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UNHR Deputy Chief encourages SL to repeal PTA

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Presenting the oral update on Sri Lanka during the 53rd Regular Session of the UN Human Rights Council, UN’s Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights Nada Al-Nashif said that she would like to encourage the Government of Sri Lanka to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).

She said the government has committed to replace the PTA with legislation that adheres to international standards, but the new Anti-Terrorism Bill that was gazetted in March contains sweeping provisions that will limit freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and even labour rights.

She said that following strong pushback from civil society, the draft bill has now been recalled for additional consultations.

The Deputy High Commissioner encouraged the government to repeal the PTA and in the meantime to implement a strict moratorium on its use considering that the ordinary criminal code and other auxiliary laws already provide adequate tools for law enforcement.

“The office stands ready to provide support to the government and people of Sri Lanka in order to advance reconciliation and accountability and human rights for all,” she said.

Meanwhile, she said the past months have unfortunately witnessed an old reflex of using draconian laws to curtail opposition and control civic space.

“With a heavy-handed approach to protests far too often including the arrest of protest leaders and forceful crowd control measures as well as the persistent use of the military in police functions.”

“Recent arrests made over statements made during comedy performances and of Members of Parliament engaged in protests exemplify this concern.”

“In March of this year, the Human Rights Committee expressed deep concern about the misuse of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act against journalists, human rights defenders and other civil society actors,” Al-Nashif said.

She urged the international community to use accepted principles of universal and extraterritorial jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute alleged perpetrators of human rights violations in Sri Lanka, as long as the accountability deficit remains in the country.

She also called on them to support the relevant accountability processes in third states as well as the fair application of targeted sanctions against credibly alleged perpetrators of rights violations in Sri Lanka.  

She also encouraged the dialogue that the President has initiated with Tamil political parties and welcomed his promise to stop land acquisition for archeological, forestry or security purposes, an increasing source of local conflict and an increasing source of local conflict and tension.

She noted that plans for more inclusive memorialization and other forms of dealing with the past have been announced and that the Supreme Court has issued an important order for compensation to be paid to the victims of the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.  

“However, these intentions need to materialize into new laws, policies and practices that will make good on these promises and bring about tangible change,” she emphasized.

She said the announcement of plans for a Truth Commission or similar reconciliation mechanisms requires attention. “Sri Lanka has witnessed too many ad hoc commissions in the past that failed to ensure accountability. The Office of Missing Persons has not achieved the results that provide satisfaction to victims.”  

“What is needed is a coherent plan that connects the different elements of truth, redress, memorialization, accountability and creates the right enabling environment for a successful and sustainable transitional justice process,” the deputy UN rights chief said in the oral update.

Meanwhile, the Core Group of the United Nations Human Rights Council on Sri Lanka has also submitted a resolution to the 53rd session of the Human Rights Council.

The Core Group includes Canada, Malawi, Montenegro, North Macedonia, the US and the UK.

In their report, they said that it is important for Sri Lanka to protect its democracy by ensuring the independence of the Commissions while maintaining voter confidence in the country’s electoral systems.

(Source: Ada Derana)

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Applications for O/L recorrections, open from July 14

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The Department of Examinations has announced that applications for re-scrutiny of the 2024 G.C.E. Ordinary Level (O/L) exam results will be accepted from July 14 to 28.

Results of the exam were released yesterday (July 11) and were published on the websites: www.doenets.lk and www.results.exams.gov.lk.

Students or parents with queries can also call the Department’s hotline 1911 or reach the School Examinations Administration and Results Branch via 0112-785922, 0112-784208, 0112-786616, or 0112-784537.

The Department has also provided all school principals with usernames and passwords to download and print the official result sheets for their schools. Provincial and Zonal Education Directors have received the same credentials to access results for all schools under their purview.

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CEJ urges President to appoint PCoI to probe MV X-Press Pearl disaster

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The Centre for Environmental Justice (CEJ) has urged President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to appoint a Presidential Commission to investigate the 2021 environmental disaster caused by the fire aboard the vessel MV X-Press Pearl.

In a letter dated 8 July 2025, signed by CEJ’s Senior Legal Advisor – Attorney-at-Law Ravindranath Dabare, the organisation reiterated the severity of the environmental damage caused by the incident.The CEJ expressed concern over the lack of transparency in the response by authorities, including former Ministers and government officials, and urged the President to establish a commission under the Presidential Commissions of Inquiry Law No. 7 of 1978.

The CEJ outlined two primary recommendations:

  • Reinstate the previously suspended committee and resume the environmental, biodiversity, and socio-economic damage assessment, ensuring the process is completed transparently and the findings are made public.
  • Investigate institutional misconduct and allegations of corruption during the response to the disaster, and take legal action where necessary.

The CEJ also recommended that the proposed commission include environmental scientists, legal experts, and civil society representatives to build public confidence and ensure an independent and credible process.

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SJB MPs & organizers urge Sajith to replace senior officials

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A group of electoral organizers and 10 senior Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MPs have privately urged party leader – Sajith Premadasa to replace long-serving senior officials and leaders, arguing that fresh, dynamic individuals are needed to regain public support after 06 consecutive election defeats.

The group, meeting Premadasa recently, had insisted it was unfair to place blame solely on electoral organizers when the party had lost 02 Presidential Polls, 03 General Elections, and the local government election in succession. 

They warned that unless the party’s top office bearers are restructured immediately, future electoral chances would be equally bleak.

Their strong appeal comes in the wake of preparations to remove several electoral organizers, citing accountability for the string of losses.

The MPs and organizers countered that the SJB had a better chance of winning more seats at the General if the Presidential election had been won, which could have been possible if they had entered a broader coalition with the UNP and other political groups.

They had also argued that Sajith Premadasa missed a crucial opportunity to strengthen his reputation when Gotabaya Rajapaksa first offered to hand over power during the 2022 crisis.

They claimed that certain economic advisors in the party discouraged him from taking on that responsibility, allowing President Ranil Wickremesinghe to build his own voter base by stepping up to the situation instead.

The group stressed that to reverse the party’s fortunes, long-standing leaders and officials must now step aside for new, energetic, youth representatives with innovative ideas.

(Source: Lankadeepa)

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