape and murder of Krishanthi Kumaraswamy, the only instance where soldiers were convicted—though their superiors were never investigated.
• The 2015 Vishvamadu gang rape case, where convictions were overturned on appeal. The victims’ appeal to the Supreme Court has languished for six years.

Survivors face stigma, fear of retaliation, and a lack of trust in justice mechanisms, contributing to widespread underreporting.

🔪 Extrajudicial Killings and Torture

The report highlights routine reports of torture, ill-treatment, and custodial deaths. During the 1987–1989 period, Sinhalese youths were subjected to extrajudicial killings. The assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga in 2009 and the killing of unarmed protestors in Weliwerya in 2013 remain unresolved, with accused parties acquitted or investigations stalled.

🚨 Arbitrary Arrests Under PTA

The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) continues to be used for arbitrary arrests and prolonged detentions, disproportionately affecting Tamil and Muslim communities. Despite promises to repeal the law, its application remains widespread and unchecked.

🧱 Structural Impunity and Lack of Reform

The report identifies systemic barriers to justice, including:

• Lack of prosecutorial independence within the Attorney General’s office.
• Sri Lanka’s refusal to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court.
• Rejection of Human Rights Council resolutions and disengagement from the Sri Lanka Accountability Project.

The withdrawal of key funding has further weakened civil society’s ability to preserve evidence and archives, risking the loss of critical documentation.

📁 UN Repository: A Beacon for Truth

Despite these challenges, OHCHR maintains a secure repository of over 105,000 items documenting patterns of international crimes, including enforced disappearances, unlawful killings, torture, and sexual violence. While legal use of this material requires victim consent, it remains a vital resource for future truth and justice efforts.

The report paints a sobering picture of Sri Lanka’s post-war landscape, where survivors continue to seek answers amid a climate of denial and impunity. As international pressure mounts, the call for accountability grows louder—but whether the Sri Lankan Government will heed it remains uncertain.

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🧾 Key Findings from the OHCHR Report on Sri Lanka’s Civil War Legacy

1. International Crimes and Human Rights Violations

• Widespread and serious violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, were committed during the civil war.
• The Sri Lankan Government has failed to acknowledge State and military responsibility or provide justice to victims.

2. Enforced Disappearances

• Over 15,000 cases filed; only 18 individuals traced by the Office on Missing Persons.
• Includes Sinhalese youths (1987–1989) and Tamil victims like Vice-Chancellor Raveendranath and the “Trincomalee 11.”
• Families of the disappeared face surveillance, intimidation, and harassment.

3. Mass Graves

• Five active sites (e.g., Mannar, Mullaitivu, Chemmani) require urgent preservation and forensic investigation.
• Forensic capacity remains weak.

4. Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

• Impunity persists for sexual violence allegedly committed by armed forces and police.
• Survivors face stigma, fear, and lack of trust in justice systems.
• Few convictions; notable cases like Krishanthi Kumaraswamy (1996) and Vishvamadu (2015) show systemic failures.

5. Extrajudicial Killings and Torture

• Routine reports of torture, ill-treatment, and custodial deaths.
• High-profile cases (e.g., Lasantha Wickramatunga’s assassination, Weliwerya protest killings) remain unresolved or dismissed.

6. Arbitrary Arrest and Detention

• The Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) is used for arbitrary arrests, especially targeting Tamil and Muslim communities.
• Despite pledges, the PTA has not been repealed.

7. Lack of Accountability and Structural Impunity

• Deeply entrenched impunity and lack of progress in emblematic cases.
• No independent prosecutorial authority; Attorney General’s office needs reform.
• Sri Lanka rejects ICC jurisdiction and Human Rights Council resolutions.
• Civil society efforts undermined by funding cuts and risk of evidence loss.

8. UN Repository for Justice

• OHCHR maintains a secure archive of over 105,000 items documenting international crimes.
• Supports future truth and justice efforts, though legal use requires victim consent.



     In solidarity,

     Wimal Navaratnam

     Human Rights Advocate | ABC Tamil Oli (ECOSOC)

     Email: tamilolicanada@gmail.com