by Amnesty International, London, various dates *** Amnesty Annual Report on Human Rights, April 21, 2026 Sri Lanka 2025 A new government took office in late 2024, promising transformational change. However, the new administration continued to use the draconian anti-terror law and failed to reform other laws, negatively affecting freedom of expression and rights for… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Human Rights
The Role of Sinhala Nationalism
In Political Conflict and Violence in Sri Lanka by Louisa Steijger, Retrospect Journal, Edinburgh, Scotland, January 4, 2024 The complexities of Sri Lanka’s socio-political landscape have been deeply influenced by the ideology of Sinhala nationalism, which espouses belief in the ethnic and religious superiority of the Sinhalese majority, claiming that Sri Lanka is the primordial… Read more »
TG: CID Links Pillayan to Abduction and Killing of Eastern University Vice Chancellor
in landmark court disclosure by Tamil Guardian, London, April 7, 2026 Sri Lanka’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has, for the first time, formally linked former Eastern Province Chief Minister and Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) leader Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan, widely known as Pillayan, to the abduction and killing of Eastern University Vice Chancellor Professor Sivasubramaniam Raveendranath…. Read more »
Karaitivu 1985
A Forgotten Anti-Tamil pogrom in the Shadow of Sri Lanka’s Genocide by Seelan Rasathurai, Tamil Guardian, London, April 21, 2025 It was a quiet morning on 12 April 1985 when Karaitivu, a small coastal Tamil village in the Amparai district of Sri Lanka’s Eastern Province, was plunged into terror. As villagers prepared to celebrate the… Read more »
ITJP: GSF Sexual Violence Consultation Report
by International Truth & Justice Project, South Africa, January 15, 2026 ITJP-GSFReportSriLanka-Final-January-2026_2026-01-14-222743_vgod Press Release Johannesburg: Survivors of systematic and widespread conflict-related sexual violence in Sri Lanka say they urgently need justice, accountability and sustained psychological and social support. The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) today launched the findings of a two-year consultation with Tamil… Read more »
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 »
Declassified Documents Detail Israel’s Role at the Start of Sri Lanka’s Civil War
by Eitay Mack, TheWire.In, March 17, 2026 Not only did Israel ignore the severity of the human rights situation, it also knew from the outset that its military assistance had limited prospects of success. The Sri Lankan government has acknowledged that there could be as many as 65,000 people missing following three decades of civil… 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 »
ITJP & GSF: Justice & Reparations Needs of Exiled Tamil Survivors of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence
Opening a Conversation by International Truth & Justice Project Sri Lanka & Global Survivors Fund, London, January 2026 GRS_Sri_Lanka_January2026 Table of Contents 1. INTRODUCTION 7 2. THE CONSULTATION PROCESS 9 2.1. Design 9 2.2. Phase 1: Preparatory phase 9 2.3. Phase 2: Implementation phase 10 3. FINDINGS 15 3.1. The impact of CRSV on victims,… Read more »