Government Firm on Homegrown Justice Mechanisms

COLOMBO (News 1st); Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya today (24) briefed Parliament on Sri Lanka’s position regarding the recent UN Human Rights Council report, reaffirming the government’s commitment to advancing accountability through credible domestic processes.

The Prime Minister noted that following the UN High Commissioner’s visit to Sri Lanka in June, the government welcomed the recognition of “genuine openness” and the potential for inclusive change. 

However, she stressed that external interventions would undermine national efforts and risk polarizing communities unnecessarily.

“The Government of Sri Lanka does not agree with the conclusions and recommendations in the report concerning international intervention,” Amarasuriya said. “We believe external actions will only exacerbate divisions and jeopardize ongoing national processes.”

She outlined several steps taken to strengthen domestic mechanisms, including:

Enhancing independence and capacity of institutions through financial, human resource, and technical support.

Establishing an independent public prosecutor’s office, with a Cabinet-appointed committee expanding its composition and consulting experts, the public, and the Human Rights Commission.

Initiating a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, based on a draft law currently under stakeholder review.

The Prime Minister emphasized that while Sri Lanka will continue to cooperate with the international community for capacity building and technical assistance, accountability will be pursued through homegrown solutions.