[REVISION HISTORY]

Human rights accountability and anti-corruption in Sri Lanka

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2026-09-10 04:43 UTC → 2026-09-11 07:00 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Human rights organizations and international bodies continue to raise concerns regarding the lack of accountability for wartime abuses in Sri Lanka. Despite President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s 2024 pledge to address past abuses, a report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk indicates little progress in achieving justice for violations committed during the civil war. The UN finds there has been no accountability for crimes under international law or serious violations of international humanitarian law committed by all parties during the conflict with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Human Rights Watch has echoed these concerns, noting a lack of movement regarding enforced disappearances, the killing of aid workers, and the targeting of journalists. The government has reportedly failed to establish an independent public prosecutor’s office or implement necessary structural ~~reforms, and has not accepted the Sri Lanka Accountability Project.~~ reforms. Furthermore, the continued use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act to arrest and harass journalists and human rights defenders remains a critical issue. ~~The High Commissioner has called for a moratorium on the use of this law. At~~ During the 63rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council, the Sri Lanka Core Group—including Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the United Kingdom—called for concrete progress on reform pledges, citing concerns over mass grave excavations and intimidation of civil society. ~~In response,~~ While Ambassador Sumith Dassanayake urged the Council to ~~support the conclusion of country-specific mandates through~~ implement sunset clauses for country-specific mandates once measurable progress is ~~demonstrated.~~ demonstrated, other interventions highlighted ongoing domestic challenges. These include concerns regarding judicial independence, the concentration of executive power, and the necessity for victim-centered accountability regarding enforced disappearances. Parallel to these human rights challenges, President Dissanayake is pursuing an anti-corruption mandate. In September 2026, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested Namal Rajapaksa, who remains in remand custody regarding allegations involving approximately Rs 100 million connected to the SriLankan Airlines Airbus affair.

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