by International Truth & Justice Sri Lanka, South Africa, February 25, 2026
ITJP Pathfinder-for-Norwegian-Archive_2026-02-25-233802_jggz
On 27 January 2026, Norwegian diplomat and former politician Erik
Solheim (also the former Norwegian Special Envoy to the Sri Lanka
peace process) inaugurated a repository of documents related to the
ceasefire negotiations during the Sri Lanka civil war.1
The repository was the initiative of a Sri Lankan organisation, the
Pathfinder Foundation.2 Though purportedly an independent, non-partisan
research and advocacy think tank, the Pathfinder Foundation currently
hosts a retired Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) official implicated in serious
human rights violations as a “Distinguished Fellow”.3
This official, Jayanath Colombage, held senior operational command
positions in the SLN during the period of the abduction, unlawful
detention, torture, and enforced disappearance of 11 civilians
(including a child) in Colombo between August 2008 and February 2009,
allegedly by a special intelligence unit of the SLN. Commonly referred
to as the Trincomalee 11, this case has been investigated by the Sri
Lankan police and noted by the UN as an emblematic case.4…
Archives relating to armed conflict, peace processes, and gross
violations are not neutral repositories. They are central instruments
in realizing victims’ rights to truth, justice, and reparation.
International standards—including guidance from the UN Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights32 and the Minnesota Protocol33—
require that such archives be safeguarded by institutions that are
independent, impartial, and free from conflicts of interest, and
protected against manipulation, concealment, or political
instrumentalization. International best practice further requires that
archives relating to peace processes and violations be accessible in a
transparent, non-discriminatory, and victim-centred manner, subject
only to narrowly defined and legitimate restrictions.
The preservation of archives in institutions associated with
individuals credibly implicated in violations risks contributing to
denial and may undermine the evidentiary integrity of materials that
could otherwise serve accountability processes, including future
judicial proceedings. It also risks legitimizing structures of
impunity and perpetuating the marginalization and harm experienced by
victims and survivors.