GOVUK Published 10 April 2014
Contents
- The human rights situation in Sri Lanka was of serious concern in 2013. Although progress continued on post-conflict issues, such as re-building of infrastructure, and elections took place for the first time in the north of the country, the overall trend was negative in many respects. Attacks against journalists continued, and Sri Lanka fell in independent indices on press freedom and women’s rights. The impeachment of the Chief Justice exacerbated concerns about a culture of impunity, and the extent to which the independence of some institutions had been eroded. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, visited Sri Lanka in August and, while recognizing much progress, noted continued human rights violations and signs that the government was heading in an “increasingly authoritarian direction”.
Part of this publication is the 2013 Human Rights and Democracy Report .
