Government must share plan for national reconciliation with the people

AS Sri Lanka prepares to appear before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva this September under Resolution 51/2, the Government will need to show more than promises.

- By THE NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL

The UN Human Rights High Commissioner’s 2025 report recognises that the new Government has both a historic opportunity and a clear mandate to deliver results. The continuation of arbitrary arrests under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, custodial deaths, intimidation of civil society and the discovery of mass graves such as at Chemmani the UN report highlights shows the urgency of action.

Earlier this month the Cabinet of Ministers approved the development of a new National Policy and Action Plan on Reconciliation and Coexistence, to be spearheaded by the Office for National Unity and Reconciliation (ONUR) under the Ministry of Justice. A credible plan must include clear deadlines to replace the Prevention of Terrorism Act, complete mass grave investigations, establish an independent Truth and Reconciliation Commission with international participa-