In a letter to the permanent representatives of the Human Rights Council on Friday, Human Rights Watch (HRW) has proposed key elements for a follow up resolution on Sri Lanka stressing the need to pursue foreign involvement in the four mechanisms of the country’s transitional justice sector. The international rights
group said safeguards have to be proposed to ensure this follow up resolution entails a credible process.
However, it acknowledged the positive steps taken by the government to date, on the 25 key undertakings the government made under the 30/1 resolution across a range of human rights issues.
It has also emphasized that there were significant challenges in the road to complete healing of wounds - reconciliation, justice and accountability. ‘Security sector reform, including repealing and replacing the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act, has not yet been undertaken,’ the Rights Group has observed .
Among the HRW minimum key elements proposed, it has called for the reaffirming of resolution 30/1 stressing the importance of meeting the commitments in the resolution in full and a time bound plan to implement the recommendations in the earlier resolution and the High Commissioner’s report.
“Anything less would fall substantially short of the expectations of victims,” HRW has opined. - MF