Repeal 18A: UNHRC tells GoSL

In its concluding observations of the fifth periodic report on Sri Lanka, the UN Human Rights Committee which expressed concern over the implementation of the 18th Amendment has urged the Government to repeal the 18-A.

In the concluding observations on Sri Lanka’s human rights record, the UN Human Rights Committee had listed the implementation of 18-A as a principle matter of concern. The Committee had also expressed concern at the impeachment of the former Chief Justice in 2013 and urged the Government to take legislative and other measures to ensure transparent and impartial processes for appointments to the judiciary and other independent bodies.

The Committee had also urged the Sri Lankan Government to take effective measures to ensure that the members of the judiciary were protected from improper influence, inducements, pressures, threats or interferences including those by the executive or the legislature.

The Human Rights Committee also noted with concern, the existence of the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the restrictions imposed on the freedom of expression and association, arbitrary searches and arrests and prolonged detention without charge or trial. It had also noted the reports of arbitrary surveillance, torture, detention, enforced disappearances and sexual violence against former combatants and urged the government to ensure that they were provided with effective protection against human rights violations including sexual violence, through the effective application of procedural safeguards and prosecution and punishment of the perpetrators of such violations.

Among the other issues listed as matters of concern by the UN Human Rights Committee in its review of Sri Lanka’s periodic report were rights of persons belonging to minorities, freedom of expression and participation in political processes, freedom of assembly and association, violence against women, counterterrorism, enforced disappearances, non-discrimination, trafficking of persons and detention. It had also expressed concern over the limited territorial scope of the mandate of the Presidential Commission investigating into missing persons and the slow rate at which such cases have been investigated and prosecuted.