Amnesty International has responded to a new OHCHR report highlighting the ongoing failure of the Sri Lankan government to ensure accountability for conflict-related sexual violence. The report reveals that such violence, particularly against the Tamil community, was deliberate, widespread, and systemic, and that some acts may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity. It also shows that these abuses continued well beyond the end of the internal armed conflict in 2009, with incidents reported as recently as 2024.
Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s South Asia Director, emphasized that successive administrations have failed to provide redress, leaving survivors to bear the long-term psychological and social consequences. The OHCHR report calls on Sri Lanka’s authorities to take urgent action, implement its recommendations, and publicly commit to timelines for delivering truth, justice, and reparations to survivors. Singh stressed that the government’s recent pledges must now be translated into concrete measures.
The report further details how conflict-related sexual violence was used as a strategic tool to extract information, assert control, intimidate communities, and instill fear. These violations were institutionally enabled and disproportionately targeted populations affected by the conflict. The OHCHR underscores that Sri Lanka has a legal obligation to prosecute perpetrators, including those who ordered, facilitated, or failed to prevent these acts through command responsibility, making accountability essential to ending impunity and advancing justice for survivors.
