UN Rights Chief Urges Sri Lanka Accountability Wartime Atrocities

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk concluded a three-day visit to Sri Lanka emphasizing the critical need for credible domestic accountability mechanisms to address wartime atrocities, particularly those committed during the Tamil separatist war that ended in 2009. Türk highlighted the country's 'impunity trap' and urged the government to hold perpetrators accountable for severe crimes, which is essential for justice, deterrence, and healing for victims. He praised the new government's efforts to reopen investigations into long-standing human rights cases and called for the repeal of controversial laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Online Safety Act to protect civil liberties. Türk also underscored the importance of securing basic needs for vulnerable populations like plantation workers and stressed the continued support of the UN in Sri Lanka's journey toward reconciliation. Despite initial commitments made in 2015 to address war crimes, successive governments have resisted international investigations, and many high-profile massacres remain unresolved. Türk urged Sri Lanka to move beyond divisions and violence, achieve justice, and foster a shared understanding of its painful past.