Posts Categorized: Human Rights

ITJP: Allegations of Human Rights Violations against Daya Ratnayake

by International Truth & Justice Sri Lanka, South Africa, March 13, 2026 ITJP Daya-Ratnayake_public Mar 2026 Section 1. Summary Daya Ratnayake is a retired army general who has allegedly been involved in a wide range of human rights violations and war crimes during his service in the army. Allegations against him range across two phases… Read more »

ITJP: Pathfinder for Norwegian Archive – Briefing Note

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… Read more »

The Vaddukoddai Resolution at 50

Historical Context, Political Impact, Legal Claims, and Contemporary Significance by Wimal Navaratnam‘s blog,  Canada, March 9, 2026 Introduction The Vaddukoddai Resolution, adopted on May 14, 1976, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, stands as a pivotal moment in the political history of the island and in the evolution of Tamil nationalism. As the resolution marks its 50th… Read more »

US Global Magnitsky Sanctions Report 2025

by Human Rights First, New York, March 9, 2026 Magnitsky_0725to1225_FINAL This briefing provides an overview of recent developments in the U.S. government’s use of its targeted human rights and anticorruption sanctions programs from July 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025. Notable Developments and Patterns of Use Infrequent Use of Targeted Human Rights and Corruption Sanctions:… Read more »

Why Aren’t We Talking About Sri Lanka Anymore?

“Sri Lanka Solution” Followers Face Justice, but Not Sri Lanka by Anji Manivannan, OpinioJuris, February 26, 2026 [Anji Manivannan is the Legal Director of People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL), where her work contributes to its international justice and genocide recognition efforts] In 2015, two UN documents instilled cautious hope for Tamil victims… Read more »

Oakland Institute: The Systemic Dispossession of the Indigenous Tamil People

Joint Dossier and Submission SUBMITTED: February 17, 2026 SUBMITTED BY: ABC Tamil Oli (NGO in Special Consultative Status with ECOSOC) SUPPORTED BY: The Oakland Institute, Mullaitivu Land Protection Council, and associated civil society organizations. DISTRIBUTION LIST: ADDRESSED MANDATE HOLDERS (FEBRUARY 2026) To: Dr. Albert K. Barume  Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples To: Mr. Balakrishnan Rajagopal … Read more »

Amnesty Submission to UNSG Report on Missing Persons

by Amnesty International, London, March 3, 2026 Index Number: IOR 40/0761/2026 Amnesty International submits this input in response to the call issued to inform the Report of the Secretary-General on Missing Persons pursuant to General Assembly resolution 79/173. Due to the limited word count available, it is not an exhaustive account of the organization’s concerns… Read more »

Amnesty Commentary on the Proposed Protection of the State from Terrorism Act, 2026

by Amnesty International, London, February 27, 2026 Index Number: ASA 37/0766/2026 In December 2025, Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Justice published a proposal for a new anti-terrorism law, the Protection of the State from Terrorism Act (PSTA), intended to replace the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), and invited public feedback. This document outlines Amnesty International’s key concerns… Read more »

UNHRC 61: Sri Lanka Core Group Statement

Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders, at the 61st Human Rights Council in Geneva, March 2, 2026 Thank you, Mr. President. This statement is on behalf of the Sri Lanka Core Group: Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and the UK. We extend condolences to Sri Lanka for the loss caused by Cyclone… Read more »

PEARL: State-Sponsored Sinhalization of the North-East

The Anti-Development Machine by People for Equality and Relief in Lanka, January 2026 Examining Sri Lanka’s State-Led Land Dispossession and Anti-Development Policies Targeting Eelam Tamils Full report: PEARL_Sinhalization-as-an-anti-development-machine_report Case Study: Tamil Dairy Farmers’ Protest in Mayilaththamadu-Madhavanai, Batticaloa PEARL_Sinhalization-as-an-anti-development-machine_CASE-STUDY EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This report is part of the Sinhalization series and builds on the themes of PEARL’s… Read more »

PEARL Releases New Report on Alleged ‘Sinhalisation’ in Sri Lanka

by Daily FT, Colombo, January 20, 2026 Flags off State-led land dispossession and anti-development policies targeting Eelam TamilsPeople for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) has released a new report and accompanying case study examining the Sri Lankan state’s ongoing project of Sinhalisation in the North-East, with a detailed focus on land dispossession and violence against… Read more »

T. Kumar, Rights Activist

T Kumar memorial booklet – Kumar Mama Booklet Document For Kumar, who died on Martin Luther King Day, the struggle of one person, race, gender, caste or nation could never be viewed in isolation. He believed that a problem for one person or group, was a problem for all human beings. Kumar staked his entire professional… Read more »

HRW: Rohingya Genocide Case Moves to Judgment

World Court Concludes Hearings in Gambia’s Landmark Action Against Myanmar by David Esposito & Shayna Bauchner, Human Rights Watch, New York, January 29, 2026 On January 29, the three-week hearings on the merits of Gambia’s genocide case against Myanmar before the International Court of Justice came to a close. The case, filed in 2019, alleges that Myanmar’s… Read more »

OSLAP: Preserving Evidence

Advancing Accountability for Sri Lanka by OHCHR’s Sri Lanka Accountability Project, September 1, 2025 250919-infographic-oslap-s-repository-for sri lanka evidence A Snapshot of OHCHR Sri Lanka Accountability Project’s Repository Understanding OSLap’s Repository What it is • OSLap’s repository contains over 112,000 materials documenting human rights violations, abuses, and serious crimes committed in Sri Lanka over the past… Read more »

HRW: UN Finds Systemic Sexual Violence During Civil War

Impunity Prevails for Abuses Against Women, Men; Survivors Suffer for Years by Human Rights Watch, New York, January 14, 2026 (Geneva) – A new United Nations report about sexual violence related to Sri Lanka’s civil war is another step forward in the struggle for accountability for crimes under international law that were committed in Sri Lanka, Human Rights Watch… Read more »

Amnesty: OHCHR Report Must Spur Government Action

On accountability for conflict-related sexual violence by Amnesty International, London, January 13, 2026 Responding to a new report by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on accountability for conflict-related sexual violence committed in the context of Sri Lanka’s internal armed conflict, Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, said: “This important report… Read more »

OHCHR Brief on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka

by Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Geneva, January 13, 2026 Entire report: OHCHR CRSV brief English January 2026 and 2026-crsv-brief-english.pdf Executive Summary OHCHR brief on sexual violence in Sri Lanka Executive Summary January 2026 “We Lost Everything – Even Hope For Justice” OHCHR Brief on Accountability for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Sri Lanka… Read more »

The Façade of Accountability

Disappearances in Sri Lanka by Wasana Punyasena, Boston College Third World Law Journal, Vol.3, Issue 1, January 2003 The Facade of Accountability Disappearances in Sri Lanka Punyasena 2003 Abstract: The current ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam marks a watershed moment for the government to finally implement effective… Read more »