Sri Lanka elections – Not a green light to ignore torture

Sonya Sceats, Director Policy and Advocacy at Freedom from Torture, said:

"We are glad to see that the parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka have been reported as being largely fair and free of violence. We hope this creates a climate for a concerted effort by the new government to deliver root and branch reforms after decades of abuses, including the entrenched torture that we highlight in our report Tainted Peace. However the international community should not interpret the election as a green light that all is well on human rights.

"The election results should pave the way for President Sirisena and his appointed Prime Minister to deliver further human rights progress after some positive steps since January. To date, however, the leadership has failed to take on vested interests in the military, police and intelligence sectors responsible for ongoing torture documented by our expert doctors. The government should use its new democratic mandate to initiate bold plans to eradicate torture and hold perpetrators accountable.

"Until such reforms are satisfactorily delivered, the international community must remain circumspect about the present human rights situation in the country. For countries hosting Sri Lankan asylum seekers, including the UK, this means taking great care not to return anyone to a risk of torture at the hands of those who, after years of impunity, now have something to lose if witnesses to past torture and other abuses are given freedom to speak out. "