The United Nations Human Rights Office has raised alarms over potential threats to fundamental freedoms in Sri Lanka as the country prepares for its presidential election slated for September 21, 2024. The comprehensive report, issued by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), underscores an array of growing human rights concerns and the erosion of democratic principles.
According to the report, legislative changes introduced since 2023 have broadened the powers of security forces while constricting fundamental freedoms such as expression, opinion, and association. This is exemplified by the passage of the Online Safety Bill, which grants the government extensive authority to evaluate and eliminate ‘prohibited’ content, thereby risking the misuse of power to suppress dissent.
- Freedom of expression and opinion has been significantly curtailed, notably affecting journalists and civil society actors. Instances such as the questioning and harassment of journalists Punniyamoorthy Sasikaran and Valasingham Krishnakumar, who were covering a protest against state-supported land seizures, serve as troubling examples.
- The report also highlights an unsettling increase in surveillance and harassment directed at those reporting on politically sensitive issues, including enforced disappearances and land seizures.
- As Sri Lanka approaches its first presidential vote since its severe economic crisis, which began in 2022 and has been exacerbated by global instability and debt distress, the stakes for preserving democratic integrity are exceptionally high.
The OHCHR report recommends repealing controversial legislation like the Online Safety Bill and suggests a range of reforms aimed at reinforcing basic freedoms and democratic norms. However, the success of these recommendations heavily depends on the political will of Sri Lankan authorities and pressure from the international community to prioritize human rights.
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