Sri Lanka faces heavy criticism at the UN Human Rights Council session Wednesday for its failure to ensure justice and accountability at the end of its civil war that ended in 2009. Michelle Bachelet will present, UN Human Rights Chief who urges states to impose “targeted sanctions” on
former Sri Lankan military commanders implicated in alleged war crimes during the last years of a 26-year conflict. Activists are also calling for accountability.
The current Sri Lankan govt announced last year that it was withdrawing from a resolution signed by the previous government agreeing to work towards ensuring justice. The resolution expected to be put forward against Sri Lanka in the UN Human Rights Council is likely to echo Bachelet’s report.
The report also says that ethno-nationalist rhetoric continues and the Tamil and Muslim communities have been marginalized and scapegoated, especially following the Easter attacks in 2019 and during COVID.  Sri Lanka has been trying to canvas support among friendly nations to counter a resolution of this kind or to get support for the introduction of its own resolution.
Tamils and Muslims staged a massive protest march earlier this month demanding justice for disappeared, victims of forced cremations, and against other alleged rights abuses. The march was a massive show of force, with the two minorities coming together to protest human rights abuses in Sri Lanka.
Wednesday is also the 2nd and final day of PM Imran Khan’s visit to Sri Lanka.