The 26-year civil conflict between separatist, Tamil rebels and government forces concluded in 2009. According to United Nations estimates, 80,000-100,000 individuals perished in the conflict, with both sides facing accusations of misconduct by rights organizations. The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP) based in London released a report documenting purported abuses in Sri Lanka. The report highlighted the accounts of 123 Tamils who claimed to have experienced physical assault, torture, and sexual abuse by Sri Lankan authorities between 2015 and 2022.
Sri Lanka's government dismissed the ITJP's allegations, with a government official refuting the claims. The report, titled "Disappearance, Torture and Sexual violence of Tamils, 2015-2022," is scheduled for publication on Thursday. It mentioned that 11 of the 123 individuals were reportedly detained following Ranil Wickremesinghe's assumption of the presidency in July 2022. Wickremesinghe took office after widespread protests, sparked by a severe financial crisis, led President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to leave the country and subsequently resign from his position.
The report emphasized the systemic nature of arbitrary and unlawful detentions between 2009 and 2015, suggesting a continuation of such practices from 2015 to 2022. The affected individuals were reportedly seeking asylum in Britain. Yasmin Sooka, ITJP's Executive Director, urged the international community to increase pressure on Sri Lanka to address security sector reforms and hold accountable those responsible for violence against Tamils.
Sri Lanka's State Minister of Foreign Affairs, Tharaka Balasuriya, mentioned that the country has implemented various measures post-conflict to address human rights issues and encourage re-conciliation. These steps include returning land to Tamil owners, confining the military to specific regions, and establishing authorities to investigate missing persons cases.
Balasuriya stated that Sri Lanka views human rights as an ongoing process and is dedicated to collaborating with international partners, including non-governmental organizations, to advance the re-conciliation process. Additionally, efforts are underway to establish a truth, unity, and reconciliation commission as proposed to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.