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BHRC and IBAHRI concerned over deteriorating human rights in SL
View(s):The Bar Human Rights Committee of England and Wales (BHRC) and the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) have both expressed grave concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Sri Lanka.
Issuing a joint statement, the two organisations stated that the Sri Lankan government continues to ignore calls for accountability for past human rights violations, interferes with judicial process and independence, arbitrarily restricts and detains lawyers and promotes discriminatory policies against minority groups.
“In light of the evidence of ongoing interference in judicial independence and processes, and restrictions placed on lawyers, we consider that there is valid reason to question the Sri Lankan government’s espoused commitment to the ability of domestic processes to remedy these concerns,” the joint statement said.
Detailing the developments since the withdrawal of United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) Resolution by the government, the organisations pointed out that the move demonstrates that the accountability process for past crimes continues to be systematically undermined by the current government which has proactively obstructed ongoing investigations and criminal trials.
Drawing attention to government appointed a Commission of Inquiry to investigate alleged “political victimisation” of public officials, members of the armed forces and police, and employees of State corporations by the previous government, the statement stressed that with its broad mandate, the Commission has intervened in police investigations and court proceedings, undermining the police and judiciary in several high-profile human rights and corruption-related cases.
BHRC and IBAHRI called on the government to acknowledge and adopt the recommendations of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights at paragraph 60 of her report, and to support the draft resolution A/HRC/46/L.I.