GENEVA – The United Nations Human Rights Council today extended the mandate of its Sri Lanka Accountability Project, continuing international efforts to document alleged war crimes adn human rights violations committed during the 26-year conflict between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), which raged from 1983 to 2009. Both sides in the conflict are accused of numerous atrocities, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, and the recruitment of child soldiers.
The extension comes as Sri Lanka‘s current government, led by President Dissanayake elected in 2024, continues to reject the UN project despite adopting a “more moderate tone” than previous administrations. While the Dissanayake administration has pledged to advance post-war “reconciliation” and prosecute some emblematic cases, progress has been limited, echoing past unfulfilled promises.
During the final months of the war, an estimated 40,000 tamil civilians were reportedly killed as the LTTE allegedly used the population as human shields and the Sri Lankan army bombarded areas designated as “safe zones.” Successive Sri Lankan governments have resisted acknowledging these crimes and have reportedly used state security agencies to intimidate and surveil victims’ families.
The UN Sri Lanka Accountability project was established in 2021 after the government backtracked on commitments to create a hybrid justice mechanism for prosecuting conflict-related crimes. Despite President Dissanayake’s assurances of ending racism and delivering justice, concerns remain regarding accountability.
At least 20 mass graves have been discovered in Sri Lanka, but investigations have stalled, including at the Chemmani mass grave near Jaffna. The government has yet to successfully complete excavations or enable DNA testing. Human rights groups continue to report surveillance, harassment, and intimidation of victims’ families, human rights defenders, and journalists, especially in the north and east. The government has also yet to repeal repressive laws or establish an self-reliant prosecutor, despite campaign promises made during the 2024 presidential election.
The UN’s evidence-gathering project remains crucial for supporting potential prosecutions abroad under the principle of universal jurisdiction while justice is delayed within Sri Lanka.
