Sri Lanka President Should Uphold Rights - HRW

COLOMBO (News 1st);  Human Right Watch says that President Ranil Wickremesinghe should ensure that his administration adopts measures to protect the basic rights of all Sri Lankans.

Human Rights Watch further says that the Government should prioritize protecting the public from further hardship by putting in place appropriate social protection policies and addressing endemic corruption while respecting fundamental rights, including freedoms of expression and association, and ending abuses by the security forces.

“President Wickremesinghe faces immense challenges, but imposing draconian emergency regulations, politically motivated arrests of protest leaders, and heightened surveillance of activist groups will not solve Sri Lanka’s dire problems,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. 

“Sri Lanka’s partners have been clear that international economic assistance will only be effective if the government adheres to human rights and the rule of law and addresses the root causes of the crisis.”

Among Human Rights Watch's recommendations to President Wickremesinghe are:

Ensure that people can freely and peacefully express their views without fear of reprisal or arrest.

Withdraw emergency regulation provisions that are vague, overly broad, and disproportionate or that violate fundamental rights.

Announce a formal moratorium on the use of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) until rights-respecting counterterrorism legislation is enacted, and release prisoners arbitrarily detained under the PTA.

Establish a new social protection system that is both adequate to protect everyone’s rights from the effects of the economic crisis and designed to prevent mismanagement and corruption.

Resume Sri Lanka’s participation in the Stolen Asset Recovery (StAR) initiative, a World Bank and United Nations partnership to support international efforts to end safe havens for corrupt funds, and commit to doing so as part of an agreement with the IMF.

Conduct independent and impartial investigations into allegations of serious human rights abuses and high-level corruption, and appropriately prosecute those responsibly.