The International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP)’s submissions document violations including extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearances, arbitrary arrests, torture, and sexual violence, perpetrated by Sri Lankan military forces, paramilitary groups, and civil servants—among them judges and former government ministers. Many of these atrocities, which include attacks on civilians, potential war crimes, and crimes against humanity, were committed during the final stages of the conflict.
The dossiers also draw attention to systemic corruption within Sri Lanka’s governance, highlighting the mismanagement of state-owned enterprises and financial misconduct that have contributed to the country’s ongoing economic crisis.
In addition to targeting Sri Lankan officials, the ITJP has called for visa bans on former members of the Indian Peacekeeping Force (IPKF), who are accused of involvement in human rights abuses during their deployment in the Tamil North-East in the late 1980s. These officers have been linked to mass atrocity crimes during their operations in the region.
“In the absence of any criminal accountability to date, it is vital to continue to document past and current crimes, analyse the evidence and use every channel to keep on asserting the truth,” said Yasmin Sooka, Executive Director of ITJP. She emphasized the importance of continuing to document past and current crimes despite the absence of criminal accountability thus far.
“We hope the new UK government will impose sanctions on Sri Lankans for their alleged role in war crimes by Human Rights Day (December 10th) this year,” she added.
The ITJP has already submitted comprehensive dossiers on high-ranking Sri Lankan figures like General Shavendra Silva and General Jagath Jayasuriya. Silva, who was sanctioned by the US in 2020, is accused of overseeing atrocities during the war’s final stages, while Jayasuriya has faced multiple complaints in several jurisdictions, including Brazil, Chile, and Australia.(Tamil Guardian)
