Colombo: Sri Lanka is one of 30 'Human Rights Priority Countries' (HRPCs); countries where the UK has serious human rights concerns and hopes to engage positively to develop human rights performance, the British High Commission in Sri Lanka said in a statement. The report acknowledges that there has been limited progress in the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. Particular concerns highlighted, include attacks on minority communities and the slow delivery of key human rights and reconciliation commitments.
The UK said it remains concerned by the lack of progress on introducing legislation that protects women and LGBT people from discrimination. "The UK works with the government of Sri Lanka to support reconciliation and human rights. This continued engagement aims to strengthen democracy and the rule of law through support for police reform, inter-faith dialogue and mediation and the UN's peace building priority plan," the statement added.
The report underlines the UK's desire to work positively with countries to help them improve their human rights performance. The FCO began publishing the Annual Human Rights Report in 1998 and it is now also published online. The section on Sri Lanka in the Annual Human Rights Report 2017 says: “the year 2017 saw limited progress in the human rights situation in Sri Lanka. There were particular concerns around inter-communal tensions and the slow delivery of key human rights and reconciliation commitments, including delays in introducing new human rights compliant counter-terrorism legislation and in the Office of Missing Persons becoming operational.
There were a number of allegations that the security forces continued to resort to torture, including in reports published by the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission, by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) Special Rapporteur on Torture, Nils Melzer, and by the HRC Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism. Work continued on a draft Counter Terrorism Act, intended to replace the much criticized Prevention of Terrorism Act, but the government failed to advance the new legislation through parliament.
Civil society and journalists continued to report concerns about surveillance and harassment in the north and east of the country, albeit at a lower level than in previous years. Military involvement in civilian life in the north reduced, and the military released approximately 550 acres of private land.
Communal tensions increased, with incidents of violence and intimidation against Muslims and Evangelical Christians. The Government of Sri Lanka established inter-religious committees to address the issue, and committed to hold to account those responsible for inciting violence.
