UN Human Rights Report Urges Sri Lanka to Implement Decisive Reforms and End Impunity

A new United Nations human rights report urges the Sri Lankan Government to accelerate institutional reforms and strengthen accountability for past and ongoing human rights abuses. While acknowledging minor progress in addressing corruption and post-war crimes, the report highlights critical issues, including the continued use of repressive anti-terror laws, state-sponsored surveillance, and systemic custodial violence. UN High Commissioner Volker Türk has called for immediate international standards to be met, including a moratorium on the Prevention of Terrorism Act.

RMN News Human Rights Desk
New Delhi | September 5, 2026

Overview of Current Progress and National Challenges

The United Nations Human Rights Office has published a comprehensive report covering the period from October 2025 to July 2026. The report recognizes certain steps taken by the Sri Lankan Government to address high-profile corruption cases, political killings, enforced disappearances, and the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. These investigations and arrests took place during a challenging period for the country, which was simultaneously dealing with the devastating impact of Cyclone Ditwah and the economic strain of global energy price surges.

Persistent Repression and the Prevention of Terrorism Act

Despite previous government commitments to legal and institutional reforms, the UN report details the ongoing application of the repressive Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). The continued use of this act has led to arbitrary arrests and long-term detentions without formal charges.

Additionally, civil society actors, human rights activists, and journalists continue to face intensive state surveillance and intimidation. Simmering tensions regarding land ownership and religious sites further complicate the national reconciliation process.

Custodial Violence and Urgent Prison System Reforms

The report documents deep-seated issues within Sri Lanka’s detention facilities, highlighting cases of torture and deaths in custody. According to data from the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka, there were 602 documented cases of torture and ill-treatment in 2025, with an additional 138 cases reported by April 2026. Custodial deaths remain a severe concern, with 18 deaths recorded last year and three more by April 2026.

A prominent case highlighted in the report involves a 40-year-old inmate held for a minor drug offense who died at Welikada Prison in Colombo on May 3, 2026, allegedly as a result of severe beatings by authorities. Furthermore, violent riots at Negombo prison in July 2026 led to at least 32 deaths, emphasizing the critical need for comprehensive prison reform to resolve systemic overcrowding and unsafe conditions.

State Surveillance and Pressure on Civil Society

The UN Human Rights Office received at least 16 distinct allegations of state surveillance targeting journalists, activists, and civil society actors. This indicates a persistent pattern of harassment, intimidation, and reprisals conducted by intelligence and military officials, including representatives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) and the Terrorism Investigation Division (TID).

These individuals are routinely interrogated regarding their organizational affiliations, funding sources, participation in protests, and travels abroad—specifically their participation in UN human rights processes in Geneva.

The Struggle for Historical Justice and Accountability

While the government has publicly denounced racism and advocated for national unity, the UN warns that broader efforts toward truth and justice are at risk of stalling. Sri Lanka continues to struggle with a lack of progress in investigating and prosecuting international crimes allegedly committed during its long armed conflict.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk emphasized the necessity of decisive accountability for violations committed by all sides during the conflict, which spanned more than two decades.

Some progress was noted, such as the Attorney-General’s recent decision to indict Sivanesathurai Chandrakathan (also known as Pillayan), the former Chief Minister of the Eastern Province, along with three others. They are accused of the 2006 abduction and murder of Professor Subramanian Ravindranath, the former Vice Chancellor of Eastern University. However, Türk pointed out that many other symbolic cases remain unresolved, such as the killing of 17 Action Contre La Faim aid workers in Muttur two decades ago.

UN Recommendations for Reconciliatory Action

To prevent the loss of momentum for transformative change, High Commissioner Türk has proposed several urgent measures for the Sri Lankan Government:

• Establish an immediate moratorium on the Prevention of Terrorism Act pending its complete repeal, and release long-term detainees held under its provisions.
• Exclude all individuals credibly accused of human rights violations from holding senior governmental, security sector, or diplomatic positions until allegations are fully resolved.
• Support memorialization initiatives led by victims and release military-occupied lands back to civilian control.