European lawmakers disappointed over slow roll-out of human rights reforms

European lawmakers yesterday expressed disappointment over Sri Lanka’s slow roll-out of human rights reforms that the country had promised in exchange for trade concessions.

A European Parliament delegation said they had seen little progress more than five months after the agreement. There was no immediate comment from the government.

“It was noted that a number of important issues remain pending, in particular the revision of the Prevention of Terrorism Act on which the Prime Minister and other senior figures had given their personal assurances,” the EU delegation said in a statement.

Sri Lanka originally lost the EU concession in 2010 after then-president Mahinda Rajapaksa rejected demands from the international community to address human rights abuses allegedly committed during a 2009 offensive to crush a Tamil insurgency.

The garments industry is Sri Lanka’s second biggest hard currency earner after remittances.

It boasts annual exports of around $5 billion and produces goods for Victoria’s Secret, Tommy Hilfiger, Nike, Marks & Spencer and other well known brands.