An Unfinished War

by ‘Colombo Telegraph,’ March 21, 2014

Unfinished War Torture Sexual Violence 2009 – 2014 STOP_report

Brutal Tactics of Post-War Sri Lanka Revealed in New Investigation

A new report named “An Unfinished War: Torture and Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka, 2009 – 2014″ published today details evidence of ongoing sexual violence and torture in Sri Lanka – some as recent as February 2014 – from international human rights lawyer Yasmin Sooka, the Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) and The International Truth & Justice Project, Sri Lanka.

In a foreword by Archbishop Desmond Tutu, he says that the report “gives the lie to the Sri Lankan government’s propaganda that it is reconciling with its former enemies.”

The report’s authors say its evidence must urgently be referred to an International Criminal Court or an international tribunal. They call on the United Nations Secretary General to establish an international inquiry to investigate and prosecute violations by Sri Lankan security force members.

They also urge the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict and the Special Rapporteur on Torture to arrange a visit to Sri Lanka and initiate a special inquiry into rape and sexual violence.

The report launch event will be held at the Canadian High Commission in Central London today at 10 am – 12 noon and it will be chaired by Geoffrey Robertson QC.

Read the full report here

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Executive Summary
This report paints a chilling picture of the continuation of the war in Sri Lanka against ethnic
Tamils, five years after the guns went silent.

The findings are:
• Abduction, arbitrary detention, torture, rape and sexual violence have increased in
the post-war period. Targeted for these violations are LTTE suspects, or those
perceived as having been connected to, or supporters of, the LTTE. The purported aim
is to extract confessions and/or information about the LTTE and to punish them for
any involvement with the organisation.
• These widespread and systematic violations by the Sri Lankan security forces occur in
a manner that indicates a coordinated, systematic plan approved by the highest
levels of government. Members of the Sri Lankan security forces are secure in the
knowledge that no action will be taken against them.
• This report establises a prima facie case of post-war crimes against humanity
by the Sri Lankan security forces, with respect to (a) torture and (b) rape and
sexual violence.