Discrimination, Marginalisation and Violence Against Minorities in Post-War Sri Lanka

What is it about?

Sri Lanka’s past remains sullied by human rights violations of massive proportions. The end of the thirty-year old civil war created opportunities and expectations that the post-war period would usher in peace, development and reconciliation, but this has not yet materialised. In recent times there have been significant and worrying negative trends and challenges which has altered the environment for reconciliation, accountability and human rights leading to a new wave of violence, discrimination and marginalisation against its minorities. Some of these broader trends include excessive militarisation in areas occupied by minorities and displaced minorities, the reversal of Constitutional safeguards though court rulings and emergency legislations, political apathy and obstruction of accountability for war-time abuses, exclusionary rhetoric through the intensification of Sinhalization and a shrinking democratic space. These trends represent important warning indicators of future conflict and increased human rights violations. The main purpose of this paper is to therefore highlight the various human rights abuses, including those legislative frameworks that continue to target and discriminate against Sri Lanka’s minorities. This paper advocates for actions aimed at protecting minorities in accordance with the country’s obligations under international human rights law.

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