by Our Correspondent in Washington DC
Sri Lanka is grappling with a litany of serious human rights issues, according to the United States Department of State’s 2024 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, which paints a troubling picture of governance, civil liberties, and accountability in the island nation. The report, submitted to Congress under the Foreign Assistance Act and Trade Act mandates, covers internationally recognised human and worker rights and places Sri Lanka under sharp scrutiny following its turbulent political transitions in 2022 and 2023.
The report cites “credible reports” of arbitrary and unlawful killings, torture, cruel and degrading treatment, arbitrary detention, and transnational repression. Freedom of expression and media rights remain under severe strain, with journalists facing harassment, intimidation, and physical attacks. While the constitution guarantees press freedom, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights observed ongoing surveillance and targeting of reporters—particularly those working on enforced disappearances, land disputes, and post-war issues in the north and east. The misuse of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Act to stifle dissent was singled out as a persistent concern.
In 2024, the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka recorded seven custodial deaths between January and August, with civil society warning of a continuing pattern of police “encounter” killings despite guidelines to prevent such incidents. The report also details instances of involuntary sterilisation among marginalised Tamil plantation communities, raising serious questions over consent and medical ethics.
The state’s approach to protest and public dissent was marked by intimidation. Tamil journalists were threatened, their equipment vandalised, and in some cases their movements restricted. The controversial Online Safety Act—passed ostensibly to curb disinformation—was flagged for provisions deemed unconstitutional by Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court, with fears it could be used to silence critics and compel social media companies to hand over encrypted user data.
Worker rights remain inconsistently enforced. Although freedom of association is recognised, legal gaps and employer resistance hinder union activity, especially in the private services sector. Public-sector strikes have been significant—most notably the July walkout involving around one million state employees and 250,000 teachers in protest at spending cuts. Wage and safety protections are often not applied in informal sectors, which still account for 58% of the workforce, and the tea estate sector faces particular criticism over underpayment and unsafe working conditions.
The issue of enforced disappearances remains unresolved, with the Office on Missing Persons criticised for prioritising administrative closures over robust investigations into war-era abuses. As of July, 203 families had received limited financial relief, but many mass grave investigations remain incomplete. Pretrial detention remains endemic, with two-thirds of detainees held without conviction and cases under the Prevention of Terrorism Act persisting despite an official moratorium.
Torture and ill-treatment are described as “endemic,” with the HRCSL logging 2,845 complaints of torture and 675 of degrading treatment in just over a year. Convictions under anti-torture laws remain in single digits since the law’s enactment in 1994. The report also points to a lack of prohibitions against female genital mutilation, noting continued practice among some Muslim communities.
On refugee rights, the absence of a national asylum framework means Sri Lanka depends on the UNHCR for registration and support, but the agency plans to close its operations in the country this year. As of December, there were 163 registered refugees and 251 asylum seekers, many of whom face uncertain futures without a path to permanent residence or continued financial assistance.
Finally, the State Department notes instances of transnational repression, with the government renewing proscription orders against Tamil and Muslim diaspora groups and individuals abroad, citing alleged links to terrorism. While some Muslim groups were delisted in 2024, many remain banned, limiting political activity and community engagement.
Overall, the report concludes that Sri Lanka’s authorities have taken “minimal steps” to hold perpetrators of human rights abuses accountable, with systemic impunity undermining public trust. The findings underscore the gap between constitutional guarantees and lived realities, leaving the country’s post-crisis human rights trajectory in serious doubt.
