HRC53: Oral statement on Sri Lanka UPR outcomes

Item 6:UPR Outcome, Sri Lanka

Organisation: Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW)

Speaker:Ellis Heasley

Thank you Mr President,

CSW welcomes Sri Lanka’s acceptance of several recommendations relating to the right to freedom of religion or belief.

CSW believes that for Sri Lanka to uphold its commitment to ensure a climate in which all citizens are able to freely express their opinions and beliefs without fear of reprisals and retribution, it must crack down on hate speech.

The country’s Muslim community has been a particular target of this since 2013, as Buddhist nationalist groups have used social media to spread false rumours and incite hatred towards the community to mobilise supporters.

Hate speech against Muslims increased after the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings, leading to widespread communal violence in the North Western Province in May 2019.

There were also further upticks in hate speech surrounding the country’s 2020 elections and the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, during which even government officials were responsible for rhetoric denigrating the community.

CSW therefore notes with regret that Sri Lanka did not accept recommendations from Jordan and Togo to prevent hate speech.

We urge the government to reconsider; it must put in place a public policy framework aimed at ending hate speech, and prosecute those responsible for propagating hate speech against religious minorities, while ensuring the freedoms of opinion and expression are protected and promoted.

CSW welcomes Sri Lanka’s acceptance of multiple recommendations to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which has led to several fundamental rights abuses including torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and repression of free speech.

However, we are concerned that the recently proposed Anti-Terrorism Act, which would replace the PTA, will further empower the authorities to impose draconian measures against those exercising their fundamental rights.

We urge Sri Lanka to reconsider the proposed legislation and ensure that all those who have been unjustly detained under the current Act are released immediately and without condition. Reparations should be made to those who have suffered human rights violations whilst in detention.

Finally, CSW is disappointed that Sri Lanka did not accept recommendations to hold security forces and government officials to account for their roles in human rights violations. We urge Member States to maintain scrutiny on the country as it becomes an increasingly autocratic state with a lack of emphasis on human rights.

Thank you